By Ron Signore
Recently, I expressed my correlation of history from the Civil War era of America with the notion that history repeats itself. This was inspired by the viewing of Manhunt on Apple+, which covers the Lincoln Assassination followed by the hunt for John Wilkes Booth. I would entertain the guess that producers and writers are drawing these parallels from what they are seeing everyday with our consistent divide in the political world, because in similar time, the show Master’s of the Air dropped on Apple+- actually prior to Manhunt.
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks did it again. First, we were provided the story of the D-Day invasion from the beaches of Omaha in Saving Private Ryan, which is arguably one of the best war movies of all time, and certainly of my generation. Then we got the adaptation of Band of Brothers, based off the 101st Airborne from the classic Stephen Ambrose chronicle, covering D-Day from air to ground. They did not stop there, adding another segment around the battles in the far east with The Pacific. The latest rendition of WWII from Hanks and Spielberg is provided in Masters of the Air. This is a very unique story told about the evolving strategy and eventually strength of our European battles in the air.
Spoiler alert- we won the war in Europe. However, how we got there may surprise those of us who didn’t live during the actual war. At an elementary level, we are taught the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, which entered us in the war out of provocation. They woke the sleeping giant. We see the depiction of D-Day and the war in the Pacific through all of the previous features, which give us more insight to the trenches of warfare and the obstacles endured for our troops. In every light, the stories tend to show key overviews to battles where we overcame adversity, but until we get towards the end, it seems like a much closer contest.
Masters of the Air is similar but different. In fact, there are times of hopelessness, and a few sprinkles of hope here and there. In some way, this show is like a prequel to the previous productions from Spielberg and Hanks. Our strategy in the air was not originally one of dominance, in fact, one of being dominated. While in all battles, many lost their lives, you almost always got the sense that we would push on and prevail. Not here. I know the outcome of the war, and I honestly had moments where I felt this wouldn’t end well. We consistently saw bomber planes go out, but even more consistently less and less come back. It got so bad that there was an eventual strategy in place to use the bomber planes as bait to strategically chip away at the appearing to dominate German Airforce, the Luftwaffe.
Other than Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, where we got a reality check on the happenings of one of the darkest times in human history with the Holocaust, this is the first story that dives into the lives of soldiers held as German POW’s. While many soldiers met their fate, the conditions while horrible, were not met with the same aggression as the prisoners of concentration camps. Primitive and dangerous, nonetheless, hope was a longshot for Major Buck Cleven and Major Bucky Egan, who were captured as POW’s when their respective bomber planes went down.
Their time as prisoners included a long march in the freezing, blistery weather to another prison camp. It was during this event that something hit me like a lightening bolt, angering me at the reality correlation to now.
During this march, as the war is clearly starting to turn for Germany, keeping them on more of a defensive path than attacking course, the Nazi’s begin yelling to the American soldiers to get off the road and make way for the German forces coming through on trucks and some tanks. The look of absolute defeat on the soldiers faces caused some to question what was happening, but one true to form Nazi provides the heil salute, proudly yelling “Heil Hitler.”
It is no secret the correlations between Chump and Hitler. We make comparisons all the time with the two Nationalist heads of party or state. None more, however, than the brainwashing of what come to be blind followers no matter the cause. The consistent control of the propaganda pushing, reality denying habits of these criminals continue to grasp the weak minded into a blind following, eliminating a consciousness of right and wrong. It has continued here with the correlation to the saluting of one person. These Germans were fighting Hitler’s war. Today, those attached to the nationalist agenda are fighting Chump’s battles, ignoring reality.
While not formally done, Chump has essentially enacted his own manifesto, his own “Mein Kumpf.” The blame of anyone that poses a difference in ideology, religion, or form of loyalty is responsible for the decay of what they wish their country would be. In our case, it is the liberals and now RINO’s at the top of that list, with many conspiracy theorists STILL focusing on the Jewish people in a negative light. He wants to use our justice department to seek retribution to those who have put him on trial with the same “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain,” mentality as Hitler. The result would be the end of democracy as we know it and lead right back to the fascist way of rule we fought to dissolve back in World War II.
The hard part right now to understand is how people don’t realize we have seen this movie before. The ability to have immediate information and constant recognition of events around the nation and world at our fingertips should be a clear sign as to where this could go, and the dangers it could bring. While I do not think there would be the likes of another Holocaust, I can definitely see the vulnerability in the collapse and overturn leading to detrimental acts of war. These patriots are forgetting what our real heroes fought for in the second great war, all because they have a different vision of what freedom means. Essentially their version of freedom is anything that doesn’t display progression in humanity. Contributing to humankind during a pandemic because of a constant discredit to the media, as well as basic human rights that extend the world over that truly display freedom. Our heroes fought for people to have their choices as long as it didn’t impede someone’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, these ‘patriots’ actions have only that impact of impeding on people’s freedoms.
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