Fighting for Bin Laden

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This one is truly bad-ass. Since it's so new, it's kind of in fragments, all of which are interesting.

It starts of by highlighting the fact that Pakistan may in fact be harboring Al Qaeda, despite claiming that they're working with the US gov to stop terrorism. This part also shows how the US government is hiring a private Afghan army to help them do some fighting.

The next part looks at the drone war; the use of drone planes to spy on and destroy enemies from the skies. These planes, in case you're not aware, are unmanned aircraft that have the ability to destroy small targets from many miles away. Since the Obama admin., the use of these types of planes has skyrocketed.

The third part is an interview with author Steve Cole. This guy knows tons about everything to do win Osama Bin Laden. He brings up an interesting point: Osama's organization attacked the twin towers in hopes that the U.S. would pull out of Afghanistan and the Middle East. Clearly that plan failed. Maybe the US shouldn't have been there in the first place? I don't know.

The last part is the longest and most awesome. Report Najibullah Quraishi actually chills with a loyal band of fighters who are loyal to Bin Laden. He has to go on a 3 day hike, and think's he's about to die a few times. The leader is super sketchy, and the guy never really knows when he's allowed to be filming. This small group of fighters are pretty loyal to the entire Allah cause. They're even training children to fight.

9/10

Shadow Company

PMCs. Private Military Companies.

These bad-asses/mercenaries go and work for private companies that provide military and security services in various war zones around the world. They escort military convoys, protect massive bases, blow shit up, and do other tasks that the U.S. military can no longer afford because their bank execs put the country in a hole. Most of them have a military background, and moved to the private industry because they wanna get paid more.

There are some problems though... These guys are not fighting for their country, nor is their country responsible for them; they just do it for the hard cheeze. Obviously, as a corporation is obliged to do, it seeks areas to cut costs in. Sometimes it costs more to provide some extra backup or security than it does to let a few guys die, which happens a lot. Another problem is that there is basically no bidding, so when the government wants to hire them they just go to one company, make an offer, and go with it.

Things get really fucked up when the guy doing the hiring is on the board of directors of these companies.

Violent as fuck.

8.4/10

Louis Theroux: The Ultra Zionists

My boy Louis spends time with Ultra Zionists who claim that ownership of the West Bank area in Israel is their divine right.

He also spends time with a few Palestinians who own the land under both Israeli and National law... They see these Jews moving in and are getting pissed. Many of the Palestinians feel that their land is being taken away, with many of the Jews illegally setting up camp in areas of the West Bank.There are skirmishes all the time in these areas, and the Jews are being treated like piss.

My description of this isn't all that great, because the situation is somewhat complicated... But the fact alone that someone views a piece of earth as rightfully theirs under the word of god is somewhat whack.

7/10

Louis Theroux: Law and Disorder in Lagos

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On the streets of Lagos, it is not the police who wield power but gangs of fight-hardened young men known as Area Boys. Louis spends time with several outfits, joining them as they patrol their turf, clash with local rivals and keep the peace in a brutal and haphazard fashion. The main income for the Area Boys is an arbitrary and unofficial form of taxation, extracted from local businesses and commercial drivers. Louis gets to know the rich and glamorous Area Boy leader MC, a former street youth himself, who has now become a friend of the most powerful men in the city. Taken under MC’s wing, Louis experiences the top levels of the Area Boys’ world from the inside, complete with a tour of MC’s grand residence and extensive shoe collection, and ending in a chaotic mini-riot with gunshots, blood and mayhem.

On the side of the law, Louis Theroux rides with KAI, the government’s Kick Against Indiscipline paramilitary task force, as they storm different city districts. With bulldozers and arrest warrants, KAI use their own strong-arm tactics, and are in their way as feared as the Area Boys.

In Law and Disorder in Lagos, Louis Theroux wrestles with life in a world in which the forces of law and the forces of disorder are not always readily distinguishable and nothing is quite what it seems. Definitely Louis' most badass one yet, I feel like he's in danger for the vast majority of this film.

7.9/10

War Child (The Story of Emmanuel Jal)

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Emmanuel Jal was born in Sudan during a war, grew up with war, and fought in four battles as a child soldier. The above song 'Emma' is about an aid worker that smuggled him from a village in Sudan to Nairobi, Kenya and took care of him until she died in the 90's. There he became a well known hip hop artist and escaped the slums.



The film follows Jal to Kenya and through Sudan visiting places he passed through as a child. It includes footage of Jal as a kid (who is never seen without his Asterix shirt) that was taken from an earlier film. As you follow his story, you also learn the story of Sudan as a whole.

