Movies and TV

I have been on the road the past three weeks and over the weekends I saw four movies. Two of the movies really made me think.

The first movie that got my mind racing was "TAKEN". This movie is about an ex CIA man who will stop at nothing to save his daughter who has been kidnapped by Armenian gangster so they can sell her as a sex slave. When I say stop at nothing, I mean stop at nothing. His only wish is to get his daughter back and anyone who stands in his way is dead or hurting. The raw killing and torture took even me by surprise as I fought back my liberal teachings that tell me only necessary force is needed. I had to regroup and place myself in the scenario to really appreciate what he was feeling. Not something easily done since I have no children.

While I was watching the lead character interrogate a man, it went from water boarding to far worse. I sat and wondered how many liberals were watching this movie and agreeing with the main characters actions, since it was justified because the bad guy was known to be a bad guy. I wanted to jump up, pause the movie, and ask for a show of hands for how many liberals there were in the theater. The friend I was with told me that the TV show 24 is similar in the main character will shoot someone in order to get information. I have never seen the show. HOW COME HE HAS NEVER BEEN PROSECUTED? That show is extremely popular so I know there have to be some liberals who watch it. Why are they not disgusted by what is portrayed on the screen? I think they are not disgusted because they know the person being tortured is a true bad guy. Well, I would like to believe that the people our CIA and military intelligence interrogate have a pretty good idea they have a bad guy in their hands.

The second movie took me by surprise as I thought I was going to see a WWII version of Rambo, where Daniel Craig goes on a rampage against Nazis. Imagine my surprise when "Defiant" turns out to be about 4 Jewish brothers who survive after their parents are slaughtered by fellow Russians at the behest of Nazi Germany. I love history but have to be honest and say I have not studied much more then the high points of the Russian/German front. I had never heard of these brothers nor the battle that took place in the forest that is the main setting of this movie. What is interesting is the feeling of the Jews who hide in the forest. Most are business men and intellectuals who look down on the brothers for being thugs and peasants. Yet they turn to them for their survival skills and leadership. The two oldest brothers fight over how best to survive, with one brother wanting to raid and kill any Nazi sympathizers in order to take food and supplies, while only sharing with those Jews who help in the fighting. The other brother wants to prevent blood shed and help all the Jews regardless of their contributions. The brothers end up separating with one joining Russian forces with a group of Jews and the other staying with a hundred plus people trying to stay alive through a Russian winter.

This movie was much more interesting in its portrayal of right and wrong. In my limited associations with Jewish people I have found that they are extremely organized and efficient. This is portrayed in the movie and all people are documented and their skills accessed. They are then assigned jobs and all are trained to fire a weapon. At one point, one of the men who scouts for food decides he and the other scouts should be first to get food and get more then the others. This caused a debate between me and my liberal friend. I did not agree with this view. In my eyes, this was a commune where everyone had a role and everyone shared equally. No one was without a job so no one did less then the other. Yes, the scouts did the more dangerous work, but with out the others they would not have had clothes, shoes, shelter, or repaired weapons. I will not ruin the movie by discussing what happens but I did agree with the way it was handled.

The funniest part of this movie watching the internal fighting over right and wrong during the war. The intellectuals wanted no violence even though all the other Jews had been slaughtered, including their wives, husbands, sons, and daughters. This amazed me. To not defend ones self and loved ones goes against every thing I feel instinctual. To roll over and die does not seem human. The best line comes after a German soldier has been captured and the people are interrogating him. They find out the Germans will be coming into the forest. The Jews who surround this soldier, decide to focus their anguish and hatred on this one soldier. But in comes the intellectual who screams, "Wait, if he promises to not tell them where we are can we let him go?" Seriously? This is the same guy who steps outside unarmed after hearing a scary noise outside the house. COME ON.

War is hell and when you are out numbered and being slaughtered, I do not believe any quarter should be given. Both movies show raw human emotion and put you in a position to ask yourself, "What would I do?". I know their is good and evil in this world. I do not believe that the way to beat evil is with kindness or hugs. I believe the way to beat evil is by being as brutal and devious as the enemy. The difference between good and evil is that the good can stop once the evil is defeated.

I love my family, my friends, and others who try and live good decent lives. I have no compassion for people who lie, cheat, and steal from hard working individuals. I have no compassion for religious zealots, no matter what religion, who preach hate and destruction on those who believe differently then them. I believe all men and women are created equal, but there are givers and there are takers. The givers enhance society by making it better, whether big or small, they do what they can. Takers offer nothing but fear, loathing, and death. For the takers of the world I feel the only way is to get rid of them.

I do not believe that a measure of society is the state of its prisons, I believe the measure of society is the way it treats the victims.