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Articles:
Politics
V
for Vociferous
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
I'm
not saying the movie "V for Vendetta" is vociferous,
though it certainly has a powerful message. The title of this
article refers more to the conservative talking heads and
Bush apologists who raced to discredit this movie as loudly
as possible. As they always seem to do with left-leaning movies,
apparently most right-wing reviewers took the liberty of speaking
out against it without even seeing it. Their hateful denouncement
seems more the product of self-conscious guilt and illogical
arguments than honest critical review.
First,
I wonder why conservative pundits even took notice of this
movie. In it, a future totalitarian regime in England controls
the media and public opinion. They round up political opponents,
homosexuals, and Muslims and torture and murder them. They
use their power to exercise complete control of society. So
why do conservative critics call this an attack on the Bush
administration? Do they see parallels between the fictional
oppressive government and our own? If they do, are they not
admitting that America is moving towards dictatorship?
Second,
why do right-wing loudmouths say the movie "promotes
terrorism"? In the movie, a lone vigilante stands up
against the aforementioned authoritarian government. He urges
his people to summon the courage to stand up and overthrow
this excessive authority. Is it not just to rebel against
such a regime? The United States itself carried out a successful
rebellion against British rule. The French and Russian people
rebelled against their oppressive monarchies. South Africans
overthrew apartheid rule. The world has a rich history of
rebellions where the majority of common people retaliate against
abusive and unjust minority rule. "V for Vendetta"
is no different. Are conservatives calling justified rebellions
"terrorism"? If they are, then they are calling
our own American Revolution "terrorist", and as
such, claiming the United States was founded on "terrorism".
Third,
why do they claim the movie "attacks Christianity"?
Surely, the strict rulers in the movie use religion to justify
their tyrannical rule. While this religion could certainly
be Christianity, it's not really stated clearly. Joe Scarborough
on MSNBC pointed out the ruling party's logo resembled a cross,
and as such was a clear attack on Christianity. To me, the
use of a cross-like symbol in the movie was more of an allusion
to Nazi use of the swastika -- a misshapen cross -- than to
anything explicitly Christian. Additionally, the movie simply
points out how bigoted groups often use religion to justify
their methods. The Ku Klux Klan, Nazis, Neo-Nazis, and modern
religious extremists such as Muslim fundamentalists and Fred
Phelps all hide behind God as the reason for their venomous
hate. "V for Vendetta" merely showcases this tendency
in its fictional tyranny.
It's
my perception that conservatives who attack this movie only
succeed in making themselves look paranoid and guilty. By
calling the movie an attack on the Bush regime, they are acknowledging
inherent similarities. Perhaps this guilt is the reason behind
their vile and outspoken criticism.
Then
again, maybe they're just sore that support for President
Bush is at an all-time-low 33%. Perhaps they're just scared
that this thought-provoking movie will affect American minds
more profoundly than their own propaganda. God forbid it actually
makes people think and question our government, rather than
just falling in line like good little sheep. Perhaps their
inane criticism of a fictional movie underlies their increasing
despair to prevent public opinion from turning more and more
against Bush and their party as a whole.
I
thought "V for Vendetta" brought up some interesting
points about totalitarian rule and the motivation for the
people to oppose it, violently if necessary. To me, it was
merely an examination of politics in a time when many people
are increasingly distrustful of an increasingly authoritarian
government. I think this is constructive and welcome, as it
encourages people to have a dialogue about the nature of current
events. The only people who would attack this movie are those
who think they have something to lose, such as their own party's
authoritarian control of its people.
As
the character V said in the movie, "people shouldn't
be afraid of their government, government should be afraid
of its people". I would have thought an alleged
"big-government-hating" group like conservatives
would embrace this message. Perhaps they would, if they were
not themselves "big government".
The guilty think all talk is of themselves. --Geoffrey
Chaucer
The seed of revolution is repression. --Woodrow T.
Wilson
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