Todd’s Movie Blog

Charlie Wilson’s War is not just an entertaining story of an interesting character who did something most would have found impossible, it is also a story with a tragic postscript about unforseen consquences.   As most moviegoers know the film is based on the real life exploits of a Texas  Congressman/ party animal who uses his political and partying connections to get funds and guns for the Afghan rebels during the eighties occupation of their country by the Soviet army, and eventually allows them to  force the  invaders back to their own country.  The after effect of this had two consequences, Soviet Russia went through a major regime change due in part to the costliness of the war, and the Taliban eventually gained control of a leaderless Afghanistan.    It is that second part that will always be a sticking point for many people.  Some critics have stated that if Wilson hadn’t done what he did, 911 would never have happened.  Others point to the brutality of the Soviet army during the war and state Wilson was driven by humanitarian motives and was right to help a beleaguered people regardless of the fallout.  A third contingent (of which Wilson himself is a part of) claim that it wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t left the Afghan people to fend for themselves after the war, but should have stayed and help rebuild their government.  All very valid points, the problem being that eveyone is right to a certain extent.  Wilson was right to help the rebels, his actions did lead to the rise of terrorism against us, we should have stayed and helped the people after the war. But on the other hand it’s not that simple.  Would the Afghan people have welcomed us meddling in their governmental internal affairs? Would we have tried to force our way of government on them like the Soviets had just tried to do?  Wouldn’t that have eventually led to the same outcome with Afghanistan?  There are no clear cut anwsers here, the world unfortunately doesn’t work in simple black and white terms.  My thoughts on the whole matter come down to a line from The Mermaid on The Chris Isaak Show, “It’s not wrong to hold out a helping hand, just don’t be surprised if it gets bitten.”