Why We Fight (2005)

Is American foreign policy dominated by the idea of military supremacy? Has the military become too important in American life? Jarecki's shrewd and intelligent polemic would seem to give an affirmative answer to each of these questions.

Director:

Eugene Jarecki

Writer:

Eugene Jarecki

Stars:

Gore Vidal, John McCain, Ken Adelman

4 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ken Adelman	...	Himself
John Ashcroft	...	Himself (archive footage)
Osama bin Laden	...	Himself (archive footage)
George Bush	...	Himself (archive footage)
George W. Bush	...	Himself (archive footage)
Robert Byrd	...	Himself (archive footage)
Frank Capra	...	Himself (archive footage)
Dick Cheney	...	Himself (archive footage)
Joseph Cirincione	...	Himself
Bill Clinton	...	Himself (archive footage)
Anh Duong	...	Herself
Gwynne Dyer	...	Himself
Dwight D. Eisenhower	...	Himself (archive footage)
John S.D. Eisenhower	...	Himself
Susan Eisenhower	...	Herself

Storyline

He may have been the ultimate icon of 1950s conformity and postwar complacency, but Dwight D. Eisenhower was an iconoclast, visionary, and the Cassandra of the New World Order. Upon departing his presidency, Eisenhower issued a stern, cogent warning about the burgeoning "military industrial complex," foretelling with ominous clarity the state of the world in 2004 with its incestuous entanglement of political, corporate, and Defense Department interests.

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Plot Keywords:

political superpower | war crime | war criminal | american imperialism | military industrial complex | 

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Taglines:

It is nowhere written that the American empire goes on forever.

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Genres:

Documentary | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for disturbing war images and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Classics [United States]

Country:

UK France Denmark Canada USA

Language:

English Arabic

Release Date:

January 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dlaczego walczymy

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$53,571, 22 January 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,436,279, 14 May 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arte,BBC Storyville,Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Joseph Cirincione: In some ways, the military-industrial complex may become so pervasive that it is now invisible. This is about, you know, ideas and influence and what's safe for your career. Being seen in opposition to strong defense policies is a liability. Not just for a politician who wants to run for president, but for an expert who wants to make a name in town, or a journalist who wants to get his or her story on the front page of the paper. In this way, restricting the level of discussion to this rush for...

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Connections

References Divide and Conquer (1943)

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Soundtracks

Hurt
(uncredited)
Written by Trent Reznor
Performed by Johnny Cash

User Reviews

Eisenhower was right!

Unfortunately, we don't seem to have leaders today of Eisenhower's caliber - we are being led by a bunch of lightweights, who got us into an unnecessary war that would have appalled Ike. The movie starts of with the Eisenhower farewell address which is the centerpiece of the story that follows - we have allowed the military industrial complex that Ike warned about to play a major role in starting many of the wars this country has been involved with - and we wonder today why the U.S. is so universally disliked around the world. What is interesting is that Eisenower originally intended in his speech to talk about the military-industrial-congressional complex, but at the last minute left out the congressional part, because he did not want to antagonize Congress at the time. The documentary does an excellent job of using archival footage coupled with personal interviews of famous and not so famous subject matter experts who were intimately involved with events that have transpired since Ike left office. Of particular interest are the comments by a former Air Force female officer who worked in the Pentagon to develop the neocon talking points for Rumsfeld and others to justify our attacking Iraq. This is by far one of the best historical documentaries made about a subject that is not talked about enough. If you want to understand why the country can't afford health care and affordable housing or fixing Katrina - watch this movie.