Charlie Wilson's War

[galtgulch]

Entertaining film supposedly based on true story.

In retrospect maybe we should have helped the Russians.

A good case for non intervention.

Still wonder why Russia was interested in Afganistan?

I particularly enjoyed the second best view in Washington!

Don't bring the kids!

galt

[Chris Grieb]

I have a posting on my OL blog about Charlie Wilson's War with a comment from Barbara Branden. One person I know has seen it and recommended it and I am going to get to it.

Your idea of supporting the Soviets is silly. Defeating the Soviets in Afghanistan was a great thing and brought an end to the cold war. We should have made it clear that it was our Stinger missiles that defeated the Soviet and not the Jahdists.

[BaalChatzaf]

Entertaining film supposedly based on true story.

In retrospect maybe we should have helped the Russians.

A good case for non intervention.

Still wonder why Russia was interested in Afganistan?

I particularly enjoyed the second best view in Washington!

Don't bring the kids!

galt

A very amusing vignette in the movie. One of Wilson's constituents, a fire chief is annoyed because an ACLU law suit has been brought against his department over the fact a manger scene has been placed at the fire station (city property). The fire chief wants Charlie to twist the judges arm in deciding the case. Charlie explains that he has no power to do so. Charlie suggests moving the manger scene just a block and place it on the lawn of a church. The chief complains -- God Damn it! This is a Christian country! Finally Charlie says to the chief --- Move the creche, we'all all live.

I thought that was good for a smile.

To answer your question about why the invasion. Russia,, even during imperial times attempted to make incursions into India (now Pakistan), the so called Hindu Kush area, Afghanistan and Ultimately Iran. Why? To gain access to and control of warm water ports. Russia's only ocean ports freeze in the winter. For example Archangel and Murmansk.

Even under the Czars the Russians played chess, not poker.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Selene]

If you have an opportunity, the book was excellent. I sent it to my good friend in NH because we had both dealth with some of the Congressmen who were involved on a number of foreign policy issues and he just saw the movie two nights ago and called me to say that this was one of the very few times that the movie was as good or better than the book.

Additionally, as Ba'al pointed out, the Russians have always been looking to break out of their refrigerator. I would hope that everyone play a few games of RISK and a few global Avalon Hill war games and it would answer a lot of reasons why what always goes on geopolitically will always go on geopolitically.

It is the path that you chose to address the eternal geopolitical realities that sets a visionary leader to navigate these global waves without destroying the nation that they lead.

Leadership has been a rare character trait recently in American politics.

[RTB]

If the movie was as good as or better than the book that's saying quite alot. I read the book a couple of years ago and after a few pages could not put it down. It's a non fiction book but reads like a hard to believe political suspense novel. I highly recommend the book.

[Brant Gaede]

If the movie was as good as or better than the book that's saying quite alot. I read the book a couple of years ago and after a few pages could not put it down. It's a non fiction book but reads like a hard to believe political suspense novel. I highly recommend the book.

According to the expert about this--Jack Wheeler (ToThePoint.com)--the book is much worse than the movie, but the movie is deficient in several important ways. However, the depiction of Wilson is spot on.

--Brant