“The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which
everybody had decided not to see.”
–Ayn Rand
When Will We Be Ready To See?
If you have ever wondered why we are fighting wars in the Middle East you should watch the movie “Why We Fight.” The film is a documentary that portrays the United State’s homeland security priorities as being set by the military industrial complex President Eisenhower warned against in his farewell speech. Eisenhower’s words are as significant now as they were then and bear repeating here:
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. —Dwight D. Eisenhower
Within the discourse of the film, Eisenhower’s dire forewarning has been fulfilled and the government that President Lincoln extolled in his Gettysburg Address “…government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth,” is most assuredly perishing. This is illustrated through a series of interviews that cast a new light on the events leading up to the Bush administration’s declaration of the “Global War on Terror.” When viewed from the perspective of the presented material, the attacks of 9/11 were used as an excuse to further the imperial power of the United States and to ensure the continued growth of the military industrial complex. This creates a dismal depiction of those who are entrusted to safeguard the interests of the American public. Instead of patriots who are seeking to protect our freedoms and the freedoms of those in oppressed countries, they are revealed to be corrupt and single-minded in the pursuit of their political agendas and personal gain.
The documentary style of the movie conveys the message in a format that appears to be factual which has a subtle but forceful impact on the audience. One example of this is Wilton Sekzer who recounts his story throughout several segments of the film.
Mr. Sekzer’s son was killed on 9/11. He recounts the anger he felt in the days immediately following his son’s death and admits he wanted someone to pay for his loss and this devastating attack. In this state of mind, Sekzer wholeheartedly supported President Bush’s Global War on Terror. He, as did the majority of the American public, believed the administration’s claims regarding Saddam Hussein and Iraq’s involvement in this attack against American civilians. Later Sekzer appealed to military and they granted his request to have his son’s name placed on one of the bombs destined to be dropped in Iraq. Somehow this action brought some peace to Mr. Sekzer. However, this feeling of peace is replaced with feelings of betrayal when he watches a televised broadcast in which President Bush stated “we have had no evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved with September 11th.”
The discussion on the Wolfowitz Doctrine also raises questions about the intent of the national government to ensure America attains and retains its position as the only super power in the world—and the lengths to which they will go to accomplish that goal.
Would this movie have an impact on the public discourse related to homeland security? Absolutely! The film is a wake-up call to Americans about the “system of legal corruption” that is being perpetrated in their names. It is an indication of what happens when the American people become complacent and blindly accept media reports without questioning the source or who is actually controlling the news. Dan Rather, when interviewed in the film, warns that this behavior results in a “mini version of a totalitarian state” where instead of opposing views, we are often over-loaded with the same message from multiple sources. This misleads the public to believe they are getting all the information when instead much is being obscured behind all that chatter.
Movies such as this; reports of the intelligence community ‘spying’ on American citizens; Dick Cheney’s involvement with Halliburton; and other recent scandals have contributed to the public’s growing distrust of the government, and by extension those who are involved in the homeland security enterprise. This perception is furthered by the fact that most of their activities are shrouded in secrecy and operations are carried out in an environment where “the American public doesn’t need to know.” Given these factors it should not be a surprise if Americans once again take action to re-claim the type of government promised by our Declaration of Independence and so eloquently proclaimed by President Lincoln.
Whether or not you agree, it is worth watching this film and drawing your own conclusions.
