Apocalypto

We watched Mel "Fucking Jews" Gibson's movie on DVD over the weekend. It was actually pretty good, and the themes fit in quite nicely with other Gibson movies such as Braveheart and The Patriot. These movies follow a similar theme. Bad guys attack and it's up to one man to "man-up" and beat their asses down with righteous fury. Okay.. it's fun entertainment and in the context of these period pieces it's probably quite accurate.

The movie was also quite graphic, and it reminded me of the Gibson South Park episode where he begs the boys to tie him down and torture him. Gibson revels in violence. He likes it and derives a visceral thrill from it.

It's obvious that Gibson wanted us to know the bad guys were really bad. Yes, we know that, but he really really needs to make sure we know how bad they were - by showing piles and piles of dead bodies and graphic displays of human sacrifices. Yes, we know, we know.

Anyway, watching the movie I realize a dynamic that drives today's political debate. Right wingers are testosterone fueled violence freaks that NEED to have an enemy to feel like a "man". It's quite true that in the history of humanity, men needed to be very aggressive and willing to beat somebody to death at the drop of a hat. The world is different now, but the right wingers have not adapted. They revel in the idea of our military killing on a mass scale (even when they don't directly participate) as it satisfies their blood lust. It matters not that they aren't actually doing any fighting, they get the same rush because it's their team that is doing the ass kicking.

Thing is.. and this is why the world is destined to be completely liberal.. the idea of going caveman on somebody is no longer a "value". Right wingers will lament the de-masculinization of society, and seek violence everywhere they can get it, but eventually it'll peter out. There will be no more "enemy" to hate, and the wingers will be lost in looking for a new war, and there won't be one there.