Praise?

Just saw the movie “Official Secrets” yesterday and may I recommend it? It’s in the long-standing tradition of whistle-blower films, a genre I’ve always enjoyed. Think Silkwood, The China Syndrome, All the President’s Men, Serpico, The Firm, Erin Brockovich, The Constant Gardner, Michael Clayton, The Informant, Fair Game, The Post, Spotlight. To name but a few.

Of course, it is a timely film, to say the least. The same tired story of people in power trying to use their muscle to get their way, regardless of the effect on the country or the world. This one dates back to the Bush-Cheney days, with the U.S. trying to dupe the American people into thinking war in Iraq is justifiable because of alleged weapons that never were found—and succeeding, at the cost of the murder of hundreds of thousands of human beings who had children, parents and friends. All so Bush could finish his Daddy’s war and make sure we have enough oil to drive to the mall to buy things made in China that we don’t need and are suffocating our planet. This film looks at it from the British point of view and their involvement in the scam and the whistleblower Katharine Gun’s efforts to expose them. 

It was yet another film that reminded me not to miss “the good old days” of Bush and Cheney in the face of today’s political circus. And I left the theater with a surprising thought of mild praise for this clown trying to run the show (you see, I still have a hard time saying his name). However ignorant, mean-spirited, psychopathic, narcissistic, small-minded and small-hearted he is, he is not a warmonger like Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield and Co. There. One thing to be grateful for. Especially if you were born in a place like Iraq. 

So this tiny crumb of sincere praise for our Toddler-in-Chief. Who would have thought that possible?