"NIGHTMARES draws a line from this politics of self and its aftermath to the development of two
remarkably similar ideologies that came to represent the most articulate rejections of Western
Liberalism, and that finally came into final confrontation on 9/11: The American Neo-
Conservatives, and radical Islamists and followers of Said Kotb. To comprehend why war is
happening now, I can think of no two more essential films to study at this moment. "
I will be sure to view the two films you have suggested. They sound extremely timely and
intriguing. I have struggled with the question of "why war" for years, and I fear that the answer
may be that we as a species still adhere to the conscious or unconscious notion that war is
ultimately beneficial in some manner. We may be on the brink of a change in this though.
Slavery was once viewed worldwide as acceptable, even necessary Those who owned slaves felt no
qualms because it was part of the fabric of human existence. Only when the practice began to be
questioned and viewed as less and less acceptable did slavery begin to die out and finally (nearly)
vanish. But this took centuries. The shift happened slowly as the enslavers continued their practice
but there was a dynamic tension happpening within the collective psyche that made that form of
domination no longer an unthinking act. Global shifts in thinking bring about these changes.
You feel it now with the Iraq war. Worldwide protests happened for the first time. Yes, they were
ultimately ineffectual but they signal something. Witness the shock and confusion that exists
around America's cuurrent "what's good for America is good for the world" stance. Imperialism,
although it still continues, is no longer the acceptable mode of behavior for powerful countries, as
it once was. I'm not talking about individual viewpoints but something more collective.
Anyway, we may not live to see it but perhaps there is a sea change happening and war will pass
away.
Also, thanks Elaine for your post.
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