I enjoyed the clip, and I thought Jeff Daniels did a great job with the script. Quite a fine acting performance. Whether he personally holds such views or not is of little consequence, the result was thought-provoking, and that's what really matters.

As to the content: We had better hope that America, the U.S. of A. is still great, and can rise again in a refreshed form as a better and more compassionate defender of the free world, else we, and quite a few others, may be in a slight spot of bother.

Capitalism may not be perfect, as amply demonstrated by some U.S. capitalists who got really carried away (and tried to take the West down the drain) (and I'm still waiting for some of them to be taken to task over their criminal largesse), I just don't feel comfortable about going into Poppy farming and having only one shirt to my name.

Those who heap shite on the old U.S. would best be careful what they wish for. (But a fair wake-up call does not go astray - in the common interest.)

As for Judeo-Christian ethics, let's just be nice to one another, but still keep a watchful eye out for the 'viper' in the wood pile - not everyone believes in 'turning the other cheek'.

Saltpetre - not everyone believes in 'turning the other cheek

Especially a certain be-towelled tribe with common ancestry to the jews, they dropped out of the system well before the 'turn the other cheek' bit

praxidice,

Of course, the West has been turning the other cheek forever (sarc)...or not, as the case may be.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/oct/07/iraq.usa

http://ocw.nd.edu/arabic-and-middle-east-studies/islamic-societies-of-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-religion-history-and-culture/Images/european-colonialism-in-the-middle-east

We're such a bunch of self-righteous invaders.

It's true when they say "might is always right" - and that "history is written by the victors".

It would be interesting to read a detailed assessment of the misery we've inflicted in the name of "freedom" (which is code for "helping-yourself-ism"), while masquerading as holier-than-thou in our religious roots.

Well Poirot, I don't see that religion was a prime mover in that colonial landscape (and surely we don't take heed of anything George W has to say, on anything - even now, let alone in 2005 at the height of his confusion), but is't possible that the colonialists pulled out too soon?

I guess the history is complex, but the colonialists don't seem to have left things in good order in so many parts. Question is, would things in all of those parts be better or worse than they are now (which is certainly not great) if there had been no colonial activity?

The U.S. appears to have taken a different tack, meddling here and there partly in pursuit of resources and wealth and occasionally in the genuine cause of peace (eg WWII). Got muddled along the way, and perhaps sometimes carried away, but we have to hope that lessons have been learned - for I am not impressed by any of the potential alternatives for 'Big Brother' (and without whom, minnow Aus would be ripe for the picking). It is indeed a troubled world.

Saltpetre,

Yes, it's a complicated issue being human.

Especially when you're technologically advanced, but still beholden to base instincts.

And it's not always military invasion that destablises so-called developing countries.

Check out the IMF and World Bank and their tentacles into Egypt in cahoots with corrupt Mubarak for a prime example.