2005, USA/France/UK/Canada/Denmark
Biography, Documentary, Drama, History, War
Ask any red-blooded American off the street why our country goes to war and they will quickly and proudly declare, "freedom." Ply further, and the answers become more muddled. As many prefer not to be taunted as unpatriotic, they blindly support our government’s decisions to invade. Director Eugene Jarecki (The Trials of Henry Kissinger) wishes to shake up this robotic nature and encourage open discourse with his intelligent and thorough film, Why We Fight.
Bookending and whispering “I told you so’s” throughout the film is President Eisenhower’s farewell speech from 1961, in which he admonished against a military industrial (Congressional) complex within the U.S. As President Washington had left final words warning against standing armies, so did Eisenhower attempt to impress upon Americans the "grave implications" of a grand military force that outweighs other domestic concerns. These words are prescient against our present backdrop of 24-hour war-news coverage. At what point did the American public willfully become the world’s military superpower? According to this documentary, we were never given the option to do otherwise.
This film differs from other recent war-related documentaries (Control Room, Fahrenheit 9/11) in that it tackles the military mindset machine, not merely one line of conspiracy. There are so many webs of deceit and greed that war has become a profitable business. Invading a country is on par with a hostile business takeover in order to tap a country’s resources and create an economic colonization of a population who can now buy American products.
And strings are not merely pulled on foreign soil, but at home politics are manipulated for fun and profit. B-2 bombers have a piece manufactured in every state. If a Congressperson has the nerve to suggest removal of funding for this weaponry, then jobs are lost, and if jobs are lost votes are aimed elsewhere. Furthermore there is a revolving door for politicians to flip sides and work for contracting companies, retaining the rolodex to turn the screws and receiving a hefty paycheck for the insider info.
Much of Jarecki’s presentation includes never-ending cycles that feed upon themselves. Whether it is the military business that creates more wars, or individuals that have been effected by one war only to become a part of the subsequent war. A Viet Nam war refugee is now an American explosives expert, working on the next big bomb. A Viet Nam vet struggles with feelings of revenge when his son dies in the World Trade Center. In the latter case, the government took advantage of his fears and anger, and twisted them to their own advantage. In reality, the supposed war on terror was a strategy long in coming – a result of our own government’s creation.
Jarecki has brought together folks in-the-know who speak thoughtfully and urgently from personal experience. From ex-CIA agents privy to internal documents to think tankers who know the keywords that frighten the public to descendents of Eisenhower who believe his military experience encouraged him to emphasize domestic programs to soldiers who dropped the truly non-precise bunker-busters on Baghdad on March 19, 2003. His spectrum ranges from those with great influence to those under the influence, easily swayed by patriotic devotion.
This film is important. Not only should its startling facts create conversation, but the mere fact that somehow it has become un-American to question our government should be a topic for immediate discussion. Each of us has the power to vote and change history. We pull the strings (...even if Diebold attempts to snip them).
DVD extras abound. When Fox and CNN are blathering the same sound bites all day, an information avalanche such as this is very satisfying. No Colbert "truthiness" here! The commentary track is as fascinating as the film itself, hosted by the director and Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, who teaches national security decision making. Extra scenes are expansions of what survived to the screen, further illuminating sections about Eisenhower’s background, the missing Congress during the call to war in Iraq, Frank Capra’s original "Why We Fight" WWII propaganda flicks, the dangers of the arrogance of using so-called smart weaponry, and suggestions as to what the viewer can do to change our current war-monger status. Scenes are also expanded upon the interviewees, such as the young soldier’s tale as filmed by a youth group, the father who lost his son on 9/11, two ex-Pentagon military specialists, and the illuminating Chalmers Johnson, who readily admits he has changed his position on government when he was presented with new information (how refreshing!). The very well-spoken Jarecki is shown at both an adult Q&A and one with high school kids still attempting to create their own opinion, to which Jarecki provides them with great advice. Also included are appearances on "The Daily Show" and "Charlie Rose," a trailer, and a link to the film’s website for further education.