War, Inc: Cusack's Savage Satire Strikes a Chord with Soldiers and Their Families
This post originally ran during War, Inc's theatrical run. It has just been released on DVD.
"Whose top advisers are linked to war profiteers?" asks John Cusack in a new TV ad linking John McCain and George Bush ("Both...Bet you can't tell them apart"). The ad, produced by MoveOn.org, starts airing today and is already being passed around the Internet.
Cusack's righteous rage over the billions being pocketed in Iraq by companies like Blackwater, Halliburton, and Bechtel is the beating heart of his brilliant War Inc. The film, a corrosive, audaciously funny takedown of the Right's push toward privatized war, has become a surprise, grassroots-driven hit -- despite having almost no ad money behind it.
I saw the film before it was finished, and even before the final edit, the music, etc., I was overwhelmed by how it captured the insanity going on in Iraq. War Inc. has pulled off the near-impossible: it has a found a savage, reality-altering humor amidst the tragedy of Iraq.
It masterfully wields my favorite creative weapon: satire. It punches you in the gut, making you laugh, wince, and become outraged all at the same time. Naomi Klein rightly calls War, Inc. "one of those rare satires with the danger left in."
Political satire designed to confront the powers-that-be with painful truths and to produce not just laughs but change is rarely seen in today's multiplexes. And that's not surprising; it's a high-wire act few even dare to attempt. But when someone does and succeeds at it -- think Stanley Kubrick, Paddy Chayefsky, Joseph Heller, Billy Wilder -- the effect is indelible.
Lewis Lapham identified the satirist's project as "the crime of arson, meaning to set a torch of words to the hospitality tents of pompous and self-righteous cant." And that great satirical arsonist Mark Twain wrote that exposure to good satire made citizens less likely to be "shriveled into sheep."
The great satirists have always been passionate reformers challenging the status quo. "Sometimes," says Paul Krassner, whose satiric and radical journalism inspired Cusack and his co-creators, "humor is just a way of calling attention to the contradictions or the hypocrisy that's going on officially. ... That's the function of humor -- it can alter your reality." Which is exactly what War, Inc. does.
When in 1729, Jonathan Swift wrote the most famous work of political satire of all time, "A Modest Proposal," he was seeking to light a fire under the indifference toward the twin Irish crises of hunger and over-population. His proposal was to feed young children to hungry men. "I have been assured," he wrote, "that a young healthy child, well-nursed, is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricassee or a ragout."
You can imagine the blowback from those who failed to grasp the satiric point Swift was trying to make. Similarly, the satire-challenged Right has tried to attack Cusack and War, Inc. as (all together now) unpatriotic and a slam on American troops. They've also gotten their knickers in a twist, outraged that someone would try to find humor in the death and suffering of U.S. soldiers.
But Cusack's targets are not our troops but private military contractors, war profiteers, and flag-waving politicians who, as Cusack puts it, support "keeping our troops in harm's way in Iraq but not the bipartisan G.I. bill of rights to support them when they return home." (And, yes, he's talking about you, Messrs Bush and McCain).
Indeed, since the film's release Cusack has received many moving emails and postings on his MySpace page from soldiers and military family members supporting the film and its message. Their missives run from disappointment to disillusionment and fury over being asked to serve and sacrifice while mercenaries are better paid -- and often better treated.
Among the emails:
From Sgt. Brent Sammann, an active-duty soldier in the US Army:
(Click for full-size image --
check out the two flags)
I'm a first-hand witness to the exploitation by KBR and other companies lending their services to the war effort -- services us soldiers are fully capable of doing ourselves.... The military is being overcharged by these companies on a regular basis. Also, the poor service and treatment we get from some of their employees who make three times as much as those of us serving our country that are not in it for the money but are trying to make the world a better place for everyone.
