Life Imitates a Movie (Again)

Politicians take credit for every good thing that occurs while they are in office, but last week’s statement by Joe Biden that the apparent victory in Iraq is “one of the great achievements of this administration” seemed to provoke apoplectic outrage in some of his opponents.

It does seem the height of gall that the Vice-President claims credit for the triumph of policies that both he and President Obama opposed hammer and tong, but Republicans would be wise not to over-react. First, it's always possible they're being punk'd. Second, Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden’s antiwar positions are so well-known that none but their most blinded supporters would attach credulity to his claim of victory. Simply repeating the Larry King videoclip without comment will be damaging enough to popular judgment of the Administration’s judgment.

As for my own reaction, I turn as I often do to pop culture. At the very end of the quest-filled 1981 movie Dragonslayer the young hero Galen slays the monster. The king, a desiccated husk of a man who has seen his kingdom nearly destroyed, gets out of his carriage and feebly stabs at the smoking carcass.

The villagers cheer their “dragonslayer” ruler. Life, death, tragedy, and triumph have given way to absurdity. All Galen and his maiden friend Valerian can do is exchange a knowing glance, then move on with their lives. That's advice I'm going to try to follow until November, 2012.

Below is the YouTube link to the exciting last ten minutes of Dragonslayer.



© 2010 Stephen Yuen