Myths of war

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France -- \nWhen the times challenge our values and perspectives as much as they have the last five years, it's hard to believe anything. We are too close to the events at hand, deprived of an ability to stand back and observe from a distance, to build educated opinions in full.\nSo where do we turn for help? We have only our myths, and all nations have them. Look at the first Thanksgiving, or consider how often we invoke our "Founding Fathers" as holy figures in political debate.\nBy far the most powerful myth in our culture, especially in this time of war, is "The Good War": World War II. President Bush imagines himself Churchillian in nature, standing alone against the growing tide of tyranny. Conversely, opponents of the war demand "justification" for it, hearkening to a day when wars were fought for some deeper values; hence, the "Good War" fought by the "Greatest Generation." \nYet, myths must constantly be reinterpreted to fit the current mode, and World War II is no different. \nHere in France, the issue of the day is immigration and integration, and a superb new film, "Indigènes," tells the story of North African colonial French troops who fought for a country that had killed their ancestors, only to get the cold shoulder from the French government. These days, suggesting that the French government abuses and neglects its immigrant citizens may get you in a fight over here. By reframing the problem within World War II, however, the movie makes its case against institutional prejudice forcefully and decisively. Who can argue against the bravery of soldiers maltreated by their own government?\nBack in America, Clint Eastwood is making a pair of films about the battle of Iwo Jima, one from each side's perspective. The first, "Flags of Our Fathers," concerns the American soldiers who raised the flag on Mt. Surabachi. When American GIs sit at the forefront of our psyche -- as warriors, assailants, or diplomats -- we need to understand their situation in the mythical vocabulary of beach landings and flag-raisings with which we're familiar.\nThe story of our manipulation and exploitation of these soldiers and their photo to further propagandize sends shivers down the modern spine. Just take a look at Bush's "Mission Accomplished" dress-up or the Democratic campaign to rustle up Iraq war veterans to run for Congress. \nThese films demand we ask: "How good was 'The Good War' anyway?" How righteous can we really be about anything? Our illusions, of the French patriot against the Nazi racist, of the good Americans against the evil Japanese, will find themselves increasingly in question. Our reconsideration of this most powerful myth, though, signals the seriousness of our current position. We're without direction, so insecure that we are now being forced to reassess our greatest myths.\nWe shouldn't forget that myths are unifying forces, even when they reveal our failings. At the end of the screening of "Indigènes" that I attended, the crowd erupted in applause. Maybe by acknowledging our sins in myth, we can finally find redemption in reality.