Response to Question#3

Rating: 8/10 (19 December 2007)

The French man represents the French government. The French economic interests in Vietnam cared little for civil liberties just as he cared little for the welfare of the players he recruited. Their eyes were only on the profit; no matter what the cost was to others. In America's attempt to keep a safeguard against communism, by preventing the domino effect in protecting the French allies, they paid the bulk of the price with the sacrifice of American soldier's lives. Nicky's (the American soldier) good-hearted attempt to protect and provide for the future of the one's he loved back home, proved trivial in his downfall as it took away what home wanted most which was to have Nicky back. Thousand s of young draftees came back from the war changed or not at all. In the end Nicky's effort shown through money wasn't even useful to injured Steve, just as the American soldiers' death did not gain any progress in Vietnam. More Americans died in the war than the French, just as the middleman simply exchanged the cash and was never really in any danger himself as he did nothing of consequence or influence. The French caused a draft of American soldiers like the Russian Roulette French man drafted players to their unnecessary deaths; all for the game of global economics. Had the French given up what was not theirs, being hypocrites in a "post-imperialist" World War II world, the Americans would not have had to die helping their friends to stay alive financially, which is like if the French man had not kept Nicky in the game (even though it was obvious to anyone with soul that Nicky needed out if he was going to survive), Nicky would not have shot himself in the fruitless attempts of trying to financially assist his friends in Clairton. The French man is the embodiment of imperialist greed.