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Superman
Returns
Easily
offended neocon media personalities, like Sean Hannity, were
recently scandalized by the opening of the movie Superman Returns.
That the comic book hero Superman has long been a symbol of Americanism,
we need to examine this reaction close-up.
Superman's icon image always carried the
tagline of "truth, justice and the American way." This quote
was made popular in the Superman TV show, starring Steve Reeves, and reintroduced
in the Christopher Reeves cinema version. What offended neocons so much
was the omission of the words "American way."
Eager to unveil liberal plots even where
none exist, the complaints spewed forth on automatic pilot. They quickly
dissipated, however, as the true reason for this omission was pointed
out. It was a business decision, pure and simple. In order to have the
movie appeal to foreign audiences, it was thought best to keep "the
American way" at arm's length. Neocons thought it best not to let
that cat out of the bag.
Other than a few shots implying that the
new Superman looked gay, the Hannitys of the world tried to avoid the
obvious conclusion. The policies of the Bush administration have separated
truth and justice from the American way in the eyes of much of the world,
and no one could deny it. The administration professed reasons for invading
Iraq had little to do with truth. Punishing the Iraqi people for the attacks
of 9/11, when they had nothing to do with it at all, had nothing to do
with justice.
Neocons chose to distance themselves from
this issue, but as a cultural progressive I cannot. It means a lot to
me that our nation loses its moral association with such values as truth
and justice in the eyes of the world. These virtues always provided the
foundation of who we are as a people. Without them, who are we but a rich
and powerful nation throwing its weight around in a world that never lacks
for chaos? What does our leadership stand for? Without a deeper idealism
than is being exhibited today, our conception of democracy is rapidly
deteriorating into a profit consciousness that rivals that of any monarchy
of the past.
Any nation can say it embraces what is good,
and is favored by God, and has some destined right to exert its will on
other people. History shows that many have committed atrocious acts under
the aegis of "national interests." And yes, there have been
occasions when America has slipped into this mindset in the past, but
never so consciously or purposefully as today.
The neocon philosophy is to use the military
might of the United States to assert its economic will on other nations.
The invasion of Iraq was one of their long-standing plans, one that they
used 9/11 to accomplish. Even now (despite everything!) they are
pushing us to invade Iran and North Korea. Some of them talk of a possible
World War III against radical Islamists as if it were a Godsend!
Even as a long-time fan dating back to early
childhood, I always thought of Superman as apolitical. I was wrong. All
things considered, he represents a bright and shining image of progressive
ideology. An immigrant raised by thoughtful, nurturing parents, protective
of others, strong yet respectful of law and human rights, willing to sacrifice
for the good fight, truthful, peace-loving and beyond reproach, he is
nothing less than a liberal icon of the American way. One has to wonder
who Lex Luther represents, with his greedy plots for wealth and power.
I'm not saying that comic books and movies
should be perceived as a cultural mirror of our times, but surely their
anthropological trends reflect something worth noting.
I think most mythology experts would agree
that when the heroic ideal of Superman, so long embedded in our ethos,
has to sever its identity from the American way, then something is terribly
wrong. When a democracy that always cherished the idea of separation of
church and state, now grants special influence to a particular Christian
sect, this too is call for alarm. When a pre-emptive war places our nation
in the quagmire of Iraq under false pretenses, and there is no across-the-board
outrage, then perhaps we have lost something of the goodness and fairness
that we once held as a nation. When tax breaks to the rich results in
Social Security funds being funneled into supporting this unpopular war,
then the internal threats to our way of life are pretty obvious.
It is time that progressives rally and bring
an end to this. We have long been subjected to a conservative effort to
emasculate our beliefs and efforts, and have scarcely responded. Part
of the reason, of course, is that we have long considered conservatives
our legitimate opponents in the political forum, disagreeing partners
in a sense, while their strategists have concocted nothing less than a
covert (and not so covert) war against us. We are caught in a vicious
struggle for power that we never expected to contend with. After all,
this is America. We should be able to freely debate our principles without
the other side calling in the SWAT team.
Keep in mind, not all conservatives are
part of this attack on political discourse. Many are as outraged and perplexed
as we are, and see their own conservative values endangered. Think of
all the loyal conservatives who have spoken out against the neocon influence
of the Bush administration, from Christine Todd Whitman to John
Dean to Richard Clarke. They have become our allies, and many
of them know it.
With this in mind, I would like to think
that the Superman Returns heralds the coming return of liberalism,
a rejuvenated liberalism untainted by its own extreme—not a reaction
to the radical policies of the neocons, but a true blossoming of rational
and compassionate ideals.
Seeds
for Thought hopes to contribute to this goal.