From SPC (P) Johnny Rhodes in 3/2 SCR Infantry based in Diyala, Iraq:
After being awake for 3 days I may be a little bit out of it, so excuse any rambling or incoherence on my part. Off the top of my head, I can easily say that KBR in particular is of no help here in my area of Iraq. They do, jobs soldiers could do, get paid way better for it, but the work is almost always substandard.... at any given time there are hordes of these guys tying up the phones and internet, cramming the chow hall, etc. Which makes the soldiers have to wait. And wait. And wait. They also paid way more than me, for a job, I could do with my eyes closed.
From Brenda Clampitt, of Baton Rouge, LA, the wife of a soldier stationed at Camp Adder in Tallil, Iraq:
[My husband] drives the trucks and Humvees and escorts the KBR around where they need to go. He doesn't understand why they get paid way more then he does when [he and his fellow soldiers] are the ones doing the protecting, and are the ones getting shot at and blown up. He has seen soldiers die in front of him; he has seen lives destroyed and the country torn apart. My husband would serve his country whether he got paid or not, that is just how he is. He loves his country and wants to protect it but he sees first hand what is going on over there and he doesn't like it.... I myself am sick and tired of this war. It is dragging on and on and it is all about the money. I am not anti war. But I am FOR everything your movie is about.
Today's lead editorial in the New York Times, titled "Interrogation for Profit," decries "one of the Bush administration's most blatant evasions of accountability in Iraq -- the outsourcing of war detainees' interrogation to mercenary private contractors" and calls on Congress to approve "measures to make war-zone contractors liable for criminal behavior." The editorial concludes: "The way out of the Iraq fiasco must include an end to the outsourced shadow armies."
This indictment has the same urgency of War Inc. Especially with John McCain reminding us that it's "not that important" to him when our troops come home.
Click here to watch a new interview with Cusack in which he talks about War, Inc, war profiteering and the McCain campaign's race-baiting.
Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff
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You can catch Cusack's other anti-Iraq war film, Grace is Gone, on DVD. It's a wonderful, expertly acted drama about a man coping with the death of his soldier wife.
Another great war satire is available on DVD called Homecoming. It's an episode of the Masters of Horror anthology about dead Iraqi soldiers coming back from the dead to vote Bush out of office. It's a funny, powerful blend of horror and sharp political satire.
Richard Clarke gave Condi the hard evidence on the terrorist threat and she put in a drawer. Paul O'Neil,first Sec of the Treasury for Bush told us straight out in his book " The Price of Loyalty " that Bush was raiding the treasury surplus for the big tax cuts for his supporters and the plans for the war on Iraq and the division of the oil " spoils " to his cronies. The press berated O'Neil and buried him and his story because they wanted only positive news for Bush and Cheney and their plans.
I always believed that a shot of truth serum given to James Baker and Dick Cheney
would set the record straight on the Saudis and 9/11.
Thanks to John Cusacks constant battle against the odds and the Main stream media he has given us a new beginning and a good shot in November. Thanks again John.
I haven't seen either of those, but another absolutely riveting drama about Iraq is "In the Valley of Elah" with Tommy Lee Jones. A tragic story about the horrors that this kind of violence can inflict on average human beings. It's tough, but I highly recommend it.
Thanks, Arianna. I'm looking forward to "War, Inc."
"In The Valley of Elah" should be required viewing for anyone who wants to know the real cost of war.
It's not just the money.
This occupation is costing the souls and humanity of the young men and women sent to fill Dick Cheney, George W Bush and all their friends' pockets.
Here's a possibilit
War Profit Tax.
Let's make it 75%.
Retroactive to 2003.
General Smedley Butler warned us 70 years ago that "War is a Racket" meant to spill our sons and now daughters blood in order to make corporations rich. Even Eisenhower warned us about the Military Industrial Complex.
Open your eyes people...v
Corporations are taking over every aspect of our government
Unregulated Capitalism will destroy Democracies every time. Observe the once great Democracy named the United States of America. Bush would have ended the Gettysburg Address: "...Of the corporations, by the corporations and for the corporatio
"mark of the beast"."
