S I G H T S  | review

Alternative America
A new documentary amplifies voices of dissent

by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Several months ago, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks created a controversy when she told a concert crowd that she was ashamed to come from the same state as George W. Bush. It may have played well in England, but it went over poorly in the states. If anyone had thought for a second that country music fans under the sway of Shania Twain or Faith Hill had forsaken their conservative values of God and country, they were wrong. Suddenly, flag-waving Americans were tossing Dixie Chick albums in the nearest dumpster and demanding that the band’s singles be pulled from radio playlists.

These protests received plenty of media attention, but they were not, obviously, reflective of the views of all Americans.  Prior to the start of the war with Iraq, hundreds of thousands of war protesters demonstrated in small and large cities across America. Once the war started, however, the media paid less attention to the dissenters. Those who backed President Bush took up the "Support Our Troops" rallying cry and accused everyone else of being unpatriotic. It’s an accusation that has been hurled repeatedly since Sept. 11, making it no wonder that many Americans have learned to keep their mouths shut. 

That isn’t the case for a small group of left-leaning editors and activists who have never been known to keep silent — especially when most of the country is marching in step. In the 52-minute documentary film Other American Voices, Noam Chomsky, the renowned social critic and MIT linguistics professor; Katrina van den Heuvel, editor of The Nation; Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!; and others, expound on the Bush administration’s assault on civil liberties and rights following Sept. 11 and dissect what they see as the real problems with America. Filmed in 2002 by Corinna Belz and Neil Hollander, Other American Voices alters between interviews and film footage of the World Trade Center site, unfurling at a leisurely pace that allows these “other voices’ to be heard. 

These participants never sound like unruly radicals. Chomsky, known for his far-reaching left-wing views, comes across as mild-mannered and polite. Each participant considers him or herself patriotic, with qualifications: They’re patriotic to American ideals and fundamentals of the Constitution, not to a particular government. The ability to dissent, and to check and challenge government power, fall within the Jeffersonian tradition and is the highest form of patriotism, though fear — in the face of possible terrorist attacks, Justice Department crackdowns, and calls to “get behind the president” — has squelched dissent in the United States. 

“If you’re not waving your flag or professing your patriotism in the acceptable way,” says Beth K. Lamont of the American Humanist Society, “you are suspect.”

The directors juxtapose interview footage with scenes of the massive clean-up effort where the World Trade Center towers once stood. These sections lack narration, allowing the viewer to soak in the sheer size of the disaster and the enormous amount of labor necessary to remove all traces of destruction. Massive machines — bulldozers, dump trucks, cranes — fill scene after scene, demolishing, shoveling and loading. Workers direct traffic, probe underground pockets with cameras, and gather together for memorial services. Despite the overwhelming sense of loss, these sections capture a resilience represented by the workers’ efforts to remove the debris and cart it all away. They don’t seem afraid or dejected, only determined to do the work at hand. 

Other American Voices’ somber mood becomes more ominous as the film progresses. Two overlapping problems that place restraints on American democracy are identified: First, the same fear that has led many Americans to keep mum in the aftermath of Sept. 11 has produced a similar quieting effect on the mainstream press. Heuvel notes that the press “”was cowed, was cowardly, was scared to speak, to report, to give voice to those dissenting” in the wake of the attacks. Instead of raising questions about why American security failed, the press concentrated on human-interest stories. The same lack of substance marked press coverage during the war in Afghanistan. Goodman complains that journalists, whom she calls “news faces,” rode in tanks and helicopters when they should’ve been on the ground “letting us know what it feels like to be a target.”

More disturbing are the policies initiated by the U.S. Justice Department. Hundreds of immigrants have been detained and denied basic rights like attorney-client privilege. “Ashcroft is using 9/11 to put forward many propositions that Congress has rejected in the past,” notes defense attorney Jerry Lefcourt. With the passage of the Patriot Act and the billions of dollars being poured into Homeland Security, many fear that spying on American citizens is inevitable. A sneak-and-peak search, legalized under the Patriot Act, allows federal authorities to obtain permission to enter homes without evidence of probable cause, and only later is the homeowner notified that a search has been conducted. 

“I think we are in danger of another McCarthy period,” notes Fellowship magazine editor Richard Deats, “and Sen. McCarthy is John Ashcroft.”

The combination of intelligent interviews and quiet moments merges into a thoughtful documentary on contemporary U.S. politics. Belz and Hollander succeed by allowing the participants to talk at length, eschewing sound bites or excessive framing of content. Yes, the documentary will comfort liberals who feel isolated by the current crises. Yes, there are a number of smart people who love America, but who are appalled at recent actions by the Bush administration. But the cumulative effect of the film is stifling. All of the predictions voiced by those who warned against the nomination of Ashcroft are in the process of coming true. Other American Voices does allow a minority view to come forward, but it also confirms this minority’s worst fears.

Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. writes about music and nonfiction film for Documentary Films.net, PopMatters.com, Dirty Linen and Sing Out! His previous articles can be found here.

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View more information for Other American Voices here.