I was a very young airman in Germany when I had an opportunity to see Sean Connery in the first of his 007 spy movies. Dr. No (1962) whet my appetite for this rugged looking actor doing exciting and exotic things in international settings.
For me at the time, going to the movies on base was a weekly activity that allowed me to see so many great movies produced in that decade. Before I left for home, I had to the opportunity to also see From Russia with Love (1963) and admire the special acting characteristics displayed by Connery, who went on to become an icon of the screen.
The 007 series with Sean Connery as the star continued with Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), Diamonds are Forever (1971) and Never Say Never (1983). One of the intriguing aspects of the movies was the 007 designation.
The 007 label gave the protagonist a license to kill as part of his service to the British Empire. The idea of killing enemies and not be charged or prosecuted is an intriguing concept.
Reminiscent of the 007 movies, Donald Trump is claiming the same kind of power as part of being President of the United States. It appears that being guilty of other “high crimes and misdemeanors” such as insurrection and fraud while being in office is not enough.
He also wants to add murder to his portfolio. The expressed notion actually began as part of a political stunt during his successful run for the presidency in 2016 when said that, “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose votes.”
Now Trump argument of affirming full immunity while being President covers actual killings of his political oppo- nents among others. In fact, his attorney agreed that the President should be able to send US Navy SEAL Team 6 to assassinate folks.
This brand of absolute power is very much in the style of dictators who find murder as a convenient tool that facilitates staying in power. A current example of the sinister practice appears to be employed by President Putin of Russia whose political opponents are poisoned or fall to their deaths out of windows.
Currently there is a large number of low-budget narco movies that I see on TV in Spanish. They are mini action productions that seem to spend minimum time on the buying and selling of the product.
Rather, they concentrate on the relationships of the families running the businesses and the fights for control of territories that they call “plazas.” The strongest depictions that these cheap movies present are the gunfights for the sake of vengeance and what they call “ajuste de cuentas,” a kind of payback.
It occurs to me that this is the political and cultural world that former President Trump is attempting to fashion and sell to the American people in his campaign for another turn at being President. The irony is that our southern borders is full of refugees from countries that are acting out that kind of smallness in partisan vision like that of banana republics with dictators that wants to use their people as purveyors of their every whim.
Donald Trump had an opportunity to pick up a gun to defend our way of life in Vietnam. He refused that service to the country.
Now he insists on that authority so that he can kill his personal enemies. That is more like a Mafia Don than 007.
The views expressed by David Conde are not necessarily the views of laVozColorado. Comments and responses may be directed to news@lavozcolorado.com.