You mean like a National Photo ID with a micro chip that can be tracked?
NetWeasel : Good idea.
That'd pay for our Gross National Debt and repay the National Surplus left prior to the Bush Administration !
Where do we sign them up for their mandatory participation ??
-ralph
works fo rme, thanks Netweasel!
125% and ten years.
How about we take all of the money from all of these companies who benefited from promoting and prolonging this war. It is criminal and criminals should not be allowed to benefit from their crimes or keep any of the profits. Take their money- put them out of business.
Information for sale, people just want to buy what they want to hear. I guess that goes both ways. We can now buy our own illusions and pretend its reality. This war is terrible. It is immoral, unjust, and frightening. Many many women, children and people are suffering, terribly. Our own young soldiers are tired, worn, and emotionally devastated. DEVASTATED.
Profiting from the perpetuation of human suffering is truly evil. That's what these companies are doing, in the name of capitalism. It doesn't have to be this way.
Hoarding money....m
RUN TO THE HILLS before they burn up in the sun.
Or elect Obama, work for change, and pray a lot, like I do.
I think John and Joan Cusack are some of the most under rated actos in Hollywood. I especially love Joan Cusack. Talkin' about my generation since I watched them grow up with me! I remember when Joan Cusack used to play the "nerd girl" in brat pack movies.
WHERE DO WE BUY IT?
Use the google, or the yahoo. They're AMAZING!
According to the latest reports, 151 members of Congress invested close to a quarter-billion in companies that received defense contracts of at least $5 million in 2006. These companies got more than $275.6 billion from the government in 2006, or $755 million per day. Congressmen gave themselves a loophole so they only have to report their assets in broad ranges. Thus, they can be off as much as 160 percent. (Try giving the IRS an estimate like that.) In 2004, the first full year after the present Iraq war began, Republican and Democratic lawmakers-both hawks and doves-invested between $74.9 million and $161.3 million in companies under contract with the DoD. In 2006 Democrats had at least $3.7 million invested in the defense sector alone, compared to the Republicans' "only" $577,500. As the war raged on, so did the billions of profits-and personal investments by Congress members in war contractors, which increased 5 percent from 2004 to 2006.
http://www
Thanks for that info and the link. I knew members of Congress had to be profiting from this war (as well as members of the executive branch and the whole mil. ind. complex, but I hadn't seen it spelled out yet.
That is absolutely disgusting.
Which is why I will be voting for Ralph Nader in November, the only voice against this type of two party corruption. They dems and repubs are the same, sure one might be a little worse than the other but they both stink like rats.
I would too but for I believe in Ralph Nader nevertheless just to make a point I would not, in essence, my vote to go to the Republicans. I am completely confident that Obama will be a great president and a leader who will exemplified the dormant American values.
emstrem's comment is one of the more important ones here. EVERYONE wants to blame bu$hco and think that merely getting rid of the front men for the war-profiteers is going to solve the problem.
wrong.
the real problem is Congress, and always has been Congress. if we're not going to DUMP eighty percent of the corporate ass kissing incumbents (including democrats) I guarantee you this problem is not going to be resolved.
Very important info. Now why do you suppose it is that impeachment is off the table?
Although I believe impeachment should not have been taken off the table. There are 2 reasons I can think of why it was not feasible to start the procedings:
1. The most important - Dick Cheney would be President if Congress succeed in impreaching Bush (I shudder to think what he would do when he was actually the figurehead implementing his policies instead of the puppeteer pulling the strings behind the scenes).
2. The rate the Congress in this country works, the new President would probably in office, say 2 years, before the proceedings were finalized.
there is a lesson to be learned here. well, really it's a case of how stupid can a country be?? when a nation goes to "war" it goes to war as a nation. not a volunteer army, not a credit card war, and most certainly not with a commander-in-chief who avoided service in vietnam with a national guard commitment that he failed to keep.
