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Harry Potter and the Global War on Terror
Jim Pinkerton, Charleston Daily Mail. . . "Order of the Phoenix" echoes World War II: As in 1930s Europe, evil forces are gathering in Harry's world, just as he himself is growing into duty-minded manhood. "If Voldemort is building up an army," the teenager says, "then I want to fight." Yet a key character in the film, evocatively named Cornelius Fudge, is too blind to see the looming danger. As Ty Burr, film critic for The Boston Globe, explains: Fudge ends up "looking very much like the Neville Chamberlain of this fictional universe." Chamberlain, of course, was the British prime minister who thought he could "appease" Hitler and so avoid war. Ever since, Chamberlain has epitomized myopia and weakness -- in contrast to his far-seeing and stouthearted successor, Winston Churchill. So now we can see why "Potter" does so well: It appeals to multiple audiences. Kids can enjoy all the magic and special effects, even as older audiences -- including the youngsters who have been growing up in the real world, alongside Harry in his reel world -- can appreciate the larger meanings and historical parallels. Today, in 2007, we are in a war. Several wars, in fact, from Afghanistan to Iraq -- to wherever in the world a terrorist might be lurking. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is correct when he says, as part of his presidential stump speech, that we must confront, whether we want to or not, "the transcendent challenge of our time, which is the struggle against radical Islamic extremists." At some level, all Americans, even the young ‘uns, understand the truth in McCain's words. It's possible to argue the strategy and tactics of -- and even the most apt name for -- "The Global War on Terror." It's even possible to argue over the origins of the current war, whether Sept. 11, for instance, was an unprovoked attack, or "blowback" from past American policies. But what's not possible to dispute is that we are in a war now. There are people around the world who are waking up every morning determined to kill us. . . . When kids see "Harry Potter," they should be thinking first about defending their country, and their civilization, against evildoers wielding weapons of mass destruction. . . . Posted by: Mike 2007-07-21 |
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