SWMBO and I just returned from a screening of United Flight 93. An extremely emotional film, but one that everyone should see.
SWMBO wanted to cry. . . El Jefe's own feelings are well summarized by a number of quotations by, or attributed to, U.S. Navy Fleet Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, found on Wikipedia. Substitute term of endearment for our enemies at proper places...
"By the time we're through with them, the Japanese language will be spoken only in hell."
"Kill Japs, kill Japs, and keep on killing Japs!"
"There was nothing I could do, except become angrier."
"Investigate and shoot down all snoopers — not vindictively, but in a friendly sort of way." (orders to carrier pilots immediately following Japan's surrender)
For a more rational reaction to the film, see Chester's discussion here.
The film confirms my tendency to be tremendously impatient with people who are against the war, -- in Afghanistan, Iraq or wherever it is necessary to go. We can argue about whether it was necessary to go to Iraq (I happen to think it was, but reasonable people can disagree). Whatever, we can argue who was right on that one later, but for the moment, the fight's the thing. The enemy is there, and our military is killing him, and should receive whatever it needs to do it. Soon enough Mr. Al-Zarqawi will be a hole in the ground, or wrapped in Pigskin.
I get similarly upset with the idiots who bleat about the USA Patriot Act, the NSA communications intercept program, tighter restrictions on immigration, or whatever else is necessary to the police authorities to protect us. Our constitution is flexible enough to accomodate all that is necessary, without offending the liberties of most of us, much.
The only thing that matters is winning, and the only thing to do is kill the bastards in big bleeding batches, which our soldiers are doing, and keep doing it, wherever necessary, for as long as it takes.
UPDATE (9:00 a.m., 1 May). See Moira McDonald’s excellent review of the film in Friday’s Seattle Times, (available online here). Hat tip: Austin Bay Blog.
4 comments:
I did cry, during and after.
I am so ashamed that we as Americans let this happen & most don't want to do anything about it.
My son won't get to feel this way because someone else - non-American, non-Judeo?Christian will be in charge here on our soil by the time he is my age.
I go away for a few days, and you've written a novel's worth!
On this topic, I am POSITIVE I would cry. That's why I'm not sure if I'm ready to watch it. That being said, however, I do hope an awful lot of people see it.
I think many need to be reminded of why we are where we are today. I remember President Bush saying there would be a day when people would forget what had happened and that the senseless tragedy and murders would seem distant. He was telling us we always should remember how we felt that day. Everyone swore they would remember - the intense emotions, the pain - but yet, so many no longer do.
I hope a lot of people see it too. As for remembering, I think that lots do, but we also have lots of folks actively trying NOT TO, who have forgotten that denial is a river in Egypt. Often the first instinct of one who is deeply hurt is to deny the existence of the wound.
9/11 was curtains for the idea we could have a globalized society on easy terms (at least for us). If we want global trade, mass communications and mass cross cultural interaction, as we seem to have decided, then there will be costs, including war and mass violence.
Much of the rest of the world is not assimilated to the sort of global order we in Europe or America want to create.
We in the West find war so abhorrent that we have tried to abolish it, and at the same time we have become so militarily powerful that we cannot be attacked directly or by conventional means. Unfortunately, we haven't so much abolished war (I don't believe this is possible) - as much as we have driven it underground. People still hate us and want to fight us. Eventually, I think people will choose McWorld over Jihad (from the title of a great article by a fellow named Barber)...but there's going to be some noise first.
Watched the film with my family including my 16 yr. old son and we all cried. I thought the film was made with a lot of thought and consideration for the victims families as there was very little visual gore etc. Overall it left me so sad i really don't think i want to watch it again.
Flight 93 should be compulsive viewing by all goverments, church leaders and human rights lawyers/advocates etc. I also believe it should be shown in all senior schools in the western world. Everyone needs to be shocked into realising what we are all facing today in the shape of islam and sharia.
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