In the 1990s military courtroom drama "A Few Good Men," Marine Col. Nathan Jessup, as played by Jack Nicholson, faces down an inquisitor who challenges the measures Jessup believed were justified to protect the nation's security. "You want the truth," he thunders, "You can't handle the truth!"
Jessup was ultimately found guilty in a military trial, while Cheney was instead judged by a court of public opinion. This book is both men's appeal, leaving us with difficult and troubling questions regarding the balance between the sober necessity of our physical safety and the higher moral plane of our democratic ideals.
In the movies, the bad guy always gets his in the end. In real life, he remains free and makes $millions. Pretty much puts the lie to "higher moral plane".
2 comments:
Jessup could be forgiven for his sins; being the product of his environment. Cheney can't.
Schnur should have watched the movie again before writing. Jessup wasn't convicted of anything; he was arrested at the end of the movie. The two Marines on trial were convicted of "conduct unbecoming" and dishonorably discharged from the Marines.
I can see the parallels between Jessup and Cheney, but Cheney never had to walk the walls at night protecting the country - he was the one sleeping snugly in bed.
There used to be liberal JAG blogger who stopped blogging when he got sent to Iraq. He said the only thing realistic about the movie was the lawyers negotiating trials out on the baseball fields!
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