The Good Shepherd

Last week went to see The Good Shepherd (2007), heralded by many as the spy version of The Godfather. Maybe. There were certainly similarities. The lead, played by Matt Damon, is not quite heroic but neither is he the anti-hero. He actually plays a rather stoic, almost completely passionless individual.

He does some things or is at least party to some things of questionable morality...offing a friend/mentor not because he HAD done something wrong...but because his personal life opened him to blackmail and he therefore COULD do something wrong. He had a lover killed because in a thoughtless moment he let her into his apartment where there were documents she should not have been able to see. That one is beyond questionable.

In the movie world it claims these things are de rigeur. Some people believe this is real behavior for the CIA. And perhaps it is. I have my suspicions but have not seen enough to convince me yes or no. There is plenty to convince me they have done lots of other things they should not have; the Bay of Pigs, central to that movie, being perhaps exhibit A but by no means the only exhibit.

It does bring up a troubling question. The rationale for the CIA has always been a need to protect a democracy. However...if to protect the democracy (or republic or any other system of government) you must perform actions of an immoral nature....is that government worth protecting? If you have to keep secret from your citizens what you are doing...is that worth doing?

I would argue no. And a lot of that argument lies in the American Myth.

For those who may not be anthropolgiacally inclined, this is a term used in culture studies to refer to nationally held beliefs, to how the story has been presented. It is neither intrinsically true or false but rather is the commonly accepted beliefs of what the story is and means.

I would argue the American Myth is a foundation of openness, honesty, freedom...and the CIA counteracts every one of those. It can only ever act in secret and secrecy breeds opportunities for illicit actions.