Although I haven't seen the movie yet, I'm not sure I want to after watching the documentary. Tom Hanks always makes a winner movie, but the real story is easily disliked for several reasons.
Since I don't know what the actual Hollywood movie shows, I can't put 'spoiler' here but you might not want to read the rest.
The Congressman was nominated by some group as one of the most INeffective Congressmen on the Hill at the time although he kept getting reelected. One complaint was that he was flying all over the world (which turned out to be the action of the movie that has been made as he was involved in funneling US Dollars to the anti soviet forces in Afghanistan. He was actually doing something but few people knew exactly what).
He was accused of using cocaine along with some bathing beauties within a hot tub party in Las Vegas. In the documentary, he remained mum without denial nor admission. He did confess to being a party hog and having multiple DUI arrests in his life. (So, being as smart as he is, he understood that DUI puts innocent people at risk & he did it anyway). So, if you're the kind who doesn't care what a man does on his off work time, then this might not bother you.
What is rankling is that by his own admission, he "DOUBLED" the initial dollar amount going to fund anti soviet forces "on my own authority." THUS, BY CHANCE OF BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE WITH THE RIGHT AUTHORITY, HE BYPASSED THE American PEOPLE / VOTERS AND BEGAN FUNDING ON A SMALL MANNER HIS OWN PERSONAL AGENDA. HE ADMITTED OTHER CONGRESSMAN SAW WHAT HE HAD DONE BUT SAID "NOTHING." His game ended up expanding to a BILLION DOLLARS eventually. Did it help cause the Soviets to withdraw from the war in Afghanistan? No doubt some. But, he did it without voter approval and without the knowledge of most of the US Government. Thats why its called, "charlies war." Did it affect the average American in any negative way other than taking our money for a war on the other side of the planet and which was on turf right adjacent to the Soviet Union itself? Yes. In one spy type episode, a weapon was discharged on US soil by mistake prior to an authorized viewing of big shots. The weapon hit a local gas station, burned it to the ground, and put ... yes... innocent people's lives at risk. Nobody was harmed but the US Government had to pay the owner of the station for all the damages.
So far, dollars taken without proper scrutiny by people who should have been involved and American lives put at risk.
The bottom line is this: Americans ARE TIRED OF OUR LEADERS GETTING US INTO WARS AROUND THE PLANET RATHER THAN TAKING CARE OF America. NOBODY HAS AUTHORIZED THE FEDS TO DO THIS. THEY GET US INTO WAR AFTER WAR WITHOUT GOOD REASON WHILE OUR COUNTRY GOES BROKE AND OUR BORDER IS SO UNENFORCED THAT 4,000 ILLEGALS FLOOD ACROSS DAILY.
The reasoning Charlie gave as getting us deeper into that war at the risk of a Soviet Union counterattack? " We had a moral duty " said Charlie.
The American people were used in a way in which they didn't get a chance to decide themselves if the "moral duty" really applied. They had to take Charlie's word for it.
As it all turned out, the Soviet Union fell apart 10 months after they withdrew from Afghanistan, but it may well have done that without a single congressman's crusade that could have put the USA into World War III with the Soviets who could have possibly destroyed our entire country.
Charlie's War should be viewed as something out of history but be cautious in your emotions. One congressman out of 530 or so total took matters into his own hands. Our government isn't supposed to work that way. Thats called Risky Business.
Since I don't know what the actual Hollywood movie shows, I can't put 'spoiler' here but you might not want to read the rest.
The Congressman was nominated by some group as one of the most INeffective Congressmen on the Hill at the time although he kept getting reelected. One complaint was that he was flying all over the world (which turned out to be the action of the movie that has been made as he was involved in funneling US Dollars to the anti soviet forces in Afghanistan. He was actually doing something but few people knew exactly what).
He was accused of using cocaine along with some bathing beauties within a hot tub party in Las Vegas. In the documentary, he remained mum without denial nor admission. He did confess to being a party hog and having multiple DUI arrests in his life. (So, being as smart as he is, he understood that DUI puts innocent people at risk & he did it anyway). So, if you're the kind who doesn't care what a man does on his off work time, then this might not bother you.
What is rankling is that by his own admission, he "DOUBLED" the initial dollar amount going to fund anti soviet forces "on my own authority." THUS, BY CHANCE OF BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE WITH THE RIGHT AUTHORITY, HE BYPASSED THE American PEOPLE / VOTERS AND BEGAN FUNDING ON A SMALL MANNER HIS OWN PERSONAL AGENDA. HE ADMITTED OTHER CONGRESSMAN SAW WHAT HE HAD DONE BUT SAID "NOTHING." His game ended up expanding to a BILLION DOLLARS eventually. Did it help cause the Soviets to withdraw from the war in Afghanistan? No doubt some. But, he did it without voter approval and without the knowledge of most of the US Government. Thats why its called, "charlies war." Did it affect the average American in any negative way other than taking our money for a war on the other side of the planet and which was on turf right adjacent to the Soviet Union itself? Yes. In one spy type episode, a weapon was discharged on US soil by mistake prior to an authorized viewing of big shots. The weapon hit a local gas station, burned it to the ground, and put ... yes... innocent people's lives at risk. Nobody was harmed but the US Government had to pay the owner of the station for all the damages.
So far, dollars taken without proper scrutiny by people who should have been involved and American lives put at risk.
The bottom line is this: Americans ARE TIRED OF OUR LEADERS GETTING US INTO WARS AROUND THE PLANET RATHER THAN TAKING CARE OF America. NOBODY HAS AUTHORIZED THE FEDS TO DO THIS. THEY GET US INTO WAR AFTER WAR WITHOUT GOOD REASON WHILE OUR COUNTRY GOES BROKE AND OUR BORDER IS SO UNENFORCED THAT 4,000 ILLEGALS FLOOD ACROSS DAILY.
The reasoning Charlie gave as getting us deeper into that war at the risk of a Soviet Union counterattack? " We had a moral duty " said Charlie.
The American people were used in a way in which they didn't get a chance to decide themselves if the "moral duty" really applied. They had to take Charlie's word for it.
As it all turned out, the Soviet Union fell apart 10 months after they withdrew from Afghanistan, but it may well have done that without a single congressman's crusade that could have put the USA into World War III with the Soviets who could have possibly destroyed our entire country.
Charlie's War should be viewed as something out of history but be cautious in your emotions. One congressman out of 530 or so total took matters into his own hands. Our government isn't supposed to work that way. Thats called Risky Business.
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