Stephen Gloria Guisando BS MATHEMATICS – II November 25, 2022

Fundamentals of Peace Education (FPE 101 B1-3)

A Reaction Paper on the Movie "Argo" (2012)
I recall watching Argo soon after its debut. It was like watching a Bond movie—a classic espionage
thriller with teeth-grinding action that pushes you right to the edge of your seat—when I was young
and unsure of what career path I intended. Despite this, the movie was incredibly exciting to me.
I haven't really thought about the movie or seen it again since then—until we were told to watch
it and write a reaction paper. As a result, when it was brought up, I felt as though a memory had
been awakened. I was anxious to watch it again as I recalled being amazed. I was eager to see it
again, especially in light of how my goals have changed and how I will now interpret it.
To say the movie was fantastic would be an understatement; both as the director and the lead actor,
Ben Affleck gives a fantastic performance of storytelling. The fact that the movie accurately
portrayed the events of the Iranian hostage crisis made it even more interesting because it was
based on a true story in diplomatic history. After watching the movie, I experienced a sudden burst
of inspiration, and I went to bed certain that I wanted to work in the field of international
relations—not because of the field itself or because of the action scenes, but rather because of the
enormous cooperation between organizations and states. It teaches us that the best interests can be
served, that every choice should be carefully evaluated, and that every variable must be taken into
account. It also teaches us to make compromises for everyone.
Lester Siegel, a well-known producer in the movie, observed, "History begins as farce and ends as
tragedy." Ironically, the comment he made was true even though the character was entirely
imaginary and wasn't truly involved in the Iranian hostage situation. The people who suffered were
only the victims of foreign involvement and years of domestic strife in Iran, which were decades
in the making. This makes me think of the African proverb, "When elephants fight, the grass
suffers."
Nobody in the US Embassy or its employees was at fault. It wasn't the protesters' fault. The former
were only carrying out their duties as American diplomats at the time, and the latter were primarily
driven by their conflicts with and antipathy toward the West, which was actually neither of their
faults. I will be completely honest: I don't really like the USA. Although they frequently serve as
examples of freedom and democracy, they are also infamous for their excessive consumption and
unwarranted intrusion. They exhibit war-criminal tendencies for a government that calls itself the
International Police.
Although they didn't plan to start such a large-scale conflict, I wouldn't claim that the US caused
the Iranian Revolution. But I will say that if it weren't for their planned coup and their intervention,
there wouldn't have been a revolution in the first place. The US actively backed the Pahlavi regime,
which led to the White Revolution and the imposition of Western values on a Muslim nation while
also promoting economic prosperity. Naturally, this increased Muslim animosity toward the
United States and, of course, the CIA, which worked with MI6 to plan the coup.
Perhaps the "white savior" mentality should be held responsible for all of this instead of the US.
The persistent need of the West to impose itself on the world has already resulted in a great deal
of bloodshed, and this is nothing new. The West has been interfering and enforcing for ages.
Numerous notable Western voyages that attempted to "civilize" the world when it wasn't even
necessary are documented in history. The West has historically colonized many nations on both
the left and the right; examples include the British Raj in India and the US invasion of Afghanistan.
One could claim that such historical occurrences are connected to the struggle for dominance. The
struggle for power is perhaps an issue that plagues wars, regimes, revolutions, and the white savior
complex throughout history.
Jack O'Donnell, Tony Mendez's boss in the movie, commented, "If we wanted applause, we would
have joined the circus." This sentence struck a chord with me so deeply that I think it ought to be
ingrained in one's work ethic. While it is gratifying to be acknowledged for the work we do,
especially in government, we should also remember that working shouldn't depend on
acknowledgment. If we put our souls into the work we do, I think recognition will come our way
when we least expect it. Additionally, it adds humanity to what we do. Cooperation was essential
to facilitating their safe escape, as was made clear in Argo, and without the existing trust between
Canada and the United States, it would not have been conceivable.
Relationships are essential in the field of diplomacy and international affairs. This camaraderie
played a significant role in ensuring the six's safety, as was evident in Argo. This exhibits that
diplomacy is more complicated than mere representation. It is building long-lasting ties that
promote positive interactions between nations and their people for years to come.
I was genuinely surprised by Argo's portrayal of the importance of international ties and
cooperation. That's how I interpreted it: issues arise and disappear, thus solving them is crucial.
Managing them, however, is a completely different matter.
It is crucial that reaching a compromise be in the best interests of the majority, if not all, parties
involved. Additionally, I've come to understand that every action in this world has a different
result, particularly in the realm of international relations. We must be cautious in how we handle
these consequences and remember that there are many aspects to take into consideration while
coming up with solutions and handling them.