Violence as Political Actions - Essay Example

Political Violence Essay

Notably, when there are instances of violence, much is expected from the political departments to intervene in these cases to stop the violence occasions and maintain peace among individuals. It is evident that much of these violence results from political actions, leaving the common citizens fighting each other. Violence has reached to an extent in which even where there are arrangements to bring back peace, the mechanisms drive people towards revenging for the wrongdoings done to them earlier. Various films discuss the act of there being reconciliations and peace after a long period of violence. Therefore, the movie state a condition of war that is later replaced by talks and people maintaining peace among themselves. In contrast to this idea, Michael Herr, in his text, Dispatches have been noted having contradicting ideas. According to the book, when war occupies a certain area, it changes individual's ideas and thoughts, making them perform deeds that they had earlier not imaged doing. Therefore, the kindest and purest people are expended by cruelty, revenge, and bloodthirst. Thus, the paper is intended to discuss violence and its consequences in various films, including Munich, District 9, Rendition, and the grey zone, and contradict ideas portrayed in the movie with those in the text, Dispatches.

In the film, Munich, directed by Stephen Spielberg, the author has portrayed the consequences of war and various dilemmas in instances where there can be lasting peace after a period of bloodshed and violence between Palestine and Israel (Spielberg, 2006). Therefore, the film shows the struggle concerning the two groups and their willingness to safeguard success regarding the cause. The author demonstrates this historical event and shows the back terrorist attack towards the Israel national team. Hence, it expresses the Israel government's response towards the terrorist attack and compares it to the 'eye for eye' ethos; therefore, the government reacted to the occurring violence that was attached to the black terrorism by basically seeking vengeance (Spielberg, 2006).

In contrast to what the Israel government reacted to the war, the text, Dispatches, the author states that when there is an occasion of war, soldiers' minds are always physically and emotionally disturbed by the event. Soldiers will always seek other things that would take their minds away from the war and maybe entertain themselves until it reaches a point where they have to fight for their lives (Herr, 2009). Therefore, as the film states how the two governments had to apply deadly force for the aim of revenging and succeeding in the mission, the text has observed the violence from another perspective. The film emphasizes that although violence occupies an area, the soldier's motive is not always after revenge. These soldiers always seek to do things that may drive their minds away from the war (Herr, 2009). Therefore, instead of thinking of revenge, they will do this when violence is at a point where the soldiers have to fight for their lives. The text states, "the soldiers in the war will always think of killing for revenge when it comes to the matter of choosing between death and life. Therefore at this instance, even the kindest and purest soul is consumed with revenge and cruelty” (Herr, 2009). Hence, this opposes the idea of violence and revenge portrayed by Stephan in the film Munich.

In the film, District 9, aliens have been used to represent people, and their conditions in the movie express how people are living in the current days (Blomkamp et al., 2009). In the film, aliens are represented being in refugee camps lasting there for around twenty years of oppression. This is real in the current world, where there are various refugee camps to settle individuals who escape from the horror. Hence, the warlords are always ready to use these individuals for their own benefit and nothing beyond that (Blomkamp et al., 2009). On the other hand, there are very few people who are always ready to be responsible and take care of those in the refugee camps or those who are suffering. Therefore, individuals in the film have been demonstrated to be other people’s problem. Lots of funds have been attained from the citizens of a country to sustain those in the camps. Hence, hatred between the two parties arises that has later led to racism (Blomkamp et al., 2009). On the other hand, the film shows how people end up participating in violent actions that they do not understand real meanings. Besides, individuals do not care about the survival of other people. They care about themselves surviving; thus, instead of helping individuals to sustain, people fight them off.

In contrast to how individuals perceive others in terms of the way, Herr has an opposing view concerning the violence and people fighting among themselves. According to him, people from the same region or having the same mission will not be against each other, as seen in the film (Herr, 2009). In the text, the soldiers are caring about each other's welfare. When some soldiers were in the mountain doing their patrols, others kept them in mind; they were i9n real need of what happened to their colleges. This is opposite to what is happening in the film, where no one minds another's welfare (Herr, 2009). According to the text, Herr states that when there is violence, people will combine efforts to win. The film shows how the vulnerable are oppressed and not cared for at any instance. Herr in the text has opposed the idea and stated that the vulnerable fight for their existence is just like anyone else during wars. War affects everyone, and so everyone will be fighting for their existence, no one will have time to oppress the poor instead of fighting for their survival (Herr, 2009).

In the film, The Grey Zone, Tim Brake considers moral options in an enclosed system filled with evil deeds. The film portrays a dilemma seeking to know the process of sacrificing to die if there is a death camp for everyone (Ebert, 2002). Therefore, should good men die on schedule in case of these instances, or is it their duty to clutch any straw? According to the film, different ends will lead to death, so should the men deny cooperating, or should they do it because all in all, death will be the conclusion (Ebert, 2002). The film demonstrated the revolutionary act of 1944, where associates of Sonderkommando prospered by blowing some crematoria at the death camp because ovens were not used to save lives. On the other hand, other lives were lost by the Nazis as they encountered both physical and mental anguish (Ebert, 2002).

In contrast to this view concerning death by the film, the text by Herr has a contradicting look. According to the book, when there is a war, there would not appear any chance of choosing the type of death that one should be involved in (Herr, 2009). As well as the common citizens, soldiers will always die as they are fighting for their lives. Therefore, one would not choose whether to engage in war voluntarily or not because violence occupies the entire region, and one has to fight for his life. The vulnerable will be struggling to survive as the solders fight the enemies (Herr, 2009). An excellent example concerning this scenario is when a soldier dies as they were patrolling in the mountain. Besides, others died while at home. Hence, death just finds someone when violence happens, and one does not choose where to die (Herr, 2009).

In the film, Rendition, an Egyptian migrant Anwar is arrested in Washington, DC, by the CIA. He is suspected after a CIA operative was killed in suicide violence by a Muslim terrorist group (Clarke, 2009). Therefore when he returns to Washington, DC, from a conference in South Africa, the CIA suspects him and ends up arresting him. During interrogation, he is stripped naked, slapped various times, and put in a tiny cell (Clarke, 2009). After the CIA was convinced of the Anwar innocence, they release him, and he gets back to his country. However, the text is against such an action; one should not just be arrested and mistreated out of suspicion (Herr, 2009). Despite the happening of the killings, there were supposed to be investigations before decisions to mistreat the Anwar ma.

In conclusion, violent deeds have various consequences, including death, memory torture, and physical injuries. Generally, these consequences will barely be positive, except for the groups that started them for personal gains later, for instance, acquiring lands. The text has opposed various violent deeds that have been portrayed in the films. Revenge is not the best solution to violence if countries or groups keep on revenging for past violence events. Violence would never end because everyone a group would be doing some revenge.