I came across the two pack DVD movie special recently that was so cheap I couldn’t really pass it up. One movie I had not seen and the other had been many years ago. The combo pack was the two versions of Red Dawn.
The first movie came out in 1984 and had a lot of young stars that hit it big later. The 2012 version had a lot of good young stars in it too.
If you don’t know the premise of the movie, a foreign country attacks the United States. Not the entire country is taken over, but some parts are under foreign domination. In the 1984 version it was Cubans, Central Americans and Russians who took over a little town in Colorado. The 2012 version the bad guys were North Koreans and interestingly, Russians again, who came into Spokane.
Both movies had a group of teenagers escape the initial invasion out into the woods. Both movies have the kids see loved ones murdered. From this trauma, they launch a guerilla war which becomes fairly successful.
When the 1984 version came out, I remember critics saying it was not realistic. Maybe not, but I liked it.
Watching it again, I think it stood the test of time in many ways. The newer version was more modern obviously, but it stayed pretty true to the premise, Americans, young or old, are not going to let this country be easily controlled by an invading army.
Once I was done with the movies, I could not help but compare what it must be like for the Ukranians fighting against the Russians.
I thought about the armed forces of some powerful country thinking they could take the United States on and I realized it just isn’t likely. Not because we cannot get attacked or even have some forces land on our soil. But I don’t see any country really occupying us for any length of time, but what happens in war is not predictable.
I can say if a country did try and invade, I would do my best in any way I can think of to repulse the invaders. I suspect this is the common thinking of most Americans.
Another movie I recently watched, a bit more realistic in its depiction of battles and carnage, was “Black Hawk Down’’. It is based on a true event which happened in Somalia in the early 1990s. The film was made in 2002.
The movie was interesting as American soldiers tried to protect crews from downed helicopters in the middle of Mogadishu, the capital and largest city of Somalia. What struck me was the waves of people from the city attacking the soldiers. Many of those attacking were soldiers of warlords and bandits. There are even reports of al-Quaeda operatives being involved, but there were plenty of citizens fighting because they didn’t like a foreign country on their land. The U.S. was there to keep order of the country for food distribution during a civil war that was killing thousands.
Still warlords portrayed all UN peacekeepers and Americans as invaders and it worked. Many Somalians didn’t want the world’s help if it meant foriegn soldiers on their land.
I never understood that concept until being forced to really think about what it is like for the Ukrainians having Russian soldiers invading their home.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, whenever I am having a tough day, I remind myself, at least my home is not being shelled by rockets. Paying higher gas prices and watching consumer items shoot up is hard, but I tell myself it is actually a small cost compared to what the people in Ukraine are having to face.
When the war first started, like many people I believe, I didn't give the Ukrainians much hope of keeping the Russians at bay. I saw what the Russian military did to Aleppo and other cities rebelling against the Syrian government.
Aleppo, a cultural and historic major city in Syria, was all but destroyed. Now Russia seems to be using the same tactics in Ukraine.
The Ukrainians are proving to be uncowed by the Russian military and have kept the wins of Russia fairly limited.
Honestly, I find it inspirational.
I don’t doubt here in America, in the land of the free and the brave, we would be just as resilient to facing an occupying enemy.
The fact I am having thoughts like this means Mr. Putin has failed in his objectives. More than ever before, countries are looking at ways to prevent an occupation scenario by a country like Russia. Finland and Sweden are now looking at joining NATO after years of being neutral.
Mr. Putin cannot be happy about this.
Too bad, is what I say.
Unexpected consequences happen.
I have always loved the USA and being American while living abroad and being home.
I remember clearly my father talking to me when I was young about the responsibility all Americans have to this country and keeping it safe. It is right to fight for freedom, he said, even if there is some pain and loss.
I took in his words but it wasn’t until the combination of watching some movies on war, and watching the Ukrainians fight for their homes, did I really think about how hard I would fight to keep military invaders out of our land.
I guess in a way I have to thank the Russian president for making me so determined that no foreign soldier should set foot in this country. I have looked around my home to see the weapons I might be able to use.
Mr. Putin might have thought his invasion of the Ukraine was going to scare the West into submitting to his will but it is my belief, he just made us more determined that will never happen.
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