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AriannaGomez
Ms.Cooper
AGSAPLanguage&Lit
24September2014
CenteredCreativeTitle
Americawasforgedintheflamesofwar,foundeduponarevolutionignitedbyindividuals
whoseheartsburnedforGodandfreedomalone.Theydidnotseekwarorbloodshedoutofalovefor
thebattlefieldormoney,butthefiftyfourmenwhosignedtheDeclarationofIndependanceunderstood
thatsacrificehadtobemadeinthenameofliberty,topreserveandfurthertheidealsofdemocracyand
arepublic.WhentheytooktothewatersoftheDelawareinthemiddleofthenight,theyknewexactly
whattheyfoughtforoverahundredyearslater,whenAmericatooktheshoresofNormandy,every
soldierknewwhytheyfought.EveryAmericancitizenknewwhywefought.Theanswerwaseasy:to
defeatHitler,totakedowncommunism,tostopgenocide.Yetastimeworeon,andtheUnitedStates
becameentrenchedinconflictafterconflict,thedefinitiveanswertoasimplequestionWhydowe
fight?waslost.InEugeneJareckis2005documentary,WhyWeFight,heposesthetitularquestion
andsearchesfortheanswerregardingthewarofthisgenerationtheIraqWarandthroughathorough
explorationofthepastsincePresidentEisenhowersfarewelladdress,theuseofcinematicdevices,
witnessselectionandinterviews,andfactualevidence,andacriticallookatthemilitaryindustrial
complex,Jareckipresentstheanswer,vocalizedbyoneinterviewee:(We)arenotdefendingtheUnited
StatesofAmericaWefightbecausetoomanypeoplearenotstandingupandsayingwearen'tdoing
thisanymore.
Jareckiscriticismofthecurrentmilitaryindustrialcomplexisatthecoreofthefilm,yetthe
purposeofthedocumentaryisfargreaterthanacritiqueofanindustry.Thepurposeistoeducate
audiencesonasubjectthegovernmentseemstobelievethatitspeoplearebetteroffignorantof,to

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challengetheaforementionedindustryanditshandinpoliticsandforeignpolicy,andtoinformthe
viewerofwhatdeceptionhasoccurredsinceEisenhowerleftofficetoinformthemofwhereAmerica
standsnow,andwhereweareheaded.YetJareckineverspellsoutthemessageforaudiencesona
blacktitlecard.Instead,hesimplybringsinformationandstoriestolight,andallowsthemtospeakfor
themselves.Hisuseofformerlyandcurrentlyemployedmembersofthefederalgovernmentinthe
interviewsspacedthroughoutthefilm,whospeakcandidly,layoutthetruthplainly,andtheirtitles,
whichvaryfromsenatortoformerofficerinthePentagon,establishcredibilityatfirstsight.Pairedwith
startlingfootagewhichAmericanswontseeontheirtelevisionsshotsofinnocentIraqicivilians
bleedingoutintheaftermathofanairstrikeconductedbytheUnitedStates,frameafterframeof
carnageandchaoswhichcanbecreditedtoAmericaaudiencescometorealizeoverthecourseofthe
filmthattheyhavebeenshelteredfromthetruenatureoftheIraqWarallalong,thankstoagovernment
whosehandisheavyinwhatinformationissharedandcoveredinthemedia.Theunsettlingimagesalso
callsforwardanotherquestion,albeitunderlying,whichappealstotheaudienceshumanity:Isthewar
reallyworthallthislossofinnocentlife?ItisaquestionthatcannotbeignoredasJareckishowsviewers
childrenwhohaveperishedinawarthatisnottheirwar,wholiedyingaspunishmentforacrimethat
theydidnotcommit.AudiencesaskwhywearethereinIraqandJareckianswersthroughthewordsof
KarenKwiatkowski:Thereasonwe'reinIraqfirstoffhasnothonestlynotbeentoldtotheAmerican
people,shebegins.ItcertainlyhadnothingtodowiththeliberationoftheIraqipeople.Thatwasnot
partoftheagendaandit'snotpartoftheagendanow.Partoftheagendabecausethereisone.The
IraqiWarispartofanagenda,setbylargecorporationswhostandtoprofitfromwar.These
corporations,thefilmgoesontoexplain,spreadouttheirfactoriesanddigtheirrootsdeepinthejob
marketofAmerica,sothatlackofbusinessfromthefederalgovernmentcanmeanjobloss.These

