2008 Woodie Awards
Award-winning director expresses concerns about military supremacy
By Stephanie Wrobel, Ashlee Willis and Kathleen Morton
Issue date: 3/23/07 Section: Front Page
The might of the American military machine was the topic of fierce debate Thursday night at a speech that discussed filmmaker Eugene Jarecki's award-winning film, Why We Fight.
"We've let war erode our republic," Jarecki said, speaking to a crowd of approximately 100 in 100 Laws Hall.
His film, which won the 2005 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, was first released by Sony Pictures Classics in 2006. It was also the recipient of the Documentary Screenplay Award from the Writer's Guild of America.
Jarecki analyzed the country's current war in Iraq based on President Dwight Eisenhower's prophetic 1961 farewell address, which warned of a military-industrial complex that could turn the United States in to a permanent war machine.
The complex aligns members of the military, private industry and government in a dependency relationship.
Jarecki discussed war can be viewed as a profit-earning venture. He said war serves as a source of revenue and job creation.
"We went from a model society of democracy to a society of capitalism," Jarecki said. "We were turned into detached members in a society that we are meant to engage in."
He said that top leaders have difficulties avoiding the complex after realizing the potential benefits of it.
"Even in the best intentions, top leaders can fund an alliance with the military sector," Jarecki said.
Christopher Martin, associate professor of journalism at Miami University, helped bring Jarecki to campus.
"We were looking for a contemporary filmmaker who also incorporates journalism into his work," Martin said. "Jarecki provides the entire context for any war, not just Iraq, which is why we thought he was a good candidate to speak at Miami."
Jarecki also discussed the ramifications of other events in American history - such as the 1945 dropping of the atomic bomb - and especially their representation in history books.
"History has taught us that we did the right thing, and that dropping the bomb won the war," Jarecki said. "That is incredibly false."
"We've let war erode our republic," Jarecki said, speaking to a crowd of approximately 100 in 100 Laws Hall.
His film, which won the 2005 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, was first released by Sony Pictures Classics in 2006. It was also the recipient of the Documentary Screenplay Award from the Writer's Guild of America.
Jarecki analyzed the country's current war in Iraq based on President Dwight Eisenhower's prophetic 1961 farewell address, which warned of a military-industrial complex that could turn the United States in to a permanent war machine.
The complex aligns members of the military, private industry and government in a dependency relationship.
Jarecki discussed war can be viewed as a profit-earning venture. He said war serves as a source of revenue and job creation.
"We went from a model society of democracy to a society of capitalism," Jarecki said. "We were turned into detached members in a society that we are meant to engage in."
He said that top leaders have difficulties avoiding the complex after realizing the potential benefits of it.
"Even in the best intentions, top leaders can fund an alliance with the military sector," Jarecki said.
Christopher Martin, associate professor of journalism at Miami University, helped bring Jarecki to campus.
"We were looking for a contemporary filmmaker who also incorporates journalism into his work," Martin said. "Jarecki provides the entire context for any war, not just Iraq, which is why we thought he was a good candidate to speak at Miami."
Jarecki also discussed the ramifications of other events in American history - such as the 1945 dropping of the atomic bomb - and especially their representation in history books.
"History has taught us that we did the right thing, and that dropping the bomb won the war," Jarecki said. "That is incredibly false."
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Mal Owings
posted 3/23/07 @ 6:23 AM EST
This film director shows his ignorance of what the US military had to consider when deciding to drop the atomic bomb.
Japan would not quit unless trhe US invaded Japan. (Continued…)
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