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The Steve McQueen Standard -- How Will History Judge Us?
I've just been watching Steve McQueen in The Great Escape, a story about American soldiers caught by nasty Germans and held prisoner during WWII. The soldiers are held in internment camps, and are subjected to verbal and physical abuse. The Germans are comical although serious, so we will stay scared throughout the movie, but basically they are a joke.
For the most part the Natzis are treated comically as buffoons.
How will history treat us? As buffoons, who line up naked people in a pyramid as though it is a joke? As though we are justified in saying that we are the only country worth following? Or should we be AMONG the countries who are leading?
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According to bush....'we'll be dead' so history doesn't matter. I think these last 8 years will be picked and pulled apart for decades to come, and that is also my hope. We have to find out what the heck happened in order to never repeat it.
Our only chance, as people who were here during this abomination, and who allowed this hideous administration to stay until the very end without any accountability, is the election of Barack Obama. He is...I am afraid to say...our partial salvation. I hate to put such a burden on him, but I guess he DID ask for it, didn't he? God Bless Him!!!
October 18, 2008 8:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I like your pig with lipstick picture. Funny
October 18, 2008 9:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
C'Ville Dem:
I watched the same movie and had the same question about the legacy of the past eight years. Given our treatment of "detainees," who were not granted even the dignity of being called POWs, we'll be lucky to be called buffoons.
October 19, 2008 1:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
We may be better off with Steve McQueen, but the real documentary was just released this week on TORTURINGDEMOCRACY.ORG
According to Scott Horton, this is the documentary that PBS couldn't find room in their schedule for it until Jan. 21, 2009, the day after Bush leaves office. The backstory is here.
I had a hard time making it through Jane Mayer's The Dark Side recently. This oughta do me in. There is an annotated transcript available. Let me know what you think?
October 19, 2008 2:41 AM | Reply | Permalink