The far right profits directly from iraq. The far left profits here at home because of iraq.
The far right is @ 5:30 while the far left is @ 6:30. NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE!
Not that surprising, Cusack's always been brilliant. Can't wait to see it.
I wish we were so brilliant, take up the streets and demand that Congress convict Bush and Co for all the crimes they have committed`. He should be deprived of his citenzenship, should not receive secret service protection nor a salary as a former president; should not be allowed to build a Library whitin the US or its territories and should be sent to Guantanamo to teach "democracy" to his enemy illegal combatants until the cows come home.
This film is hard to find. Where can people see it?
SEE A LIST OF SHOWINGS ON CUSACK'S MYSPACE HERE:
http://www
:-)
Jan12th : Thanx for the link.
-ralph
As I was reading this I could easily imagine people in the future reading it, after War Inc has become an iconic film and we look back at the reincarnation of Jonathan Swift, John Cusack.
The Democrats have been in control of Congress of for two years. They could have put an end to private outsourse support companies in a heartbeat. Oh right, aren't they the ones who kicked this whole concept into high gear in the 90's? It seems to me that it would very easy to allocate the funds to hire the support personel to work within existing US government organizations. I say go get them Ms. H. More money for the Pentagon! More money for the Pentagon!
The privatization is a BUSH reality... That did not start in the 90s.. Pls note the head of Blackwater is an anti Clinton religous right winger.
These companies including Haliburton were making nothing (Haliburton losing money) prior to BUSH in the WH.
Regards
Cheney began the privatization when he was sec. of def under the first Bush
Privatization began under Cheney's tenure as Sec. of Defense. That's why he was rewarded with a CEO position in Halliburton. See how it works. You wash my hand (in blood) and I'll wash yours.
Actually less than 1.5 years. But with no clear majority in the Senate. And repugs have now set a record on filibusters and we have six more months to go.
Regards
It began when Cheney was Secretary of Defense. He was the one who began the privatization of our military and it continued under Clinton. One reason I preferred not seeing a Clinton back in the WH.
ABSOLUTELY one satire you do not want to miss!! the cast is great, the script, priceless, and a truth we all need to be talking about.
thanks, john and jon...for bringing this discussion to the table!
obama '08
I find it totally amazing that with the MSM that claims to be so on top of what is going on in the world and our lives has so missed the boat on the truths about the IRAQ war. The whole picture has always been right there in the front and center of everything and yet it takes a MOVIE to make the picture be seen by the masses! I think more each day that the level of shame the MSM shares with this administration is getting higher and higher. The have cable news channels repeat the same idiotic stories about trash and gossip 24 hours a day and yet what do they show us? When was the last tiem we had a quality news program that said anything real and true about Iraq and the administration? When have we been spared the continued trash about the candidates to the point things are made up all the while real news escapes these "reporters". The investigation into why and who is gouging us with the fuel costs will not come from these elite news people but from another average person or actor who makes yet another movie to tell us the truth. Shame isn't it?
The old "Adage, "Out of sight, Out of mind, Bush in bed with the Media, do not take photos, film of the war. What the people don't see "We can then control them.
Seems to me the MSM's role in this fiasco would make equally great satire material. After all it couldn't have happened without them. Likewise Iran.
Wonder if that'll ever happen.
Sort of like that movie Network.
I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!!
Yes nice movie, but I will vote republican because my children have the right to go to Iraq/Iran and shoot a total stranger for no apparent reason
great youtube on this topic :)
http://www
I seriously hope you're being morbidly sarcastic when you proclaim your plan to vote Republican and allege your children's "right" to murder Iraqis or Iranians in colld blood. Ron Paul has it right when he fights for keeping our troops home and out of harm's way. This is the essence of any leader who truly cares about our troops, unlike McCain who learned zilch from his Vietnam War experience.
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