Why We Fight: A look at USA’s aggressive military policies

There is one common theme which can be witnessed to be present in all of the world’s recorded history. This theme is war. War arises, mostly, due to conflict of interests and in defence of certain ideas. As humans, we are bound to have our own ideas and be loyal to them and defend them, this ultimately creates a conflict of interests and on the larger scale, between countries for example, such a problem can lead to a war.

Why We Fight is a 2005 documentary which takes a retrospective perspective of America’s involvement in many large wars over a period of six decades since the end of the Second World War. The documentary was directed by Eugene Jarecki and features many interviews with top correspondents and former officials from the American military, aids to Congress, armament manufacturers and other significant personalities. It also includes stock footage of various past Presidents of the United States of America including Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, John Kennedy, Bill Clinton and George Bush. The documentary also features personal bytes from a Vietnam veteran who lost his son in the 9/11 attacks, two stealth fighter pilots who dropped the first bombs in Baghdad at the start of the 2003 Iraq war and a young man who has volunteered for the American military service. Most of the documentary features the policy making agenda of the American Congress which leads to America’s ever increasing involvement in wars, particularly the Iraq war in 2003. The documentary also has snippets of interviews with locals from Iraq about their thoughts on America and their involvement in the political affairs of their country.

The documentary’s main focus is President Eisenhower’s farewell speech which warns the American people of the military-industrial complex which in foresight appears to have been fulfilled. Eisenhower was increasingly aware that America’s military growth would lead to growing need for ammunitions which would increase the competition among arms manufacturing companies which would eventually increase jobs resulting to a complex that would not be viable to shut down. Since the end of World War II and America’s growing need of acquiring arms, the United States has participated in a major war in practically every decade under the stewardship of a different president. The documentary focuses mainly on the most recent war which is the Iraq war in 2003 which was first attributed as retribution for the 9/11 attack on America but then later swept under the carpet as a move to end an oppressive regime and bring democracy to the country. The documentary also focuses on America’s policy-making decisions which change phenomenally with every new president and especially their foreign policy of pre-emptive strikes. America’s policy of pre-emptive strikes can be defined as declaration of war against a country which might in the future declare war upon its neighbouring countries or which have the capability of launching a full military operation which may be counterproductive to America’s ideals.

The documentary begins from a neutral standpoint by merely gathering facts and placing them together. Through the interviews of officials and stock footage of the past presidents, the documentary brings different viewpoints into the mix for an overall perspective. As the documentary starts to focus on the topic of the Iraq war, the perspective of the documentary gradually shifts towards being a propagandist film. Through the viewpoints of the interviews conducted, the documentary speaks about America’s rash use of explosives and the carless attitude of its military in treatment of civilian lives in the war zones. Although the documentary does use bytes from both sides of the argument, towards the latter stage of the film, the criticism of America’s use of military power takes stage.

The main premise of the documentary is to unearth America’s military policies and the reasons for America’s increasing involvement in major wars which have occurred since the end of the Second World War. The documentary continuously poses one simple question which forms the title of the documentary, why do we fight?