The Downfall, Munich And Spielberg's Relativism
First it was Der Untergang -- The Downfall, a film by Oliver Hirschbiegel that attempts to portray Adolph Hitler in a human, albeit flawed, light. In reducing Hitler to a mere demented criminal, the nation that voted him into power and merrily followed him to the very gates of hell, the filmmaker seeks to absolve the German people from the moral culpability that led to WWII and the Holocaust.
Now we have Steven Spielberg Munich, telling us that somehow, we have to find a way to equate the massacre of the Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics with the Israeli response- the killing of those same terrorists in the attempt to halt further terror carnage.
In one regard, Spielberg is correct- the assassination of those terrorists didn't stop terror.
Nevertheless, it is outrageous that Spielberg would have the audacity to propose that the Israelis had no right to defend themselves. While his motives may be Gandhi-like, so is his hubris. While it was noble for Gandhi to adopt his pacifist beliefs for himself, it was outrageous that he infer that the Jews submit to the Holocaust willingly. It is not up to Spielberg any more than it was for Gandhi, to determine what should be the fate of others.
Spielberg's movie isn't only about humanzing the Palestinians, or declaring them as moral equals. In the same way that The Downfall attempts to humanize Hitler, Munich attempts to give credibility to a failed, destructive and evil society and indeed, what is an evil and failed culture. Legitimizing Palestinian violence and barbarism is to legitimize the vile Arab hatred and anti Semitism that has come to define Arab culture and indeed, religious beliefs. To be clear, Palestinian political aspirations are one thing- violence and terror are quite another.
In the same way that The Downfall is really about letting Germany off the hook for WWII and the Holocaust, Munich is about letting the Palestinians and the Arab world off the hook for terror and violence, by equating the response to terror as ineffective- clearly a preposterous notion.
The Downfall engages itself in a nauseating exercise of a kind of psychobabble navel gazing, the purview of people with too much time on their hands and not enough moral backbone to actually engage in some kind of meaningful contribution. There is nothing at stake and there are no gas chambers and ovens at work. The Downfall is about exoneration, not about shame or redemption. The film engages in deceit and fraud and to make it's point.
The film implies that the Germans, blond and blue eyed innocents, were never really aware of the charismatic criminal that was to be their undoing, and that was to lead them down the path to destruction. The free elections that brought Hitler to power, are glossed over, as is Mein Kampf, Hitler's blueprint and political primer, a German bestseller before the war. Needless to say, the war crimes trials were barely noted. Historical fact can be a pesky matter. Yes, the Germans were victims of Hitler too, of their own naivete. The slave labor, the camps, the millions butchered were unrecognized for they were. The Nazis were crazy, not evil. And of course, no one really know the extent of the Nazi insanities.
Spielberg's Munich is no different. Spielberg implies that the Palestinian terrorists aren't evil, they are just wrong headed. He also implies that the Israelis, who respond to terror, have failed to learn the lessons of history.
Munich doesn't address the sources and indoctrination of terror. The film doesn't address the relentless hatred promulgated by the educational curriculum, media or the vileness that comes from the pulpit and the effect that has on the Palestinians. Nor does the film address the rabid and venomous anti Semitism that is pervasive throughout the Arab world- a cancer bought and paid for by corrupt regimes.
In attempting to morally equate the Palestinians, their violence and terror to Israel, Spielberg gives credibility to regimes that use the Palestinians as political fodder, focusing the rage of their citizens outward, at Israel, rather than inward at the corrupt and evil regimes they live under. The root of Arab discontent is Israel. Take that problem away and the Arab underwhelming performance at everything will go away. Take Israel away and the Arabs will overnight, become among the most educated peoples in the world. Take Israel away and the Muslim world will no longer confront Christians. Take Israel out of the picture and Islamic religious leaders will no longer call for the rape of kafir women and children and will no longer issue calls to 'Slaughter the Jews! Slaughter the Christians!' Take away Israel and French riots and anti Semitism will dissipate in that country and the rest of Europe- and of course, Al Qaeda will fold up and go away.
The Muslim world is imploding with ferocious violence. FGM is rampant (affecting 100 million women, according to the UN), and millions of Muslims have been slaughtered by other Muslims. The list goes on and on. These truths are ignored by the Arab and Muslim world because the 'problem' is Israel.
Apparently, Steven Spielberg concurs and in doing so, is letting the terrorists and their supporters off the hook.
Moral relativism comes at a price, and we are beginning to see just how costly that folly really is.
