Lambs and Lions
Tonight I saw Lambs and Lions. I did not know anything about the movie, did not really want to go in fact. Movies on post are cheap, really cheap, and my wife wanted to go so off I went. I am darn glad I did.
Robert Redford directed the film and played the part of a political science professor at an unnamed university in California. The movie has three interconnected plots occurring. One is a dialogue between Redford and a clueless, well-heeled, lazy and apathetic college punk that thinks everything in the world is screwed up but has no intention of doing anything about it. The related plot revolves around two of Redford's former students that joined the Army after college and find themselves assigned to the 11th Cavalry Regiment in Afghanistan participating in yet another "new" plan to win the war. The third plot entails a dialogue between Tom Cruise (a young and up and coming senator) and Meryl Streep ( am experienced reporter). Cruise's character asked Streep's character for the interview to entice her into writing "the truth" about this new strategy for winning the war.
My primary take-away from the film was the same thing I was struck with the other night when I watched a History Channel special on "The real Charlie Wilson". My thought is when did it become alright for Senators and Congressmen to become involved in "special projects". The interaction between those in the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch should be limited to what the Constitution intended. The crafters of our Republic never intended that our legislators should act like pontiffs, peddling power and meddling in executive functions. There is a significant difference in finding facts, i.e. getting out and seeing what the money that Congress appropriates is spent on and the very un-Constitutional circumstance of getting hands on in the business of execution.
This is one of the minor aspects portrayed in the movie, Cruise at one point takes a phone call receiving a direct report from the commander in Afghanistan tactical information related to the "new strategy". Of course if you read a little about some of the antics of various congressmen over time you know full well this sort of business is not unheard of - perhaps even common place. Congressmen and Senators often take a special interest in their favorite projects - so much so that their power and access to money makes them the de facto managers of these projects. That is just plain wrong.
It was not so much different in the Roman Republic/Empire. I am continually amazed and humored by the similarities between our Republic and that of Rome. It is not a cliche to make that comparison - culturally and politically we are Rome. Our currency has even begun to collapse like Rome in her middle period.
Back to the movie. Streep's character is conflicted after her discussion with the senator. Cruise's character argues that she has to write the story because we "have to win" and that the news media is just as guilty as the administration for the mistakes of the last six years. His argument is that in 2001 the media outlets covered the story 24/7 with headlines like "America Attacked", "America at War" etc. etc. He called the news organizations nothing more than "wind sockets" showing whatever the people wanted to see to increase ratings.
I have never given a lot of thought to that but there is truth there. Remember back on September 12 2001, what about October 7 2001 or March 18 of 2003? Every news channel covered the story with an excited frenzy. Sure it was news but where was the real reporting back then? Who really asked about the WMD's that we originally invaded Iraq to find? Who asked what we were going to do after we beat the standing armies (such as they were). Did anyone in the MSM remind the American people of the travails of Alexander, the British at the Kyber Pass, the British in Iraq in the early 20th Century, the Soviet Empire in Afghanistan? Did anyone in the MSM stop to read the real objectives of the Wahbism and the real reason that Bin Ladin attacked the US? Nope, none of that back then when the fourth estate was supposed to do its job - they only got a conscience long after the fact.
I recommend the movie, it makes one think.
Stumble It!
Robert Redford directed the film and played the part of a political science professor at an unnamed university in California. The movie has three interconnected plots occurring. One is a dialogue between Redford and a clueless, well-heeled, lazy and apathetic college punk that thinks everything in the world is screwed up but has no intention of doing anything about it. The related plot revolves around two of Redford's former students that joined the Army after college and find themselves assigned to the 11th Cavalry Regiment in Afghanistan participating in yet another "new" plan to win the war. The third plot entails a dialogue between Tom Cruise (a young and up and coming senator) and Meryl Streep ( am experienced reporter). Cruise's character asked Streep's character for the interview to entice her into writing "the truth" about this new strategy for winning the war.
My primary take-away from the film was the same thing I was struck with the other night when I watched a History Channel special on "The real Charlie Wilson". My thought is when did it become alright for Senators and Congressmen to become involved in "special projects". The interaction between those in the Legislative Branch and the Executive Branch should be limited to what the Constitution intended. The crafters of our Republic never intended that our legislators should act like pontiffs, peddling power and meddling in executive functions. There is a significant difference in finding facts, i.e. getting out and seeing what the money that Congress appropriates is spent on and the very un-Constitutional circumstance of getting hands on in the business of execution.
This is one of the minor aspects portrayed in the movie, Cruise at one point takes a phone call receiving a direct report from the commander in Afghanistan tactical information related to the "new strategy". Of course if you read a little about some of the antics of various congressmen over time you know full well this sort of business is not unheard of - perhaps even common place. Congressmen and Senators often take a special interest in their favorite projects - so much so that their power and access to money makes them the de facto managers of these projects. That is just plain wrong.
It was not so much different in the Roman Republic/Empire. I am continually amazed and humored by the similarities between our Republic and that of Rome. It is not a cliche to make that comparison - culturally and politically we are Rome. Our currency has even begun to collapse like Rome in her middle period.
Back to the movie. Streep's character is conflicted after her discussion with the senator. Cruise's character argues that she has to write the story because we "have to win" and that the news media is just as guilty as the administration for the mistakes of the last six years. His argument is that in 2001 the media outlets covered the story 24/7 with headlines like "America Attacked", "America at War" etc. etc. He called the news organizations nothing more than "wind sockets" showing whatever the people wanted to see to increase ratings.
I have never given a lot of thought to that but there is truth there. Remember back on September 12 2001, what about October 7 2001 or March 18 of 2003? Every news channel covered the story with an excited frenzy. Sure it was news but where was the real reporting back then? Who really asked about the WMD's that we originally invaded Iraq to find? Who asked what we were going to do after we beat the standing armies (such as they were). Did anyone in the MSM remind the American people of the travails of Alexander, the British at the Kyber Pass, the British in Iraq in the early 20th Century, the Soviet Empire in Afghanistan? Did anyone in the MSM stop to read the real objectives of the Wahbism and the real reason that Bin Ladin attacked the US? Nope, none of that back then when the fourth estate was supposed to do its job - they only got a conscience long after the fact.
I recommend the movie, it makes one think.
Labels: Afghanistan, El Cid, Iraq, movies
Stumble It!
posted by El Cid at 12:03 AM
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