Internationally Speaking (IS) is a historically significant and wonderfully presented wake-up call to Americans who refuse to see America from a global perspective.
Christine Rose dares to tread where America's arrogant angels will not. "IS" is an unspun character witness of prior and, in particular, this Bush administration's foreign policy. Rose asks simple questions of ordinary citizens around the planet. She asks regular folks, what do you think of America? These folks, in return, offer profound commentary worthy of consideration by ALL Americans.
Rose's "One Earth" introductory theme sets, perfectly, the context of "IS." The "One Earth" musical introduction to her documentary will draw you into a beautiful world many seldom enter. The music and lyrics warm one's heart as the mind's eye is opened or opened, perhaps, just a bit wider.
What Rose does not do is as important as what she does do with this documentary. Rose does not ask politicians, our own or others', what they think about America. Rose does ask various domestic and foreign citizens and activists what they think about America. Rose reminds us that here, in America, the government is "We the People," at least in theory and by Constitutional decree.
In no sense does Rose give way to capricious "political correctness."
Rose allows respondents a refreshingly total freedom to respond. No lead-in or trap door questions are presented.
IS presents a resultant "drumbeat" of prevailing perspectives on the current state of America's foreign policy. Between beats, Rose offers various historians and activists a bit of air time they are ill-afforded in today's mainstream media.
Internationally Speaking gives voice, even to a few of America's own loud but unheard voices; voices effectively quelled by our mainstream media. For example, do you know who James Zelton and Medea Benjamin are? Do you know their stories? I didn't think so.
How the world views America may or may not surprise you, but... what will surprise you is how incredibly close the world watches and, subsequently, characterizes America.
One's rose-colored perception of one's own moral character is not necessarily how others view that same one's moral character. Which view, really, is more important? More universally accurate?
So it goes with nations.
Christine Rose's "Internationally Speaking" takes the rose out of the rose-colored glasses we all tend to wear.
