Today people from all over the world are the observers of the American military-industrial complexâs extreme growth and development. The progress in this complex accentuates the fact that the USA is inclined to use it actively. The analysis of the position of the American government according to the military conflicts round the world and the level of participation in them of the national troops can support the idea that the American government uses the war machine following definite goals and interests.
However, what are these goals? Do ordinary people know why they continuously fight against the opposite powers? Eugene Jarecki asked the question âWhy do we fight?â in his documentary film of 2006. Thus, Why We Fight is an attempt to answer the question which remains to be significant during many decades.
In his film, Eugene Jarecki presents the idea that the reasons for fighting are rather complex and involve several aspects. Although politicians are inclined not to support the thesis of the American military supremacy openly, all their actions provided during the twentieth century can prove the fact that the war machine is one of the most effective means to control the situation round the globe.
Why We Fight is a film about the significance of the military-industrial complex for the American policy. Today its significance is emphasized by the position and actions of the USA as their reaction to the events of September 11, 2001 and by the governmentâs vision of the situation with the war in Iraq.
The plot of the film is developed according to the speech of Dwight Eisenhower about the role of the military-industrial complex for the USA. He predicts that its growth can have irresistible effects. The American war machine develops actively. The ideas presented in Eisenhowerâs speech form the modern reality. The war became the part of every individualâs life as the important element of his or her social activities.
Eugene Jarecki focuses on the fact that Americans really do not know why they fight. They concentrate on the concept of âfreedomâ. But whose freedom is in danger? In his movie, Eugene Jarecki emphasizes that money and war business can be discussed as influential reasons for developing the wars. The discussion of the problem is based on the on the presentation of the personal stories of people for whom the war is the part of their life. Their attitude to the problem can differ from the government position or support it because for these individuals the war is the personal issue, but not the aspect of the policy. To provide the argumentative discussion of the ideas, Eugene Jarecki draws the viewersâ attention to the speeches by Gore Vidal, Richard Perle, John McCain, Joseph Cirincione, and the other people.
The historical importance of the film is in its proper analysis of the American military-industrial complexâs history of the development and in the attempt to present the role of the war from the point of the ordinary Americans who are involved in it and from the point of those people who really do not know why it is necessary to fight. Moreover, examining the peculiarities of the wars in the twentieth century and of the war in Iraq, Eugene Jarecki provides the perspective of the American governmentâs position according to the war actions.
The military-industrial complex develops and many people are involved in its progress. Thus, they are involved in wars. It is important to know why they should fight, whose interests they are fight for, and how it is possible to explain the real reasons for developing this military complex and for providing the war on terror. Therefore, the efforts to gain the money, power, and military supremacy can restrict the meaning of the concept of âpeaceâ in the USA.