Wag The Dog (1997)

 

Wag The Dog

       

       In our modern day and age it's almost quaint to see the concerns of the characters in this film and the lengths to which they'll go to ensure that they maintain a good face in spite of some properly damning evidence.  It is very well known nowadays that the government interferes with what information the public is allowed to see, and while a lot of these ideas used to be considered conspiracy they now seem at least somewhat more reasonable.  Amusingly enough, when I was discussing this film with my father after viewing it, he informed me that it was based on the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal that broke the news very soon after the release of the film.  Amusingly enough, Patti Aliventi's article about the film directly addresses this controversy and cleared up my confusion on the matter, but I find it very interesting to note just how public perception and timing can completely change the context of a film.  Almost to the point of the movie to some degree, improper context and I'm sure external influences at the time led many people to believe the film was about a controversy that it had absolutely nothing to do with.

       I believe that leaders could very easily use technology like this at the time, and it's especially unnerving to think about the fact that we are almost 30 years from the 1997 release of the film.  Technology has advanced dramatically, and while many people do have unwarranted concerns about the use of technology it is essential to note just how much technology is used in our day-to-day lives.  Social media is one of the most important aspects of many peoples' lives, and with the private nature of these platforms people can push specific agendas in a forum that may foster and support these notions.  It's easier than ever to find misinformation and to become deeply engrained in rabbit holes entirely filled with falsehoods, and these echo chambers nurture many ideas that can end up being hateful or misleading to the public.

       As a society it is our job to be careful about how we use our technology, and to hold our leaders accountable for their misgivings in terms of information on these platforms.  The grand divide in our political culture allows for deep seeded untruths to be spread like wildfire on both sides, which lead to people becoming more and more jaded and hateful towards the other side.  Avoiding the pitfalls of these corners of the internet can allow an individual to ensure they don't become one of these hateful people, but it remains important to stay up to date on events.  Keeping perspectives and biases in mind when reading news is essential for truly forming original opinions on political topics like those seen in the film.