Now, one might question what relevance this film has today. My answer is it has enormous relevance. The film is situated around WWII but it concerns itself with the conflict of Isolationism verses International Unity in general. The most recent issue regarding this conflict is the situation in Libya. Americans are divided on Libya. Some supported a U.S intervention, others were against it. Many people say we have our own problems to deal with and that we should stick our neck out for nobody. I personally feel it is a false choice. We can take care of ourselves and also extend a helping hand to nations in need. Now, we cannot go all over the world intervening in every conflict but in certain unique cases, we can intercede in a brief and practical but very effective manner. I feel Libya was one of those situations. I felt President Obama handled it very well. He coordinated with NATO and the UN, he took the right steps, did what we could militarily to assist the rebels against Quaddafi and then we were out of there. It was quick, efficient and intelligent. An almost complete reverse of Iraq.
The rising up of people all over the Middle East and their plea for freedom and democracy is very inspiring. We did not need to bring it to them or force it upon them with the barrel of a gun; the desire and dream for liberty came from the people themselves. The uprisings and revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt spread like a beacon of hope throughout the entire middle east. In more and more countries, the cry for independence is being heard. America, the former emblem of hopes and dreams for a better future and still a superpower in the world and her allies had an obligation to help the rebels in Libya achieve what they could not have done on their own. It was a noble effort on the part of the U.S and the UN. Building a sense of international community and unity and reaffirming American's place in the world is very important. The strongest pillars of defense against terrorists and those who would seek to destroy us lies in the alliances and international ties we need to foster. We all share this world whether we like it or not. We do not all live in closed-off little bubbles. We share a symbiotic relation with our brothers and sisters all over the world. The cynical isolationist has a point in that we only have so many resources and I agree with that. We cannot be too hawkish but that doesn't mean we can't intervene when we don't go in alone and when we have a clear plan and our intervening can really make a difference, preferably peacefully but also militarily if absolutely necessary.
We cannot close ourselves off from the rest of the world. We cannot think only of ourselves. That view of the world is poisonous. We become too insular, too self-interested we lose a sense of common purpose and responsibility. We become self-centered and ignorant. As Rick learns in Casablanca, sometimes we have to stick our neck out for somebody, for the greater good of the world and for humanity.
