What's So Wrong About Thinking You're Right?

...I was reading a article in USA Today the other day about the response The Reader is getting in Germany and, by extention, other countries around Europe, contrast to the "negative reviews" it's been getting here in America. The "negative reviews" is what got my attention.



I've been kinda in the dark about this, I guess, but apprentally American critics have a problem with the subject matter, which is (from what I understand, not having seen the actual movie) somewhat sympathetic to a former Nazi soldier in her portrayal. All I remember on is a quote from Kate Winslet somewhere saying how hard it was to play this woman because she "despises" her.



Listen....if this is a movie that advocates the extermination of entire cultures of human beings, then, yeah, this might not be good or responsibly-made movie.



But....



If what we're talking about here is a piece of entertainment that explores the inner and outer workings of a character, or, in this case, a human being, then there's nothing wrong with that.



How many of you out there believe in Good Guys and Bad Guys? Raise your hand, c'mon...Well, don't count me as one of them. Every single one of us are completely and able to commit horrible and dispicable acts against each other, society, and the entire planet. It's a fact that we should not ignore very often.

It always seems that there are very few people out there for commit wrongful acts that think of themselves as bad people (insert comment about current finacial crisis and the people who caused it). The truth is that one person's triump is another one's horror. History has given us quite a bit of perspective on the Nazis and what their ultimate goals and beliefs were, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't as quite unconflicting to at least a few people in the here and then.

....and that's ultimatly why we all have such a grand ole' time arguing about every little thing that comes up: most of us DON'T KNOW what's right and what's wrong. Throwing out ideas and certain feelings for public compsumtion usually doesn't have much effect on the people who dream them up, but it damn sure will let them know how other people will react to them, should they acted upon. That's why we don't have a God/King/Ruler because we all only care what the neighbors are going to think. And gosh darnnit, that's the why it should be.

There is just no need for anybody to get up some high horse about such things and lie to others around them that they are completely sure of everything. Lord knows that's the one thing I look for to show me somebody is LYING to me.....