See Kesher Talk here, for a full overview of what occured at the Munich Olympics. There is a follow up, here, with links to reviews and other opinions on Munich.
We have written on Munich earlier- Spielberg, Heaven and the Right Connections and The Day the Music Died.
Now we have Steven Spielberg Munich, telling us that somehow, we have to find a way to equate the massacre of the Israeli athletes at the Munich Olympics with the Israeli response- the killing of those same terrorists in the attempt to halt further terror carnage.
In one regard, Spielberg is correct- the assassination of those terrorists didn't stop terror.
Nevertheless, it is outrageous that Spielberg would have the audacity to propose that the Israelis had no right to defend themselves. While his motives may be Gandhi-like, so is his hubris. While it was noble for Gandhi to adopt his pacifist beliefs for himself, it was outrageous that he infer that the Jews submit to the Holocaust willingly. It is not up to Spielberg any more than it was for Gandhi, to determine what should be the fate of others.
Spielberg's movie isn't only about humanzing the Palestinians, or declaring them as moral equals. In the same way that The Downfall attempts to humanize Hitler, Munich attempts to give credibility to a failed, destructive and evil society and indeed, what is an evil and failed culture. Legitimizing Palestinian violence and barbarism is to legitimize the vile Arab hatred and anti Semitism that has come to define Arab culture and indeed, religious beliefs. To be clear, Palestinian political aspirations are one thing- violence and terror are quite another.
In the same way that The Downfall is really about letting Germany off the hook for WWII and the Holocaust, Munich is about letting the Palestinians and the Arab world off the hook for terror and violence, by equating the response to terror as ineffective- clearly a preposterous notion.
The Downfall engages itself in a nauseating exercise of a kind of psychobabble navel gazing, the purview of people with too much time on their hands and not enough moral backbone to actually engage in some kind of meaningful contribution. There is nothing at stake and there are no gas chambers and ovens at work. The Downfall is about exoneration, not about shame or redemption. The film engages in deceit and fraud and to make it's point.
The film implies that the Germans, blond and blue eyed innocents, were never really aware of the charismatic criminal that was to be their undoing, and that was to lead them down the path to destruction. The free elections that brought Hitler to power, are glossed over, as is Mein Kampf, Hitler's blueprint and political primer, a German bestseller before the war. Needless to say, the war crimes trials were barely noted. Historical fact can be a pesky matter. Yes, the Germans were victims of Hitler too, of their own naivete. The slave labor, the camps, the millions butchered were unrecognized for they were. The Nazis were crazy, not evil. And of course, no one really know the extent of the Nazi insanities.
Spielberg's Munich is no different. Spielberg implies that the Palestinian terrorists aren't evil, they are just wrong headed. He also implies that the Israelis, who respond to terror, have failed to learn the lessons of history.
Munich doesn't address the sources and indoctrination of terror. The film doesn't address the relentless hatred promulgated by the educational curriculum, media or the vileness that comes from the pulpit and the effect that has on the Palestinians. Nor does the film address the rabid and venomous anti Semitism that is pervasive throughout the Arab world- a cancer bought and paid for by corrupt regimes.
In attempting to morally equate the Palestinians, their violence and terror to Israel, Spielberg gives credibility to regimes that use the Palestinians as political fodder, focusing the rage of their citizens outward, at Israel, rather than inward at the corrupt and evil regimes they live under. The root of Arab discontent is Israel. Take that problem away and the Arab underwhelming performance at everything will go away. Take Israel away and the Arabs will overnight, become among the most educated peoples in the world. Take Israel away and the Muslim world will no longer confront Christians. Take Israel out of the picture and Islamic religious leaders will no longer call for the rape of kafir women and children and will no longer issue calls to 'Slaughter the Jews! Slaughter the Christians!' Take away Israel and French riots and anti Semitism will dissipate in that country and the rest of Europe- and of course, Al Qaeda will fold up and go away.
The Muslim world is imploding with ferocious violence. FGM is rampant (affecting 100 million women, according to the UN), and millions of Muslims have been slaughtered by other Muslims. The list goes on and on. These truths are ignored by the Arab and Muslim world because the 'problem' is Israel.
Apparently, Steven Spielberg concurs and in doing so, is letting the terrorists and their supporters off the hook.
Moral relativism comes at a price, and we are beginning to see just how costly that folly really is.
See Kesher Talk here, for a full overview of what occured at the Munich Olympics. There is a follow up, here, with links to reviews and other opinions on Munich.
We have written on Munich earlier- Spielberg, Heaven and the Right Connections and The Day the Music Died.
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