Review of Taxi to the Dark Side (2008) by Daniel F — 02 Mar 2008

While some might want to merely write off [i]Taxi to the Dark Side[/i] as a treasonous, anti-troop smear campaign, the proof as always can be found in the pudding. I think seeing the process of interrogation along with the faces of the inquisitioners and their wards lets people at home get a taste of some of the things that are being carried out in the name of security and democracy.

The story of Dilawar, according to the leading reasoning Gibney applies, seems quite clearcut that the US military had in place a "gloves off" approach to handling detainees without regard to facts or ethical considerations on the behalf of those detained. It would be a shame if the people who saw this movie were to simply apportion the well deserved blame to the Bush Administration, its lawyers, and top military brass complicity. The overreaching questions that the movie conveys are not easily answered and resolved. Is it worth it to give up your humanity and morality in response to the potential loss of life to the society you belong to? Even if torture did get the information you want(which doesn't seem to be the case), is it worth the moral cost of betraying your nation's values? When, if ever, does the value of American lives outweigh the American values of treating our enemies as still human and worthy of respect eventhough we have no respect for their ideals? If we can't shift the balance back, where does that leave our moral standing in the world, if America can't practice what it preaches?

These are the questions modern American society has to answer, and answer now. This movie is a lightning rod and an impetus for a dialogue on these matters and as such is as pertinent as it is perfect.