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defenseindustrycompaniesaretightlywovenintothefabricoftheUnitedStateseconomicandpolitical
landscape.Theymakemoneyfromwarintheearly2000s,thesecompaniesneededmoney.They
neededconflictandwar,sotheywouldbeabletoselltheirfighterplanesandtheirbombs.The
opportunitytogotowarpresenteditselfin9/11,aneventthatsparkedathirstforrevengeinthehearts
ofAmericans.Sowewenttowar,withanAmericanpeoplebackonthehomefrontbelievingwewere
theretomakethosewhocausedsomuchsufferingandpainthatdayinSeptemberpayforwhatthey
did.Afalsepretense.Ifyouenlistnow,Kwiatkowskisays,YouarenotdefendingtheUnitedStates
ofAmerica.Youarehelpingcertainpolicymakerspursueanagenda.Throughtheinterviews,
cinematicdevicessuchasmusicandlighting,andfootagethatincitesreactionandthought,Jareckis
aimsareaccomplished,forthefilmleavesaudiencesalittlemoredistrustfulintheirgovernment,and
criticalofanindustrywhosepresenceinAmericasaffairsisfartoolarge.
ThefilmcriticizesanaspectofAmericansocietythatcurrentlyemploysandinvolvesover3
millionofourmenandwomen.Itsaudience,then,containsnumerousgroups:thosewhoareinvolvedin
theindustry,believingthemselvestobeinthehighlyhonorableserviceoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica,
when,inactuality,theyaresimplychesspiecesinthegameofpolitics,andthegameofthe
militaryindustrialcomplex.ItcontainstheyoungpeopleofAmerica,especiallythosewhoare
consideringjoiningthearmedforcesasconflictsariseintheMiddleEast,conflictswhosecausesarent
alltooclear.Itcontainsthemiddleclass,middleagedAmericans,whoremembertheirparentsand
grandparentsspeakingofVietnam.Itcontainsthoseparentsandgrandparents,whoneverreallylearned
whytheyfought,andiftheydid,theyknewitwasntforfreedomatall,really.Whileitsaudienceis
broad,Jareckiintendstoaddressandengageeachsmalleraudiencegroupwithinitwithrelative
information.ScenesofVietnam,forexample,willelicitastrongerresponseinthosewhohaveacloser

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tietothatwar,whilethestoryofayoungmanwhoisenlistinginanarmywhodoesnotactuallyfightfor
freedom,liberty,andjustice,willstrikeachordintheheartsofyoungadultviewers.Jareckicontinuesto
utilizefilmicdevicestoengagehisvaryingaudienceshecontraststhepropagandafilmsofWorldWar
II,proclaimingthemightandrighteousnessoftheUnitedStateswithscenesofAmericassonsand
daughterscominghomeinbodybags,dyingforacausethatisvaguedyingforapoliticalagenda.
MusicinthebackgroundduringthelatterhalfofthefilmincludeslyricsthataskwhathaveIbecome?
whileshotsofatrocitiescommittedinIraqundertheAmericanflagflashacrossthescene.Indeed,it
bringsaudiencestoaskthesamething:whathavewebecome?Whendidwestopbeingtheupstanding,
heroicnationwhichrescuedEuropefromHitlershold,andstartbeingthiscountrywhobecame
entrenchedinwarformoney?
Itisthiscombinationoffilmicdevices,interviewselection,andfootagechoicethatcauses
Jareckisstrongestappealtobepathological.Bydefinition,theappealofpathosistoavieweror
readersemotions,andstrongemotionissurelyevokedbytheselectionoffilmthroughoutthe
documentary.Asviewerswatchthetragedyof9/11overagain,watchthetowerscollapseandpeople
weepinginthestreets,holdingcandlestoadarksky,astheylookonasoursoldiersfallintheMiddle
East,astheyviewthedeathsandstackedbodiesofinnocentcivilians,emotionsarise.Theviewer
instinctivelywantstoknowthecauseforthesetragediestheywanttoknowwhotoblame,whoto
looktoandJareckigivesthemjustthatinhisanswers:themilitaryindustrialcomplexingrainedinour
society.Agovernmentwhoservesagendas,notcitizens.Thisappealisthemostimpressionableoneit
leavesalastingimprintonthemindsofitsaudience,and,speakingasaviewer,Iknowitwillbealong
timebeforeIforgetthefeelingsofastonishment,shame,andangerasIlookeduponinnocentcivilian
casualtiesandknewitwasmycountryanditscorporationinfluenceforeignpolicythatcausedit.The

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viewerispersuadedoverthecourseofthefilmtoseethecriticismhelaysout,and,bythetimethe
creditsroll,itisclearthatourgovernmenthasbeencorruptedbythismilitaryindustrialcomplex,and
Eisenhowerschillingpredictionhascometopass.Now,thereisthisincrediblehubris thatweare
invincibleandwearethegreatestpoweronplanetEarth,saysonefederallyemployedinterviewee.
Bythecombinationofcrediblesourceswhogrowtogaintheaudience'strustoverthecourse
ofthefilmethosthelogicalpathtracedfromEisenhowertotheBushadministrationlogosandthe
strongpathosappealelicitedbythedirectorsselectionofmusic,witnesses,andfilmclips,Jarecki
paintsavividpictureoftruth:ournationhasbecomeproud,hasfallenfromourrighteousstandingwe
heldattheendofWorldWarII,andthemilitaryindustrialcomplexsinvolvementinAmericasforeign
policy,andsubsequently,itsdirectinvolvementforthepushforafruitlesswarinIraq,isunacceptable.It
isimportanttokeepthistruthinmindaswefaceconflictaroundtheglobein2014inRussia,in
Ukraine,inavolatileNorthKoreaandastillturbulentMiddleEast.Wewillcontinuedownthepaththat
Eisenhowerpredictedacorruptone.Wewillkeepfightingforthesakeofthearmsindustry,notfor
justice,democracy,liberty,orfreedom.Whydowefight,then?Whatistheanswer?Well,wefightfor
adishonestgovernment,onewhokeepssecretsandhidesthetruthfromtheAmericanpublic.Wefight
forcorporations,sotheycanfilltheirbankaccounts,andpushagendasonCapitolHill.Wefightfor
policymakers.But,aboveallWefightbecausetoomanypeoplearenotstandingupandsayingwe
aren'tdoingthisanymore.