I don't even like hip hop, but i can't ignore the power of this music:

from song above:
now i cry myself to sleep
in my dreams i often weep
my children are hungry, my back in pain
and still they come to rape again

Also, check out Emmanuel on TED.com

8.8/10

Body of War

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Body of War follows Tomas Young, a young Iraq vet who was capped in the shoulder by Al Qaeda. The bullet hit his spine, which fucked him up a lot. He has to wear a catheter at all times, he takes more pills in a day than I take in a year, and his mom has to hold his dick at one point in the movie. Plus he can't bang his girlfriend. The film connects Tomas' hardships & political involvement with a debate and vote in congress that allowed Bush to go to war. Original songs by Eddie Vedder, produced by Phil Donahue.

8/10

The Fog of War - Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara

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Winner of the 2003 Academy Award for best documentary with 98% and 8.1/10 at rotten tomatoes. The film is almost entirely one conversation with the controversial guy, with an original score and historical footage and audio added. Although his life was full of crazy shit (President of Ford Motor Company, President of the World Bank) his biggest moments were during the Cuban missile crisis and dealing with Vietnam as the US Secretary of Defense. He did some questionable things in his time but he is incredibly open and honest about mistakes that were made. Very cool if you're interested in war/politics/foreign policy. 145min.

8.5/10

Burma's Nuclear Ambitions

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Burma is building a giant tunnel/fortress under the jungle to hide their military activities. They are also making big rockets and hanging out with North Koreans. The idea is, nobody fucks with Burma if they have a bombproof hideout and WMDs.

8.5/10

I Know I'm not Alone

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Michael Franti, an American musician, travels first to Baghdad, then to an occupied Palestinian village. It will shock you how friendly the people he meets are. Almost immediately he is invited into Iraqi homes. It would seem the danger of these places would transform the people into cold assholes, but it appears to do the opposite. Its the same deal when he goes to Palestine. You think that the conflict and hatred is permanently ingrained in the two peoples, but then this guy goes and plays a little music and everyone loves each other. Few documentaries give you perspective on what life is really like for oppressed people.

8/10

The Wounded Platoon

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This is the newest documentary in Frontline's arsenal of ass-kicking flicks. This one dissects a bunch of "hardcore" soldiers from Third Platoon. In Iraq, these guys got hit by 1000 roadside bombs, suffered the most casualties in their company, and saw their beloved sergeant get blown up.

If you aren't familiar with P.T.S.D. or post-traumatic stress disorder, it's basically when soldiers get back from shit that's violent, and can't adjust to normal life. They suffer from anger, depression, anxiety, hallucinations, and other crazy stuff that they can barely deal with. Basically every member of Third gets some form of PTSD.

In The Wounded Platoon, you'll learn about a bunch of guys who have their problems once back in the States. One dude kills someone, one guys shoots a gun into a party, and another guy tries to kill himself. Why? Because the US doesn't invest enough in hospitals to deal with this shit. Worst.

8.6/10

Loose Change

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I know everyone loves a good conspiracy theory every so often, and this is one of the best topics: What really happened on 9/11? The film (and I call it that because it's over 2 hours long) analyzes all of the events that took place on that crazy day. It does a good job of making the government look sketchy; but then again I think anyone could make Bush, Cheney, and the rest of that administration seem untrustworthy. It's still intense just to watch those buildings fall and relive the whole day. Enjoy

6.5/10

Why We Fight

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Why We Fight picked up the grand jury prize for documentary at sundance in 2005. The title comes from the name of WWII-era US propaganda films. In modern day America, public support for foreign occupations is maintained in different ways. Journalists, senators (including former presidential candidate John McCain), and military officials give their side of the story. The father of a 9/11 victim gives his emotional opinions on what the US military should do in response. The film splits its focus between the recent events in US foreign occupation and the history of the military industrial complex.

8.5/10

Behind Taliban Lines

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Done by PBS's Frontline, Behind Taliban Lines is about a crazy Afghani journalist who chills out with terrorists for a while, filming and talking to them as they go about their business. Nowhere else will you see a close up of terrorist life than with this. There are discussions as well as attempted attacks on coalition forces. Mad props to the guy he could have been capped no problem. This shit is 60 min.

8/10

Nuclear Nightmare: Understanding North Korea

Watch: Nuclear Nightmare

This is an excellent and well explained special wich shows the leader Kim Jong Il, his suffering people, how they are brainwashed from a very early age at school and a glimps at the blanket of fear of which the innocent civilians of North Korea reside under. These people are shot if they try to leave, thrown in jail if they try to educated people from the outside world, and are punished if they say anything less that flattering about their leader Kim Jong Il. This stuff is pretty nuts, I had no idea how crazy it is in North Korea. In fact, I'm pretty scared I'm going to get assassinated just from posting this.

8/10

Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land

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Israel receives 16 million dollars of foreign aid from the US each day. Peace, Propaganda gives an understanding of how ignorance and support is maintained in America. An important documentary if there ever was one. Concise as fuck at 79 minutes.

9/10