Kubric's Apocalyptic Vision Proves Prophetic: The Uncanny Similarities between Jack D. Ripper and Dubya

Rating: Null/10 (7 March 2003)

Colonel Jack D. Ripper has a problem: in the act of lovemaking, he experiences what he calls a `loss of essence.' It troubles him, as it would any man, so he sets out to find the reason. An observant and intuitive man, he notes that Russians never drink water, and that the fluoridation of water began in 1946, right about the time when the American and Soviet allies had their noisy falling out that ushered in the Cold War. A natural born scientist, he decides to test his hypothesis that fluoridation of water had contaminated his purity of essence by drinking only pure grain alcohol and rainwater. When his `essence' returns, he alone understands the enormity of the evil threat; so, he orders a massive airborne nuclear assault against the Soviets in defense of our god given purity of essence.

I know what you're thinking: Kubrick's apocalyptic imagination is entertaining, but unreal. Or is it? Consider this: it wasn't long after our president got a carpet burn on his forehead while privately gnawing a pretzel in the quiet serenity of the White House that he formulated is `axis of evil' foreign policy. Hmmmm. It makes me wonder if there isn't a connection between this event, similar in many respects to Colonel Ripper's loss of `essence,' and the president's comic book analysis of the world, complete with villains, super villains, and the Almighty's own sword of justice, which, by the way, always takes the shape of the US military.

You see what I mean. Kubrick was right on target with his prescient foray into the realm of chaos theory, where a chain of freak events can lead to world chaos. So, for goodness sake, if you haven't seen the movie, which is pregnant with meaning as regards our current situation with that camel-fornicator from Iraq, crazy as old Nebuchadneezer, you've got to see it now. It's your patriotic duty.