Mission Impossible

Mission Impossible

Just recently, I watched the movie Mission Impossible 2, known to most fans and those familiar with the commercials as simply MI2, starring, mainly, Tom Cruise. When the initial awe was over, I really got to thinking…

Does anyone really notice how unrealistic these movies are? Or is that the reason why so many flock to see then? After all, reality is the leading cause of stress… The point of the matter is that the entertainment industry spends billions producing (directing, filming, and editing) these films that last for a mere 2 hours maximum in comparison to the time, human resources and capital put into them.

I dare ask, to what end result? The people who pay to go these movies, or those like myself who simply wait until it comes out on DVD, ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ at the fantastic scenes, discuss it for a while, then daydream about it for a couple of more days until the next big movie comes along. Unfortunately, we never really stop to think about what we actually gain from it. The answer may not startle you. Nothing. That is, except for the momentary rush of adrenaline and what we all like to call a ‘good time’. What does the industry gain? Money. For what? So that they can go make another movie and make an even bigger profit off it? All in the name of entertainment… Keep in mind that what the Romans once viewed as entertainment we now see as the barbaric slaughter of Christians.

Nevertheless, I watched in awe as Tom, a.k.a Ethan Hunte, speeding ahead on some fancy bike, consecutively eliminates several ‘bad guys’ all pursuing him in the latest and most expensive vehicles that money can purchase today. It’s all good and well during the movie but coming back to reality (you always seem to land with a thud) when all these vehicles are blown up, money has gone down the gutter. Wouldn’t the world be so much better if the money put into purchasing these vehicles no more than to be blown up had been placed somewhere more worthwhile, say, feeding the hungry children in Africa, India or those misplaced and forgotten in the many refugee camps in Europe? Now, hold up a minute, don’t sigh and say that old story again. Believe it or not, the problem with starvation today is not the amount of food produced but rather the distribution of this food. Genetic engineering is not the answer to this problem; instead, it is redirecting the selfishness and gluttony of the present world populace reflected by the decisions made by the humans in leadership positions in this world. These industries are more willing to spend billions on a movie that gives nothing back to edify our spiritual and intellectual beings rather than donate it in order to feed the millions of refugees in Europe. Why? Because with the former option, they make a profit. The love of money is indeed the root of all evil.

The world is going to hell in a basket laden with intellectuals and no one seems to notice. World news is depressing. Reverting to an axiom that my mother often uses: ‘no news is good news.’ The ongoing war between Israel and Palestine has created a surge of news stories. But what do we do when we hear about the children that are dead because Yassar Arafat and Netanyahu refuse to come to some agreement? Both are speaking and saying that the violence has to stop yet none is speaking to the other as to how they hope to accomplish this seemingly extraordinary feat. How many news headlines must we see, how many statistical Death reports must there be before Jerusalem falls on the ‘right’ side of the border? In addition, the crisis in Indonesia arising as a result of the ongoing war between Muslims and Christians goes seemingly unnoticed. While many flock to the theater to be entertained many are trying to flee these countries-their citizenship no longer grants safety. Then again, there is the fight in Uganda for white owned land. Despite the evident need for these black folks to get land, need there be such violence and blatant disregard for human rights. So what if the whites had once done the same thing? It is true that the government would not have gotten this done any faster had it been done legally but that is no excuse to kill and reek suck havoc. Foot and Mouth disease proves that man is not in control. Global warming is more than just a threat it is now a reality. Bush says that the U.S is no longer going to live up to the Kyoto agreement, which limits the amount of gas that worldwide industries are allowed to emit into our atmosphere (of which the U.S emits about a quarter). This only proves my aforementioned statement. Heard about World War 1, heard about World War 2? Ever wondered why you never heard about World Peace? Everyone is talking about world peace. Well, I’m listening. What about it? Indeed, that is the real Mission Impossible.

Why not spend those billions on more worthwhile endeavors? Why send spaceships to Mars? How about trying to save the earth that we already have and can live on? My opinion is that there are many starving children out there like the one described in the other article and they obviously see no hope for the future. In fact they have no long -term plans, they only live for the present. Count your blessings. Can you blame them if they steal when they are hungry? Why should they live by the law in a world that has been so cruel to them? In India, the Space Program is well advanced, a multi-million dollar project, no doubt. And yet the victims of the earthquake are still in dire need of aid.

What really is the point of life? From what I can conclude, it’s to amass as much money as possible and to find you a nice cozy spot on the ladder of success-forget those on the bottom rungs, they are not your responsibility.

But then, what about heaven? Where does right and wrong fit into the equation of life?

Well, honestly, I would love to hear your opinions on this so please e-mail back, okay?

An afterthought: Bill Gates is said to be the richest man in the U.S. For Pete’s sake what can one ole crone do with all that cash? And you won’t hear that he donated it to any hungry kid…man, I’m hungry…