Many attempts have been made by movie writers/directors/producers to tell the truth about the tragic, unnecessary Iraq War while making it a financial box office success. Making significant dollars means large numbers will see the movies and hear the important truth messages. The two latest, Oscar winning The Hurt Locker and the just released Green Zone while making the most recent successful attempts so far, will probably fail at their profit goals and have little political impact. This weekend Green Zone starring Matt Damon took in $14.5 million while its box office competitor, Alice in Wonderland starring Johnny Depp made $62 million. (See Green Zone movie reviews here)

Damon with his Paul Greengrass’ Bourne movie triumphs can compete with Depp’s star power. What he can’t overcome is Americans’ reluctance to face the truth about American made wars and our military “heroes.” It just so happens that tonight Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg launch their latest HBO passion project, The Pacific (in ten parts) trying to show the reality of war and “bringing history’s lessons to modern audiences, especially those lessons that resonate with today’s war-weary Americans,” says Hanks. It probably will resonate, but is unlikely to change many minds.

Since the inception of moving pictures, Hollywood has struggled with how to portray the men and women who go to war on behalf of their nation and then discover war’s horror realities that will alter the participants lives forever. It’s a herculean task for movie makers to condemn war and the war mongers who create it while making heroes of mostly innocent pawns who carry out the missions. Some succumb to ignoring the mongers or making “heroes” of those who don’t deserve it. Others blame the “troops” ignoring those who sent them to risk their lives under the false pretense of national “defense.”

Having served in the Air Force from 1963-1991 as a public affairs officer, I watched how our military “heroes” went from scum after Vietnam to true heroes in the First Gulf War. I worked hard to make that perceptual change. I can see now that success which came about because our military became superb professionals at the art of war, using the latest weapons from the very profitable war machine makers, significantly contributes to confusing American voters on the question of why we are creating enemies and wars and the terrible consequences that result.

It isn’t easy for average Americans to praise the “troops” while condemning their wars. That means they would have to accept that all that deadly sacrifice is sadly only contributing to the power and money brokers who never suffer and gloat with glee and greed over their success. When Hollywood or those “terrible lefties” attempt to tell them the truth, it is too painful to hear so they seek solace in the propaganda of those responsible for putting them into this emotional dilemma and ruining millions of lives including ones that touch them.

The only way to ease this dilemma is to face up to the power of the M$M-Congressional-Military-Industrial complex and the cruel irony of the name of the organization responsible for conducting our wars, the Department of DEFENSE.

Politics is framing. As long as we call our military pawns “heroes” just because they are called on to “DEFEND” us, keeps far too many Americans confused suckers. And that is just what our war monger profiteers want and need. They do it with framing that creates false fears. Their success will lead to the ultimate collapse of the American Empire.

I’m not the first to suggest that the DoD be renamed the Department of PEACE. It would be a very important first step in using political framing to the disadvantage of the complex. The second is to stop using HEROES. Our most important heroes should be those who want to overpower the complex. Until that happens, our downward economic and political spiral will continue unabated.