Documentary "Why We Fight" Gets Broader US Release.

[reprehensor]

Eugene Jarecki’s Why We Fight finally sees a broader release across the United States on January 20, 2006. I say “finally” because the film is well known in Great Britain, as it was shown on BBC FOUR in March of 2005.



The film opens with President Eisenhower warning America of the dangers of the “Military Industrial Complex” (M.I.C.).

Maybe America should have listened.



The interplay of stock footage and new beautiful cinematography is a constant motif throughout the film, as well as interplay between the cold analysis offered by critics and defenders of the M.I.C., and the humanizing story of Wilton Sekzer, whose son perished on 9/11.

The musical score compliments the smart editing and savvy critique, offering up a very satisfying film for those Americans who are wondering just what the hell their government is doing with all that defense pork, while health care costs skyrocket, and the Bill of Rights quietly undergoes it’s post-mortem.


Chalmers Johnson is stellar in Why We Fight.

Consider these numbers; the United States spent $401 Billion on defense in 2004, $41 Billion on Children’s Health, $34 Billion on K-12 Education, $10 Billion on Humanitarian Foreign Aid, $7 Billion on the Head Start program, and $2 Billion on projects to reduce American reliance on foreign oil.

Comparatively, Russia spent about $51 Billion on defense, China around $50 Billion, and the “Axis of Evil” spent about $7 Billion.

This film couldn’t have come at a better time.

Here is the film’s official website:

Why We Fight

[noahmijo]

1. I thought at first this was Frank Capra's film

It may be it seems, I definitely want to look into it.

I will say though I had serious misgivings when I first just heard off the press that this movie was going to be released because I thought Capra's classic was going to be used to show the non existant similiarities between the Iraq War and WW II.

Nothing burns me hotter when some ignorant yahoo tries to parallel WW II with the so called War on Terror-anybody with even a limited knowledge of history understands that the two are completely different.


Oh and by the way dittoheads and flat earthers-Hitler DID IN FACT declare war on America. It was part of the Axis treaty-if one country within the Axis attacks or is attacked by another nation every nation the Axis declares war on the non-Axis country.


Let's do this in crayon for the * supporters and all those who use the "Well we attacked Germany and they never attacked us! that was premptive!"



Japan, Germany, Italy that was the Axis Powers.

Japan attacks Pearl Harbor-Subsequently Germany declares war on America the very next day.


So you see idiots Germany DECLARED WAR ON AMERICA.


Also it should be noted that Hitler was explicit in someday getting revenge against France, The United States, Wall Street.....he spoke in tones that obviously indicated that he had plans to attempt war on America.



Give me one ONE recorded event where Saddam claimed someday that Iraq would avenge or destroy America.

[megatherium]

5. Saddam didn't declare war on the US.

But al Qaeda very definitely did, repeatedly; and they attacked us repeatedly, culminating in 9/11. But Bush and his people fumbled Afghanistan, outsourcing that war to untrustworthy warlords who took our money then took al Qaeda's money and let bin Laden and his people escape from Tora Bora (with help from our "friends" the Pakistani intelligence service). And Bush and his people exploited 9/11 to execute their pre-existing agenda to invade Iraq. (I don't believe in MIHOP nor LIHOP -- but I believe in EIOP: Exploited It On Purpose.)

[reprehensor]

8. Capra is one of his inspirations for the film.

But the film is a critique of the complex, not a film in praise of militarism.

[FULL_METAL_HAT]

2. Saw it last night -- excellent film!

[Selatius]

3. I was unaware the gap between K-12 spending/defense was so huge

That's a shame, really. I hear they cut out something like 13 billion from the Student Loan program for college kids. Ah well, gotta find some way to corral more people into the military, right?

[megatherium]

6. I teach college. It seems to be much tougher for students today

than in the late 70s when I went to college. I have the greatest admiration for my students who are working their way through college, something I never had to worry about. (I teach at an urban commuter campus. Many of my students are first-generation college students -- commencement ceremonies are a big deal at my school. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside when I see all the students and their families beaming with pride.)

[Selatius]

7. I'm a first generation college student

I've got a car note's worth of student loans now I've got to pay off, and I probably will spend the next several decades trying to pay it off, but I've only got two semesters left. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble getting money for this semester, but generally, it's my impression that it's harder here in the US than it is in, say, France or Sweden to get help.

There's a problem in the US. Wages simply don't keep up with the cost of going to colleges. The trend can only continue for so long until something snaps. I've always favored a government subsidized college education system with an increase in the number of qualified teachers and professors along with an increase in education standards.

We can spend lavishly on guns and bombs, but we don't when it comes to books and pencils, and that absolutely kills me and, if anything, just makes me bitter at the end of the day. We've got people who, instead of concentrating exclusively on learning the material, are torn between that and holding down a job, and it's not easy because I've done it myself.

[chat_noir]

4. footage of Cheney and Rumsfeld insisting on the existence of Iraqi WMDs

Much of this is familiar stuff—which is to say, historically grounded. The title deliberately echoes the World War II propaganda films made by Frank Capra. Anyone who lived through the Vietnam War is familiar with the litany of official lies—although it's always breathtaking to see footage of Cheney and Rumsfeld insisting on the existence of Iraqi WMDs. Moreover, generally uncompromising and simple enough for TV (or at least the BBC, which produced it), Jarecki's film forcefully argues that the much abused word freedom cannot paper over the conflicts between capitalism and democracy. - J. Hoberman, Village Voice

http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0603,hoberman,71721,20.html