Is This Change Or Revolution?

"Hope… I’m sorry, but I don’t want be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible. Jew, gentile… black man, white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each others happiness, not by each others misery. We don’t want to hate or despise one another. In this world, there is room for everyone and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful. But we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men’s souls. Has barricaded the world with hate. Has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness; hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent… and all will be lost. The airplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men. Cries out for universal brotherhood; for the unity of us all. Even now, my voice is reaching millions throughout the world. Millions of despairing men, women, and little children. Victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me, I say, do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed. The bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of man will pass and dictators die. And the power they took from the people will return to the people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.

Soldiers! Don’t give yourselves to brutes. Men who despise you; enslaved you. Who regiment your lives. Tell you what to do, what to think, and what to feel. Who drill you, diet you, treat you like cattle. Use you as cannon-fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men. Machine men; with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not machines. You are not cattle. You are men. You have the love of humanity in your hearts. You don’t hate… only the unloved hate. The unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers, don’t fight for slavery. Fight for liberty. In the 17th chapter of saint Luke it is written, “The kingdom of god is within man. Not one man nor a group of men, but in all men.” In you, you the people have the power. The power to create machines. The power to create happiness. You the people have the power to make this life free and beautiful. To make this life a wonderful adventure. Then in the name of democracy, let us use that power. Let us all unite. Let us fight for a new world. A decent world; that will give men a chance to work. That will give youth a future and old age a security. By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie… they do not fulfill that promise; they never will. Dictators free themselves, but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to fulfill that promise. Let us fight to free the world. To do away with national barriers. To do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let us fight for a world of reason. A world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers, in the name of democracy, let us all unite!

Can you hear me? Where ever you are, look up. The clouds are lifting. The sun is breaking through. We are coming out of the darkness and into the light. We are coming into a new world, a kindlier world. Where men will rise above their hate, their greed, and brutality. Look up... The soul of man has been given wings and at last, he is beginning to fly. He is flying into the rainbow… into the light of hope… into the future... the glorious future. That belongs to you, to me, and to all of us. Look up! Look up… "



In my opinion, this monologue from Charles Chaplin's last film "The Great Dictator" is the most powerful, timeless, and simply the greatest speech in all of cinematic history. I was reminded of the astounding effect this had on my approach to my film work and politics during the last presidential election.

I don't give any notice to someone's beliefs, statements, ideology, causes, investments, or how they vote. The fact is that unless a nuclear winter occurs, Barack Obama will go down as one of the top ten best United States Presidents of all time... and a good part of that is due to George W. Bush. Who is without a doubt, one of the top three worst presidents of all time; along with Hoover and Harding. I am proud that the candidate I voted for is making such a big impact on American history because I have had more than my share of opinions and problems with our government. I do still have tentative plans to move overseas in the future. However, for the first time in my life, I'm proud to call myself an American... as cheesy or cliche as that may sound.

Alright, that is the only take on my political views that I will voice in this blog...