"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness" This sentence has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language" and "the most potent and consequential words in American history".

This sentence also forms the bedrock through which the constitution of the United States has been interpreted and lastly came to represent for many people a moral standard for which the United States should strive.
Now why am I saying all this. I watched the movie "Green Zone" today. The movie gives a deep insight as to what ails the decision making in the United States. What better example than the Iraq war fought by the Obama's predecessor the Bush administration. It raises some disturbing questions for which there are no easy answers.

So when George Bush by an executive order attacks Iraq looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and then pumps his fist in the air on board an USS navy ship uttering those famously infamous words "Mission Accomplished" What exactly did his mission accomplish?

In Green Zone, Matt Damon plays the role of the chief warrant officer (CWO) Roy Miller with the US Army who returns empty handed each time he raids the supposed WMD sites based on actionable intel that is given to him. Miller is flabbergasted as to how can the intelligence go wrong each time or there is something which more than meets the eye.

Even reputed newspapers like "The New York Times" have their credibility stained when their reporter just publishes the news articles about WMD without verifying the source just because it was handed to her by a senior US Administration official.

I haven't seen "Hurt Locker" however this movie really does make you think about the sequence of events that led to the Iraq war. Were the US public misled by their President that the United States was justified in attacking Iraq.

"Liberty" maybe one of the founding principles of the US constitution but what is the US really doing to promote it in other parts of the world.

It still remains cosy with military in Pakistan turning a blind eye in lieu for its co-operation in the so called War on Terror. Its pally with Saudi Arabia and China. One is a monarchy and the other is a communist country with a terrible human rights record. Not to forget about the junta in Myanmar which has been holding Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for so many years.

I have been a fan of Matt Damon's Bourne series. This movie comes from the same Director Paul Greengrass. The storyline is credible, action scenes are taut, the witty dialogues and overall the message. My favorites:

Sergeant: "We are here to do our job, reasons don't matter".
Roy Miller's response: "It matters to me".

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence)
(Image courtesy: http://www.startribune.com/photos/?c=y&img=1greenzone0321.jpg)