I went to the Movies yesterday with my good friend Jay Dugan. We watch Michael Moore's latest film Fahrenheit 9/11. I personally don't think I like Mr. Moore -- not so sure I like his tactics when interviewing and so forth. What I will tell you is that I feel everyone old enough to vote in America, if not the entire World, should see this Movie.
But a moment later I started thinking. Should I recommend my son --a soldier in the 2nd ID on his way to Iraq -- go see this Movie?
I don't know. I was a soldier myself and still think that a self defense force can and should be kept at a national level. I feel that our leadership has miss represented Americas best interest in the world.
But you know what? our troops are our children -- no matter how miss behaved they may be or in need of a spanking -- and we have to support them 1 million percent!
I don't want my son to go or anyone else son or daughter to that matter. But if they are going, I want them to be totally focus and to be responsible of mission objectives. I want them to act ethically. Above all, I want them to come back.
So back to Mr. Moore's film do I want to show this to an Infantry man on his way there?
I think so. Perhaps the easiest way to look at this is:
Would I have wanted to look at a piece like that before the invasion of Grenada, the Libyan bombing, the tense days of a central Europe when we were always hearing about the Red Army Faction or the Eastern Block Intelligence Agents, the pursuit of Noriega in Panama and of course the Gulf War I. Should I have seen the Fog of War when I was guarding Inter-continental Ballistic Missiles in the Dakotas?
Should Jenna Bush see either film before having her beers at the Chuy's in Bagdad after a grueling 14 hour shift ends on a Thursday night along with her other Military Police buddies I made that up. I just think that she would be a perfect female MP or AF Security Police woman?
I say Jenna, and her parents, Paquito and his parents should all watch both films a couple of times. And by the way Mr. Kerry, you should watch also.
Well, Paco, I saw the movie over the weekend too. And, while I don't share your dislike of Michael Moore (he's intentionally over the top... that's the beauty of what he does), I think the movie was great. Since 9/11, I've become far more interested in politics and the goings-on on Capitol Hill, so I knew a lot of what was presented in the movie. But even though I knew it, I thought it was well presented, and it made me very angry. I truly believe the Bush Administration is a danger to the planet and if I was the praying type, I would every day ask some higher power that he not be elected in November.
Now, to your question... should someone headed to Iraq see this movie? That's a tough one. When you're part of some big (corporate | military) machine, you don't have to agree with decisions, but you have to be aligned with them in order to be successful. Could a soldier see this movie and still be aligned with the decision to be in place? I couldn't.
In the corporate world, I have the ability to choose to leave a company if I don't share the same beliefs as the company I work for. That is, if I couldn't align myself with the executive decisions, I would just work elsewhere. Actually, a fair number of Bush staffers have left for this very reason. Soldiers don't have that luxury (unless they want to go to jail, as a soldier pointed out in the movie). So, would it do more harm than good to show them this movie, knowing that it might create inner turmoil?
How would you have done things differently if you had seen Fog of War before guarding those ICBMs? Would it have created more stress or relieved it? Probably created it.
Iraq is a volatile place. The last thing soldiers need is more stress. I think I've talked myself around to "no, don't show them now, but show them when they get back." But, then again, I've never been in the military, so I could be completely wrong.
Posted by: Kyle at June 28, 2004 10:43 AMMy views on a movie I have not seen cant be too informative, but what I can give to this topic are my views as a soldier;
I as an american soldier headed to Iraq in the very near future believe that reguardless of what kind of inner turmoil certain information might create, believe that I shall not be left uninformed, and if I can I will gain the information that I require.
As a soldier I believe that it is best to show all sides of what ever story is being told...
Soldiers need to know what is going on in the world that surrounds them. We need to know what the people we give our lives for are currently thinking. What makes them tick, what worries them, what makes them lose sleep @ night... So on and so fourth.
I did not get a chance to finish Michael Moore's previous film "Bowling for culumbine", but from what I gathered from the bits that I saw, is that he is a very forward person, and I think that we need more people like him, who arent afraid to speak their minds, who arent afraid to show the world what is really going on.
Who knows...
Maybe a simple line of dialog in that film might influence the way I as a soldier perform my military duties for the better of the overseas battle.
Maybe something as simple as a line of dialog, could become the very reason why we keep going, and refuse to give up, and make it back home in one peace.
You never know what may fuel a mind.
Posted by: Paquito at July 5, 2004 10:25 AMBeing the phiosopher you are, I can appreciate where this question comes from, however, just as millions went to see "The Passion of the The Christ" and the world didn't visibly change, the same would have to be said for Moore's. The content will impact if the viewer is ready for it to impact, otherwise it is just entertainment.
About Moore, I would have to defer. I think he is awesome. I know from some of your stories you have never been one to shy away from saying what is on your mind and willing to accept the consequences of those comments. Take it from one who did the same and had his whole life change, it takes a (dare I say?) "hero" to say the things that he says knowing that death threats and denial attacks will follow. You may also want to check into the writings of Noam Chomsky if you are not familiar with his work.
Posted by: Kevin Shockey at July 6, 2004 01:19 PMactually my friend in iraq said that many soldiers saw the movie, and like in america their feelings over it were split. The difference I feel is a result of younger soldiers being swayed by their parents on a dislike of moore. any educated person will realize that moore cares about this country and wants to see it improved. this is why he does the things he does, it is a method to promote change. unfortunately conservatives, by the very nature of their name dislike change as it is not, obviously, conservitive. My question for you, however, is what time period would republicans like to go back to. what part of america's glory days are what we are striving to achieve?
Posted by: wyatt at July 29, 2004 01:13 PM