As in Clint Eastwood's recent movie release entitled Cry Macho.
Let me say at the outset that I was disappointed with the Movie but thought that would be the case even before I watched it earlier this week with my two good friends Mark and Dave. I will simply say that at 91 Eastwood is passed his prime which is totally understandable - I am 20 years younger than he and would not attempt to do what he does in the film. The main reason I went to see the show was that it could possibly be his last.
But I did find that his Movie had a deeper meaning. It provided a telling Allegory on how life has changed in the United States virtually over the course of Eastwood's life. When he was born, America was still essentially a Macho country where the majority of its citizens wanted Government to get out of their way so they could excel based on their own merits and abilities. This is best exemplified by the writings of Horatio Alger who died at end of the 19th Century.
Alger wrote novels of young adults and impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through good works. His writings were characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which had a formative effect on the United States during the Gilded Age.
Eastwood's career paralleled this philosophy ...he was a loner, who did good works and did not take guff off a bad guy.
'Macho', in his movie, is a Rooster - that fight's other roosters and it too does not give any quarter to his opponents. That it is a Mexican Rooster complicates my theory somewhat but maybe Eastwood is simply trying to suggest that the sagging fortunes of America over the last 50 years can be reversed with the help of Mexicans who have been entering the United States by the thousands and thousands in recent years. I do not know if this is what was intended but it makes alot of sense.
But back to my original premise ...America as in all Democracies, are becoming less and less Macho. Comparisons with pre World War Two abound. More and More of Us have succumbed to the Progressive Way of Life where the majority now believes that Government is the answer and their demands upon it are infinite. As Margaret Thatcher is so famous for saying - Socialism works very well up until the time the Government runs out of Other Peoples' Money to spend.
But it is not just the Progressive Demands on Government that are so threatening to our Way of Life. We are becoming paralyzed in our ability to improve our lot in life. During the height of Covid, China built a Hospital from scratch... within 10 days. It would take years for a Western Democracy to accomplish the same. One of Canada's Pipelines was on the drawing papers for over 40 years and in the end the decision was made to not proceed. Just imagine how fast China could have accomplished a similar project.
Unlike our esteemed Prime Minister I have no love or respect for China for obvious reasons but if the above paralysis continues, it and other Dictatorships will have us for lunch as in we will be on their menu.
When Clint Eastwood leaves the scene for the last time we will all be poorer for it but know, there is no one in the wings capable of replacing him.
Free Popcorn Anyone?
As I See It...
'K.D. Galagher'
