One Debate, Three Movies

by Lee Duigon

June 27, 2024

Tonight’s the big “debate,” if you want to call it that: President Donald Trump takes on Zombie Joe Biden on the official Trump-bashing nooze network, CNN. Major-league Trump-basher Jake Tapper will (it only hurts when I laugh) “moderate.” The other moderator is actually named “Bash.” Tonight she’ll try to deserve it.

I offer three classic movies you can watch instead of the debate. All three have a bearing on it; all three might serve as parables to help us understand this event. And all three have happy endings—as if CNN, toward the end of the debate, were to be closed down for building code violations. Don’t hold your breath waiting for a happy ending.

First movie—Shane.

In this classic Western, gunfighter Alan Ladd gets drawn into a feud, humble settlers vs. rich bullying villain of a cattle magnate. Unable to get Shane to come over to his side, he invites the hero to peace talks at the saloon. But it’s really a trap: they mean to kill Shane.

At the last minute, one of the bad guys surrenders to his conscience and warns Shane he’ll be walking into “a stacked deck.” Thus forewarned, Shane has just the edge he needs to turn the tables on the would-be assassins.

Second—Yojimbo.

Toshiro Mifune plays a wandering samurai who decides to help a small town that’s been taken over by gamblers and sex traffickers. First he makes a show of wanting to work for one of the two gangs—and tricks them into wiping out the other gang. But they see through this and lock him up, to be tortured and killed later. One cannot help thinking of the various lawfare campaigns being waged against Trump.

Mifune escapes, recovers his strength, and goes up single-handed against the gang. It’s only one gang now, so he has only twenty or so bad guys to mow down with his sword.

I wonder if Donald Trump has ever seen this movie.

Third—The Devil and Daniel Webster.

Poor Jabez Stone! The Devil has come to collect his soul and pack him off to Hell. Ah! But he has Daniel Webster for his friend and neighbor, and the great orator will try to save him.

Webster demands a trial. Once again suckered in by his overweening pride—and maybe he can grab Daniel Webster’s soul while he’s at it—the Devil agrees… provided he can pick the jury. Webster must allow it, and the Devil summons twelve of the most infamous villains in American history for jury duty. Another stacked deck!

But Webster unstacks the deck—by appealing to a common humanity which the jurymen once had and which his eloquence re-awakens. “Not Guilty.” The Devil is defeated.

Could that happen in real life? Could Democrat satraps suddenly find themselves completely out of character, concerned with common decency, the preservation of our Constitutional republic (not “Democracy”!), the welfare of the nation, and simple, ordinary fair play? Will they follow the example of Jabez Stone’s jury?

Or will we first have to find another Daniel Webster?

Well, sometimes movies show us what ought to happen. And we have to take it from there.

I have discussed these and other topics throughout the week on my blog, http://www.leeduigon.com/ . Click the link and drop in for a visit. My articles can also be found at www.chalcedon.edu/ .

E-Mail Lee Duigon: leeduigon@verizon.net