March 10, 2009
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Watchmen and International Politics
*bumped because the movie just came out and I recently saw it*
I just read the classic comic book series known as Watchmen. It’s a masterpiece. Probably one of the best comic books I’ve ever read. Soon it will be made into a blockbuster movie and almost certainly ruined.
But I don’t recommend it.
Why? Because, if you’re like me, you will find it dark, disturbing and depressing. If you want to just be entertained you shouldn’t read Watchmen. Go read yourself some X-Men or pickup a manga. Oh sure there are fun and entertaining parts of Watchmen too, but the overarching message is a serious one and a dark one. It’s not a very nice story.
And it’s a message that is very relevant. I don’t recommend it, but it’s definitely worth reading.
The main theme of Watchmen is exactly what it’s title implies. It’s about the question of accountability. It’s about the question of what happens when you have ultimate power and think you know what’s best for the world? It’s about our responsibility. And it’s about the people being controlled by forces beyond their control and treated like playthings. It’s about that question, if someone purports to protect you, to watch over you and stop the bad guys at your door, who keeps them in check? What happens when their power and control corrupts them? Blinds them? They might not be bad people. They may always mean well. But it’s so easy to give in to the power and choose the easiest course no matter the consequences.
Sound familiar?
In international politics our nation, the United States government is the Watchmen. All the leading economic powers are like the superheroes in Watchmen. We are the ones who in the interest of making a better world do whatever it takes to make people better, behind their backs, without consent and without accountability. Our strength as a nation has given us that right we assume. We think that we know best. And when things get hard, when something terrible happens we are also the ones who compromise our ideals in a moment’s notice. One nation’s monsters we let live, sometimes even praise, while another one we bring to justice. Expedience more than morality governs our actions. Our fundamentalism, false unquestioned principles, are used to justify all our decisions and we purport to always know the right.
And the people are like ants before the eyes of our government. Their words and thoughts ignored. Our leaders aren’t bad people. Not really. They’ve just been operating on such a large scale that they’ve lost the ability to see us, to understand our lives. It’s almost like they’re living on Mars or maybe they’ve made their secret base in the ice cold isolation of Antarctica. Wherever they are, they aren’t here. They aren’t seeing our pain.
So of course they shrug when the whole world cries out in horror rejecting a unilateral invasion of a sovereign nation by the world’s greatest super power. Who cares? Our nation ignores the outcry and we do what we want anyway. We had to stop the terrorists and dictators of course.
And never mind that the people have become enraged at the behavior of major institutions on Wall Street, the Government chooses in its infinite wisdom to prop them up anyway. It doesn’t matter that we don’t want our money spent to save an economic system that doesn’t serve our interests and creates disproportionate wealth and is destroying the world as we know it. It doesn’t matter to them that we cry out in horror at the world we are heading toward. They don’t see our pain and even if they did they might spend a moment gasping in horror before wholly ignoring us and doing things the same way they always have.
Why?
Because THEY know better than us. They’re watching out for us after all. They’re the superheroes. I mean where would be without them? At the mercy of our own excesses, no doubt, and the unscrupulous men and women, monsters and terrorists and criminals willing to exploit our naivete. They’re the Watchmen.
But who watches the Watchmen?
Comments (23)
K, in case you didn’t know,
I read Watchmen. Cried, was in anguish over it for days. I don’t like to talk about my Watchmen experience much. But I love it,
and thought very similar things you have.
Haven’t read Watchmen, but now I really want to. Lol.
Quis custodiat ipsos custodes?
Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.
Yes I agree with you. I read the watchmen series last month and i really enjoyed it. I heard that the new movie was just as good, so I am really looking forward to that too.
As for who watches the Watchmen? Well we know from the book and from life it is not enough for the people to just watch over them, you need people in power. I just hope that all the new administrations that will come in to power over the next 2 years will not be too corrupted to change the world for the better.
Rorschach. D:
Kinda also reminds me of Animal Farm. They just keep giving more power to the pigs because “they know better”.
Best. Book. Ever.
@Laryssa - I read Watchmen. Cried, was in anguish over it for days. I don’t like to talk about my Watchmen experience much. But I love it,
I envy you. You sound more alive than I am.
It is amazing to think that Mr. Moore invented these characters from the ground up. There is so much depth, and originality.
Everytime I flip through, I pick up a new in-story reference or an extra layer to the characters.
@huginn - Alive? Maybe just dramatic.
@Laryssa - Feelings are good while interpreting major literary works.
Hurm…
Great post. You hit things pretty well on. It is a masterpiece, and it is SO relevant. The movie actually did a good job of sticking to the book. Have you seen it?
This is what blogging is about…..I’ve missed this form of blogging, the kinda that has substance, analogies, and a meaning behind it all.
I agree with your analogy. I’ve watched the movie Watchmen and would recommend it to anyone. I’m in the process of trying to locate a copy of the book from a friend so I can read it in detail.
@epitomeof_aberrance - You have GOT to read the book, cause there is some sub plot they don’t even get to in the movie.
@AlterEgo909 - yea that’s what my frat brother said…I’m tryin to convince him to let me borrow his book so I can save the money lol…
I have yet to read the book, but I enjoyed the movie.
Good entry.
~1~
@AlterEgo909 - Yup. IT was a wonderful rendition for fans of the series though unfortunately a bit long and missing some parts that made the comic darker story, but still great. The action was incredible.
@epitomeof_aberrance - wow. thank you for the praise. I’m glad you liked my entry. I concur that you should really read it.
@Anthony_chosen - thanks!
@omgitsmackie - I hope you get to read it soon. It’s really quite the experience.
@nephyo - you’re welcome
If you want a slightly different take on the Watchmen, take a look at this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDDHHrt6l4w
You’ll never look at the the same way again.
hm. if i read this… will it spoil the movie? i haven’t seen it, yet, but it sounds like a big deal.
ryc: c’mon, you know who Kevin Bacon is… he’s in everything that Don Cheadle isn’t.
Well, it is by Neil Gaiman, and he’s rather known for works that are quite disturbing.
@resilient_raindrop - actually it’s by Alan Moore who is known for killing and mutilating his characters but who writes great stories like V for Vendetta and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He did however consult Neil Gaiman in the making of Watchmen.
@TheBigShowAtUD - Nope it won’t spoil it. Go ahead and read. Who the heck is Don Cheadle? (i don’t really watch much TV)
@chocolatescifi - LMFAO! That was AWESOME.
Remind me to read this after I see the movie since I have managed to avoid knowing the plot (other than the “someone’s going around killing heroes” thing.)