Following close on the heels of "Fahrenheit 9/11" comes this film on much the same subject
from the steady hand of documentarian Robert Greenwald. Taking a more
straightforward approach, he has assembled a convincing jury of analysts and
experts to weigh the evidence and give their individual verdicts on the
various aspects of the Iraq war and the scandalous whitehouse deceptions that
formed the basis of it.
Not everyone will agree with that characterization. The republican
apologists will insist that they were fooled by false evidence, as though
ignoring the truth behind their pre-formed beliefs amounts to an excuse after
they've been proven completely false. The consequences to the U.S. are far
too profound to allow for such a beg-off and the witnesses presented here
make that case.
As a documentary, this one is far less humorous, satiric and dramatized than
the Michael Moore approach. Instead, we have here a document that latter day
historians are likely to refer to for a contemporary perspective of this
administration's martial, economic and diplomatic legacy to the country. Or,
should I say, lunacy? To future historians, this testimonial condemnation
will weigh heavily on the scales of presidential judgement.
Greenwald assembled an authoritative stream of commentators: high ranking CIA
operatives, military officers, physicists, political advisors, imagery
analysts, weapons experts, diplomats, and a variety of scholars.
The collective judgements from their unique areas of interest add up to an
effective denouncement of the phony premises for launching a war in order to
satisfy a cowboy's whim (my words, not theirs, exactly). They leave little
doubt that this country is being led by an administration that is too
self-venerating and stubborn to know when it's been outed for its true
agenda, stiffly refusing to take the route of sincere apology.
Footage from the administration's public pronouncements, often from white
house spokesmen, sometimes from the principals themselves, considered in the
light of later developments, puts their self-righteous incompetence on exhibit.
On the important question of what constitutes patriotism, the unity of views
held by these analysts will allow all good citizens to sleep well at night.
It shouldn't be missed.
A documentary exposing what some believe to be the most tragically deceptive
leadership in U.S. history is relatively easy to do -- almost a slam dunk.
They are easily hung by the rope they, themselves, in strident, undefendable
terms, wove. What is not proportionally easy to accomplish is to reach the
minds of the undecideds and swing voters with reason.
Did I say that staunch Bush-ites, the religious right, the far right and
other unswayable righteous extremists shouldn't have ventured this far in
this essay? If you hung in out of curiosity, I pat you on the back. On the
other hand, if you're glad you read it through, I say, welcome and be sure to
vote.
~~ Jules Brenner
Unspinning Fox News'
Bill O'Reilly