Considering that Avatar is coming out in theaters again with the never before seen scenes, I thought it is time to share my last blog on the movie, especially since it is about leadership and war.
Jake Sully says a famous line in the movie that I can’t forget because it could shake societies fundamental beliefs about people, human nature, and war.
Jake says: “I was a warrior who dreamed he could bring peace. Sooner or later though, you always have to wake up.” At some point peace, civil discourse, rationality are no longer options. Are the leaders the ones who use their influence to maintain peace, or are leaders the ones who lead and rally support to fight? When is it the right time to stand up and fight? When is it the right time to even kill someone else in the pursuit of peace?
Jake Sully believed that he could use his influence to prevent war. I believe that as a leader, everyone should use ALL of the influence he or she can muster to advocate, promote and maintain peace in this world. Leaders of non-volience have practiced this philosophy for centuries. In some cases it has been very successful. For example, look at Jesus, Ghandi, and Martin Luther King Jr. All of these 3 men have changed the course of history with their message of non-violence. But humans are violent. What I find most disturbing is all of these famous leaders who believed in non-violence suffered at the hand of violence. All of them were assassinated by their enemies and turned into martyrs. There is something disturbing about this picture.
Therefore, I believe leaders must recognize the the moment when conflict IS good. When negotiations, rationality and discourse are no longer an option. When fighting is necessary and justifiable.
How do I know what circumstances justify war. For me personally it is:
1. When others seek to harm you
2. When others are being harmed who can’t protect themselves
3. When people’s lives are being taken unjustly
4. When your enemy will stop at nothing until you are destroyed
For me, the biggest question is should we kill our enemy before they kill us? Is their really a justified war?
My grandparents always talk about WWII as the only justifiable war. I recently watched the move Schindler’s List. It brought me to tears. It seems that war is sometimes necessary for the pursuit of peace, which I always found ironic. The question is how do you know when it is the right time? How can you be sure to know that OUR war is the just war.
In the case of Avatar, pre-emptive war was portrayed as unjust. Many times individuals will look for reasons to justify themselves in killing others. In the case of the Sky People, they were after precious resources underneath the hometree-the navi home. They were asked to relocate. They refused. So they decided to launch gas bombs so that the people would flee to minimize casualties. Then they destroyed hometree with bombs. According to sky people: “they are just blue monkeys that swing from trees right?”
Once Jake Sully and Navi people realized that the Sky People would stop at nothing. They would have taken all the resources away and destroy everything that is precious to them. Therefore Jake was forced to lead the Navi people to war. I wonder if the Native American Indians should have done this to the English when they settled her? What if the Native Americans found someone like Jake Sully, a leader to defend them and was successful?
You see, I have been week. I have constantly tried to advocate peace. I always have tried to be nice to other people. I have always avoided conflict because I was taught that you can’t influence others by arguing or fighting. But I realize that I was wrong. Conflict can be good. It is only through conflict that we get resolution. There are times when arguing and fighting is necessary to get the change we need. Even in the bible, when Jesus, the man of non-violence threw the money lenders out of the church, it was termed “righteous indignation.” Righteous indignation is typically a reactive emotion of anger over perceived mistreatment, insult, or malice. It is akin to what is called “the sense of injustice.” In some Christian doctrines, righteous indignation is considered the only form of anger which is not sinful, e.g., when Jesus drove the money lenders out of the temple.
It was fascinating to see the perspective of the Sky Pople as the events unfolded. As the Na’vi raised an army to defend themselves, the general shows the satellite images of the Navi’people gathering in larger and larger number as a reason and justification to pre-emptively destroy the most sacred area for the Na’vi people.
Jake Sully says. “This is how it is done. When people are sitting on shit you want, you make them your enemy, so that you can justify taking it”
The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 to pre-emptively defend ourselves from weapons of mass destruction from Saddam Hussein. Iraq, to no surprise, has the 2nd largest oil reserve in the world. We now have strategic dominance of the worlds oil reserves. I think James Cameron depiction of the Sky People is clearly a depiction of United States imperialism. For example, when one of the bombs is created todestroy the most sacred area of the Na’vi people, it is named “Daisy Cutters”. The same name of the bomb that is used in the middle east to destroy mountains with underground caves where the enemy is hiding.
What lessons can we learn from this movie:
1. Everyone doesn’t have to be accomplice to injustices and the persecution of others. When the sky people were instructed to destroy the hometree with bombs, the character played by Michelle Rodriquez says “I didn’t sign up for this shit!” and she refuses to execute the order. You can do the same.
2. Know when to stand up to your beliefs and defend yourself. There comes a point where we can no longer pacify our enemies, and conflict can be good. What conflict have you been avoiding in your life?
3. War is business, it can be used to acquire land or precious resources.
Just as Jake was willing to mobilize others for war against the enemy, you can do the same. It doesn’t have to be to kill others, but it can be to mobilize others to affect political change. That is what grassroots organizing is all about.
What are thoughts? Please comment below.
Note: If you wish to visit the Avatar official website and trailer check out: http://www.avatarmovie.com/
