Why We Fight

I really enjoyed this documentary. While it was depressing and it had a definite agenda, I think the message that Americans need to be careful of what they believe. It’s a pattern that I’ve noticed in almost all of our readings so far. Many Americans, like Mr. Sekzer in this documentary, blindly follow the leaders of this country. The leaders then exploit our sense of patriotism, our fear, and our need for revenge to get done whatever they want accomplished. I think lately, more and more people are realizing this and have to sift through what the government tells us to find the truth of what is really going on in the world.

I was fascinated by what Dwight Eisenhower called the military industrial complex. I never realized how much we spend on defense in this country and how tied our economy is to the defense industry. I was shocked to learn that a very large portion of our economy depends on keeping this military business going. I think that we as Americans have put ourselves in a very dangerous situation where war is almost necessary for our country to stay alive. It was chilling to listen to Eisenhower’s farewell address when he warned us against that very thing. His message was extremely profound. The military should never be a business; starting conflicts and going to war shouldn’t be such a necessity. If only we had listened, maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess that we’re in in the Middle East.

I think the most important message I got from this documentary was that you can love your country and be a patriotic citizen, but you also have to be very mindful of what the government is telling you, especially when it comes to foreign policy. It is because you love your country that you must question your leaders. Maybe if more people are aware of what the government is telling us, if more people stand up and say “this isn’t right, this needs to change”, then America can work toward a de-militarizing our nation and separating the military from the economy.