Having raised the spectre of the superiority of old movies over new ones in my last post, I feel that I must do something to beat it back down. Therefore I offer another article on "Capra's America".
I will begin with a small clip from what may be my favorite Frank Capra movie (running neck and neck with "It's a Wonderful Life!"):
I've always been something of a late bloomer (still hopeful of blooming in some areas). In keeping with that pattern, I finally went back to get my Bachelors degree about 13 years after high school.
Whether those 13 years were wasted or not is a subject for another day, but I will say that I was probably better equipped in motivation and attitude at that point in my life than I was earlier.
Anyway, I learned alot, but two classes significantly marked my little college experience at what was then Kennesaw College: One was attending Newt Gingrich's first "Renewing American Civilization" class. The second was my "Organizational Behavior class.
Newt's class inspired me to continue to learn in countless ways, the Organizational Behavior class was significant because for the mid-term we watched the movie- "Bridge Over River Kwai" and for the final exam, we watched the movie - "The Sting". How great is that?!? We got to watch movies for the examinations! Of course, I was enjoying it so that I barely noticed that we had to answer difficult questions about the managerial and behavioral concepts that were modeled in the movies.
With that in mind, I would like to give a homework assignment to the readers of this blog: to find and watch the movie,"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington". I understand full well that I am "not the boss of you".
I just think this movie is one Americans need to see (my international readers may exempt the movie although it might be valuable to watch the movie and juxtapose it's concepts with the concepts espoused by our current President during his recent international "Apology Tour".
There are some things you need to know about old movies. They appear to be simplistic and "cheesy" to the casual observer, but I think that after several viewings, you will find that there is real depth here.
You may hear grown men - even public officials- using such terms as: "gee whiz!" and "gosh", maybe even one or two "darns". Just mentally replace those terms with your favorite profane terminology if you must, for "realism" sake.
Beneath all of the sentimental stuff is a rich story about a "bumpkin" with true ideals - ideals about what this country is REALLY made of. When this neophyte is selected to fill the unexpired term of an expired Senator - Jimmy Stewart (our hero) brings those ideals to Washington, DC.
There he comes face to face with arrogance and skepticism that is the face of Washington politics even today. He is mistreated by the press, he is mocked by his own staff and "handlers" and is generally taken advantage of.
If you can look past all the stuff that old movies are made of - stuff that I love - you will find a picture of "machine politics".
I believe it can be closely compared with the "Chicago-style, Machine politics" that we have in DC today... only less brutal.
Like most Frank Capra movies, this one has a real message to it. It gets me every time.
Jimmy Stewart says something in the movie about having "printer's ink" in his veins, because his Dad was a crusading newspaper man, losing his very life in a fight with some powerful opponents. "The lost causes are the only ones truly worth fighting for" he says.
With that in mind, let me wax both political and prophetic and make a prediction. Though the newspaper industry in America is basically done for, I believe that there are some journalist who went into that field for truly noble reasons. They truly believe in fighting for the little guy - the lost causes.
As our President sends out his minions to actually attack and demean legitimate news agencies, I believe that some of those very few true journalist will finally have enough.
I believe that they will realize that they have been duped and they will rise up with the mighty pen. They will make the stand even if they do not like the organization they are defending. Because it is a matter of principle - it's a matter of liberty.
I know that it appears that neither principle nor liberty are important any more to the majority of those "guardians of the public trust" - but deep down, when the fight seems all but lost ...
just maybe, someone will rise up.
Lost causes: the only ones truly worth fighting for.
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