Posted by Helen on: 09.20.2007 /
I watched this a few weeks ago. I don’t usually watch this sort of movie but I liked the trailer.
The movie follows Bourne as he tries to find out the truth about himself. He has a lot of memory loss but flashbacks and other people are helping him find out. He has to do this while keeping hidden because some people are trying to kill him.
He is highly trained and is trying to find out who trained him, where and why. One aspect of the movie which fascinated me is how people spin the truth. At one point he’s told that he signed up for the training voluntarily. Evidently the person in charge of his training is very comfortable that that’s the ‘whole truth’. While it’s true he did sign up voluntarily, it transpires that he didn’t realize what he was signing up for.
The training is part of a secret operation/program; the people who run it believe in it but at the same time they’re making every effort to keep it secret. Proving they know others would not approve. Here again the issue of truth is raised: is it true that this program is needed and is a good thing? Or not?
Comment by: Robert
1 09/20/07 2:24 PM | Comment Link |You are breeching one of the penultimate questions of living in a free society.
How far is too far in defense of a free society?
Given our current debates over wire-taps, and extraordinary rendition, torture, trading freedom for the illusion of security.
Where does it end and what are we willing to live with?
For my part, I believe we have gone too far. I would rather assume some risk than have my mail read, my phone calls monitored and who knows what else.
Also, what will we have to become to truly win the war on terror?
What does win really mean?
It seems to me to truly DEFEAT the enemy we face in Iraq we will have to sink to their level and that is something I cannot countenance.
Programs like the one in the Bourne movies scare me because we are turning citizens into killing machines.
Not good!
Robert
Comment by: Helen
2 09/20/07 6:09 PM | Comment Link |Hi Robert, welcome to Conversation at the Edge!
Exactly - I’m hoping that was fiction. But I suppose I wouldn’t know if it wasn’t, since it was a secret program.
Comment by: Paul
3 09/22/07 1:02 AM | Comment Link |not to mention it makes waterloo station look even more of a deathtrap than the usual rushhour crush :)
Comment by: Helen
4 09/22/07 4:15 AM | Comment Link |Paul - it certainly does!