Charlie Wilson's War
Just saw that movie. Fucking Brilliant!
It's a Tom Hanks movie, don't get me wrong. There is very much a sense of nostalgia, of history, of the perceived (by Americans) greatness of the cold war. There is a sense nowadays that the cold war, being clinical and quiet, covert, a war of espionage and money, was a more modern, more pure conflict. It was, after all, bloodless (if you only count American blood).
The Dialogue is fantastic of course, the pacing, the terminology, the retorts, the structure of the thing is EXACTLY the sort of genius you expect from an Aaron Sorkin screenplay. Sharp, witty, smart, political and touching exactly the right nerves to appeal to the liberal in everyone while shoring up the conservative/realist in people. The sheer disappointment at America for not being involved, then getting involved whole (if 'in secret') heartedly in the war in Afghanistan, then in the words of the Congressman "fucked up the endgame" by withdrawing without supporting the reconstruction of the country - leaving the country to the right wing religious. The film quotes a frightening (not sure if it's accurate but it's Sorkin, so probably) statistic that at the point of soviet withdrawal half the Afghan population was under 14.
UNDER 14! I was a twat at 14 and I suspect that every other bugger I know was also a twat at 14! How desperate were you at that age for a cause to believe in, for an ideology that you could think of as fundamentally RIGHT?
Anyway, the film attempts to retroactively alter history to make current American action in the middle east rational, 'we fucked it up last time, but look, we learned, we're in for the long haul now!' Sadly it misses the point that it puts so well in the script at the time, these 14 year old soldiers had no idea America had abandoned them, the weapons had come through Pakistan as a covert effort. America, Israel, Egypt, Jordan - not a factor to these kids, they were left to be raised by the extremists.
Today, information moves. It flows to people via the internet, via radio and television. The children in today's middle east are not without and understanding of who to blame for their lot in life, and the people to blame for the senseless invasion of their nation is now the Americans, and the American education and reconstruction efforts, they smack of 1980, and of Soviet Russian attempts to push THEIR ideology on another nation. America learned from it's own mistakes, but not it's defeated enemies, and that L's and G's, makes this even more fucking tragic.
None the less, fucking great film.
Fuck you all very much and good night.
(Yes I know, it's afternoon, but I've been drinking!)
Card0 telling you the truth till it makes you bleed!
It's a Tom Hanks movie, don't get me wrong. There is very much a sense of nostalgia, of history, of the perceived (by Americans) greatness of the cold war. There is a sense nowadays that the cold war, being clinical and quiet, covert, a war of espionage and money, was a more modern, more pure conflict. It was, after all, bloodless (if you only count American blood).
The Dialogue is fantastic of course, the pacing, the terminology, the retorts, the structure of the thing is EXACTLY the sort of genius you expect from an Aaron Sorkin screenplay. Sharp, witty, smart, political and touching exactly the right nerves to appeal to the liberal in everyone while shoring up the conservative/realist in people. The sheer disappointment at America for not being involved, then getting involved whole (if 'in secret') heartedly in the war in Afghanistan, then in the words of the Congressman "fucked up the endgame" by withdrawing without supporting the reconstruction of the country - leaving the country to the right wing religious. The film quotes a frightening (not sure if it's accurate but it's Sorkin, so probably) statistic that at the point of soviet withdrawal half the Afghan population was under 14.
UNDER 14! I was a twat at 14 and I suspect that every other bugger I know was also a twat at 14! How desperate were you at that age for a cause to believe in, for an ideology that you could think of as fundamentally RIGHT?
Anyway, the film attempts to retroactively alter history to make current American action in the middle east rational, 'we fucked it up last time, but look, we learned, we're in for the long haul now!' Sadly it misses the point that it puts so well in the script at the time, these 14 year old soldiers had no idea America had abandoned them, the weapons had come through Pakistan as a covert effort. America, Israel, Egypt, Jordan - not a factor to these kids, they were left to be raised by the extremists.
Today, information moves. It flows to people via the internet, via radio and television. The children in today's middle east are not without and understanding of who to blame for their lot in life, and the people to blame for the senseless invasion of their nation is now the Americans, and the American education and reconstruction efforts, they smack of 1980, and of Soviet Russian attempts to push THEIR ideology on another nation. America learned from it's own mistakes, but not it's defeated enemies, and that L's and G's, makes this even more fucking tragic.
None the less, fucking great film.
Fuck you all very much and good night.
(Yes I know, it's afternoon, but I've been drinking!)
Card0 telling you the truth till it makes you bleed!