Am I Un-American?

I think I know better than to let a liberal fictionalized account of current events color my political beliefs, but I do have to save this movie got me thinking...

I wasn't going to see "W." I have never been a fan of the man, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to find any enjoyment in the scathing ridicule that Olie was going to dish on him. It just isn't any fun to watch a man get metaphorically slaughtered for two hours-knowing that though it is a film based on actual events you could count very little of it as truth. So like I said, I wasn't going to go to see it...but...I went to go see "W."

Now if I take a step back and strip away all the politick from it I can safely say that this wasn't a very good movie. There was as much archival media footage used as there was new film shot. The director/editor got way too artsy with the edge fades and tippy camera angles, and though the timeline was decipherable it was far from fluid and there was little method to keep a viewer on track. As a film the only saving grace was the actors. Josh and Thandie did exceptional jobs, Elizabeth was pretty good too, but Richard takes the cake. He did an unbelievable or more to the point very believable job as Cheney.

So now if I step back into it; get personal and political I have no qualms in telling you this film absolutely infuriated me. I don't care the president is played as puppet, that one half of his circle are ass kissers and the other half are pulling at the strings. I can see that those are bias presumptions made by the storyteller. What infuriates me is seeing my political fears up there on screen. To actually hear someone utter the words global American empire made me shutter.

Now I get to the part that makes me wonder if I am un-American...If you look back throughout history there has been a cyclical pattern of rising and falling nations. Those great "empires" that have inevitably fallen into decay. History tells me that America is bound for the same path. As the Egyptians fell, as Ancient Greeks fell, as the Romans fell and the British Empire fell, as with the many others I haven't listed here, America is bound to trip over it's own greatness an plummet back to bottom of the pile. So when I see a hand full of people huddled around a map placing American flags where ever they deem worthy, talking about over taking the cinch pin that would guarantee our worldly control. As if because as a country that houses 5% of the worlds population but uses 25% of it's energy resources gives us the right to demand, by force, controlling power of such things.

Do get me wrong...I understand that we need to hold true to our promises to defend and protect. But what gives us the right to go trampling all over the world planting our flag and saying we can make it a better place. Our way is not the only way and not everyone wants our help. We don't need to be a physical world presence. I fear we have turned into the world bully, we have no real friends just those who fear or need us, and when we fall it will be far and hard.

My last fleeting thought is this...if we are to lead by example how long will we have to wait before someone decides that invasion will make us a better place...how long before we find ourselves at our weakest...literally fighting in the streets over how things should be done...when an agenda driven third party pulls in with their tanks and tells us not to worry...if we can't fix it we'll blow it up...

EDITED 10/21/08 @ 10:41PM
Let me clarify: I don't think of this as a party thing..."power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely", as the saying goes. Both parties think they are right, both do what they think is best but inevitably I think it will end the same no matter who is charge.