by Len Hart, The Existentialist CowboyThe movie of 2006, based upon the original 'graphic novel' stars Hugo Weaving as 'V', John Hurt as Adam Sutler -- the Big Brother-like dictator/tyrant seen on giant telescreens. It also stars Natalie Portman. It is a future Britain following a nuclear holocaust but, in fact, it is any nation seized by fear, embracing upon the pre-text of terrorism an all-powerful government in response. This movie exposes 'terrorism' as a racket!
The 'fascist' party called "Norsefire" resembles the Nazi party by its extermination of opponents in concentration camps and the American GOP for its embrace of torture, violations of human rights, blatant demagoguery and lies.
Sutler rules the country as a police state just as Bush aspired to rule America. Naturally, he is opposed. The opposition are called 'terrorists', though it clear that the tyrant's misrule is both the initial cause and the aggravation. It is hard to imagine any guerrilla movement, any opposition, any 'terrorist' having any success at all against a just and/or competent government or ruler. A dictator by his/her tyranny inspires and justifies his opposition and every effort to unseat or overthrow him.
In "V", the police state is opposed by an 'anarchist revolutionary' who dresses up like Guy Fawkes. History buffs will recall Guy Fawkes for his opposition to the English government of James I whose reign followed that of Elizabeth I, who was, despite her good press, a tyrant.
A reference to a prison closely resembling Guantanamo for its flagrant abuses is but one of many analogies and lessons that must be drawn, that must be applied to the the real world created by George W. Bush and the NEOCON junta which seized power in the United States at the end of a contested election and a violent, seditious assault upon vote re-counters who most certainly would have awarded the election to Al Gore had they not been violently attacked by partisans transported to Florida and paid by the Bush campaign.
Other references to a world now fixated by the specter of 'terrorism' are easy to recognize throughout the film. For this reason, 'V' remains controversial.
"In the not too distant future, Britain is filled with torture cells, unfair punishments, prejudice against minorities."That excerpt from a review reads like a description of America under Bush and in his wake. Bush ordered that suspected 'terrorists' be denied the protections of 'Habeas Corpus' if one is but 'deemed' to be a 'terrorist'. It was, of course, the very purpose of Habeas Corpus to prevent such arbitrary 'deeming'. To prevent those who might wrongly 'deem' others is precisely the point!
It is, therefore, clear that the Bush administration was less interested in effective, real and reasonable measures against real and/or demonstrable terrorists than it was interested in subverting Constitutional guarantees for partisan, political, venal motives or reasons.
Part of the Bush legacy is that a GOP dominated Supreme Court has 'created' corporations 'people'. And the government need only 'deem' you a terrorist to justify torturing you without benefit of Habeas Corpus. It is a recipe for tyranny and corruption. Prisons in Texas, for example, are owned and operated by huge corporations. As a result, crime has increased as the incompetent and/or criminal regimes of Bush Jr and, later, Rick Perry subverted public education in Texas. They succeeded; Texas now ranks dead last in high school graduations. The GOP, therefore, is not only the cause of increased crime by its neglect of education, its corporate sponsors benefit from it. It's a corporate/GOP circle jerk.The 'future' is now.
Note: The Existentialist Cowboy is currently bombarded by spam from a lunatic name caller of the right wing ilk! Therefore, comments are moderated. Intelligent comments are, as always, welcome! Ad hominem attacks, spam and psychotic drivel is not! Eventually, the offending party will be committed to an asylum and we adults can once again engage in intelligent, articulate dialogue. Thanks for understanding.Syndicated 'Cowboy' Articles
Media Conglomerates, Mergers, Concentration of Ownership, Global Issues, Updated: January 02, 2009
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