Tom McKenzie: February 2008 Archives

I've been thinking a lot about creative practices that actually move beyond critique and push against specific American policy. I'm not sure if these films do, in and of themselves, but they certainly document a time of direct action, and the frightful reprisals that befell those who attempted to disrupt the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Ann Hornaday's story in the Washington Post provides a good historical lead up to Brett Morgan's new film by pointing out how much it owes to Haskel Wexler's 1969 directorial debut Medium Cool. The quote in this blog's title is from her article. Here's the original trailer. Check it out!
By the way, according to this interview with Brett in IndeWIRE, Spielberg will make the next, more "mature", incarnation of this continually-reworked story. Is this like our generation's version of an "oral tradition"--retelling this event through film? Anyway, I think it's a legend worth hearing, thinking  and talking about right now as the convention season is upon us.
Check out these clips at NPR to get a feel of the new Morgan Film. And for more, I found these excellent photos from the protest along with some writing by Jo Freeman at her website.

If oil is what the US seeks, and a prone and suffering Iraq keeps us from acquiring it, it seems that the age old practice of waterboarding is a perfect metaphor for the US's otherwise inscrutable policy of endless, bloody gamesmanship in Iraq.

The practice of waterboarding, historically inflicted by thugs like Spanish Inquisitors, Dutch Colonialists, the Gestapo and the French during the Algerian War, involves immobilization, like being strapped to a board, and swaddling of the face through which water is poured. A skilled torturer keeps a victim on the verge of death by drowning and often accompanies this by beating the victim's bloated body and stomach for additional effect. Mishaps were frequent during the Algerian War according French Journalist Henri Alleg. He writes about his torture, recalling:

Water flowed everywhere: in my mouth, in my nose, all over my face. But for a while I could still breathe in some small gulps of air. I tried, by contracting my throat, to take in as little water as possible and to resist suffocation by keeping air in my lungs for as long as I could. But I couldn't hold on for more than a few moments. I had the impression of drowning, and a terrible agony, that of death itself, took possession of me. In spite of myself, all the muscles of my body struggled uselessly to save me from suffocation. In spite of myself, the fingers of both my hands shook uncontrollably.

Consider, then, Vice President Dick Cheney's answer to WDAY's Scott Hennen's question about waterboarding. Dick said, "...that's been a very important tool that we've had to be able to secure the nation. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed provided us with enormously valuable information about how many there are, about how they plan, what their training processes are and so forth, we've learned a lot. We need to be able to continue that."
The process of holding a body prostrate, in pain with the psychological fear of death at any moment, as we can see, is a method embraced by the US officials like Dick Cheney. Why then should we believe that they would treat a political body that they wish to control any different? Internally, Iraq struggles with conflicting needs, the way a waterboard victim's body is ravaged by the need to expel water while at the same time take in air. As long as the US remains in Iraq, it controls factors influencing that society's levels of permanent devastation, desperation and suffering. Meanwhile, the US makes repeated attempts to wrestle control of the Iraq's resources. Iraqis are not relinquishing, and as a result they endure prolonged suffering and irreparable damage.

When will our leaders end these abominable exercises?
Each day is another too long.
The doublespeak is deafening.
We struggle to hear our own minds!
Liberate our consciences: Open the doors of Guantanamo, undo extraordinary renditions, close WHINSEC, and give Iraq back, so we can help Iraqis reclaim it as their own!

(images: Vann Nath , Painting of waterboarding at Cambodia's Tuol Sleng Prison; Françoic Chifflart, "The Concsience")