Platoon

After watching this movie and reading this quote, I see the perfect compatibility of the two. Throughout the entire movie, we (the US) seemed to be fighting themselves. It was always one side or the other; one side that kept their morals and humanity and the others that were fighting dirty and left their morals at home. Instead of fighting the real enemy at times, we seemed to be fighting with each other. It was either Elias’s side (good) or Bares’s side (bad). You saw this from the beginning of the movie. Both sides were trying to get people on their side. When Barnes did something bad, Elias would come in and try to tell him that that isn’t how it’s supposed to be done. One of them would have an idea and the other one would always shoot the idea down. It was a constant fight and pulling on either sides. While they were having petty little fights, the enemy was gaining wins and being smart and hitting us hard and gaining a great advantage. Not to mention the great advantage they already had on us. They knew their jungles and were used to the conditions they were in. They could handle the bugs and the land. We could have learned it and fought through it, but we were constantly fighting ourselves, so of course the enemy was gaining an advantage and winning the war.   

I personally don’t think that this fight between Barnes and Elias was a fight over authority or who was better. I feel like what they had was personal. They took their feelings and fought each other instead of fighting the enemy. I personally think that it was Barnes that didn’t like Elias. Elias was just trying to do what was right but Barnes was always getting in the way. Every time Elias tried to do his job and what was best, Barnes would come in and try to fight against his good. Elias never went out of way to fight Barnes except for when he did something that wasn’t right. Barnes, however, went out of his way to go ruin something good that Elias was doing. While Elias was out trying to sneak up on the enemy, Barnes followed him and instead of helping he shot Elias. The enemy was within Barnes. Fighting the good and feeding the bad, instead of the other way around.

I really liked this movie. It really gave me another perspective on war. It showed me how difficult it is to get freedom. It is not easy and we need to learn to not take that for granted. People work their butts off so we can do all the things that we can. It also showed me how important it is to keep good relations with other countries. War is not a good thing. In certain situations I understand it, but in others it is petty and pointless, just like the Vietnam War. I hope they never have to go through a personal battle like that because we are only defeating ourselves and not the enemy.