Disclaimer-I am not a right wing person who thinks the government is infringing on my religious or second amendment rights. I don't even own a gun. I still don't get why some Christians are so obsessed with being heavily armed despite all of those Sundays I spent in church and the fact that I learned to shoot a gun at the age of 8 years, but it is certainly their right. I have found few to no conspiracy theories that were actually plausible once most facts were analyzed. Having said that, this is a very well made documentary. It might not be totally even-handed, but it uncovers and links together many overlooked, or more likely covered up facts, in a very compelling narrative. I don't remember the last time I felt so shocked and angered about a story I thought that I knew from the media coverage in 1993. The one sentence synopsis at the time might have been "Heavily armed religious cult is led to fiery death against federal agents by deranged leader." It was apparent at the time that the initial confrontation was clumsily handled by the ATF, but once you know more of the details you will wonder what the ATF was thinking and how could we even allow such decision making in modern times. The rest of the government actions seem to be a continuous ratcheting up of covering up the original blunder or seeking revenge all the way up to the Senate and Attorney General. The scariest aspect is the government's seeming spoon feeding the media only what it wanted them to know, much like the lead up to the Iraq war. The saddest part is the loss of so many innocent men, women and children on both sides based on poor decision making, posturing and fear. The part that makes me angriest is the apparent cover-up and denial so high up the chain. Yes a lot would have been different had David Koresh led his followers out with their hands up but that doesn't excuse the brutal treatment and slaughter of many innocents. Whether you consider yourself Left, Right or Center politically this documentary should be seen if you are an American citizen and want to be well informed about modern history. I still think the government can be a force for great good but it can do great damage if not held accountable.
Review of Waco: The Rules of Engagement
