By Lyn Longo

The film ‘World’s Greatest Enemy’ was a triumph. The huge audience at the Capri Cinema Goodwood as Derek Burke predicted ‘had our eyes opened.’ The viewers of all ages spent 2 hours being educated on the power and immorality of the US military machine. The visuals of the vastness of the equipment, armaments, planes, ships and submarines were astounding and terrifying. I was horrified by the mindless pollution, the global power, the exemption from counting their emissions when dealing with climate change and the bare-faced lies told to continue its dominance.

It was particularly vile that the military poisons its own soldiers, to say nothing of the innocent citizens dying from drinking polluted water, breathing polluted air and eating food grown in polluted soil if they live near a military base. How can a government ignore the still births, cancers, dreadful diseases and radiation poisoning this malevolent machine causes?

I was also dumbfounded that the US military wield such power in sovereign countries. It is a mini country within a foreign nation with the United States trampling on human rights, destroying the environment and violently opposing any local protests.

After the movie, three inspirational women managed the Q and A. The film maker Abby Martin, Kirsty Bevan from the Conservation Council and Melanie Selwood from the Greens were articulate, knowledgeable and sincere. Excellent and demanding questions from the well-informed audience were handled impressively with humour and compassion.

I left the cinema with the desire to tell everyone about the experience. I felt crushed by the power of this evil empire, but hopeful that there are progressive activists like these three women and the protesters in the film to enable us, working together to prevail. Some of Abby’s last words remain and resonate….’Sue their arses off!’