Syriana is a film. It stars George Clooney and Matt Damon and one or two other well know faces. It’s an intelligent film, a bit like ‘Lord of War’. Strangely enough it came out of the Hollywood stable. This is strange because it is not overtly entertaining, but it does do what a good film should, in my opinion, do, that is: it makes you think. One can also applaud people like Clooney and Damon for getting involved in this film because while it is not overtly anti-American, it does not show American big business in a wonderful light. Seeing as Hollywood could well be classified as ‘big business’, it is both odd and welcoming that at least some people from within this environment show they aware that these mega enterprises do not always have the World’s best interests at heart. Indeed, the film seems to illustrate that the World is not run by politicians, but by businesses and businessmen so powerful that they can command the CIA to, literally, eliminate the competition. Scary.
At least, it has to be said, America is free enough for such a film to actually get made, although I suspect that certain people may not have been too happy about it, but then again, it does not really rock any boats and I doubt those at whom this film jabs a finger will lose any sleep over the points it attempts to make. After all, they are far too powerful to worry about a little Hollywood film, aren’t they?
The film does proffer one or two interesting, if not original, little theories, such as implicating that big business moving and shaking created disgruntled employees; who also happen to be Muslim and thus become dragged into extremism and acts of terrorism. Then there is the faithful CIA agent who realises that his lords and masters do not necessarily have the country’s best interests at heart and upon revealing his opinion is dropped like a hot potato by bosses who realise that he has stopped blindly obeying orders. The theory here being that you are expected to be loyal to your country, but your country is not expected to be loyal to you, especially when you don’t fit in with their ‘business plan’.
Stop reading, start speaking
Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.
Films of this genre attempt to explain why the world is such a topsy turvy place, but although they paint a certain picture, they do not really explain how or what should be done to restore the somewhat beleaguered portrait of the planet today.
Anyway, as you can see, Syriana provoked a few thoughts, and confirmed, yet again, that I’m not alone in thinking that the wonderful world is not all that wonderful. However, yours truly is not really doing much to change the order of things, aside from scribbling a few thoughts and observations down, that is.
As an aside, I wonder just where the good old USA manages to find all its funding for all these little wars it keeps getting involved in. Is the country so rich? Does it have a bottomless wallet? So it would seem.
Oh and just in case you think I’m anti-American, I’m not. I’ve known a few Americans and liked them very much. In fact, I would jump at the chance of going to live in the US of A.
