All posts tagged: Iraq War

‘Our Film Shows Where Dehumanization Leads’

‘Our Film Shows Where Dehumanization Leads’

Published by skeptic

The director of The Zone of Interest accepted his Oscar with a startlingly pointed anti-war speech. Rich Polk/Variety/Getty March 11, 2024, 12:16 AM ET The Oscars are not built for somber appeals about current events, though the show has tried in the past to balance celebration with seriousness. Sometimes that effort has worked: In 2002, after 9/11, Tom Cruise opened the evening with a vague but elegant speech about needing movie magic “more than ever,” which eased the apparent anxiety in the room. Other times, it couldn’t completely control the proceedings: In 2003, shortly after the Iraq War began, the show tried to dissuade flashy displays of emotion and even scrapped the red carpet. But the notoriously vocal director Michael Moore had other ideas, using his Best Documentary acceptance speech to criticize President George W. Bush until he was booed offstage. This year seemed poised for another festive but dry evening, devoid of any real reminders of life outside Hollywood. But then the historical drama The Zone of Interest won for Best International Feature, and …

What Israel Can Learn From America’s 9/11 Response

What Israel Can Learn From America’s 9/11 Response

Published by skeptic

“I hope Israel looks hard at what the U.S. does when provoked and does better,” one reader argues. Illustration by The Atlantic. Source: Stringer / Reuters October 25, 2023, 3:45 PM ET Welcome to Up for Debate. Each week, Conor Friedersdorf rounds up timely conversations and solicits reader responses to one thought-provoking question. Later, he publishes some thoughtful replies. Sign up for the newsletter here. Last week, as observers characterized the recent attack on Israel as that country’s 9/11, I asked, “What did you learn from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and America’s responses to them?” Replies have been edited for length and clarity. R. writes: I learned that Al Qaeda was a horrifically evil group in a part of the world where evil is all too common. But I also learned that separating the world into good and evil is not a good way to conduct foreign policy. Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11, and our war in Iraq did more harm than good. My advice to Israel is to proceed …