Had someone come to me last month and told me they believed the world would be a better place in six years, I would have assumed the person was hopelessly out of touch or on drugs. If someone were to come to me today with the same prediction, I would have to agree -- and not because I’ve discovered happy pills. The change in outlook came after seeing “2012 The Odyssey,” a film that explores what’s going to happen in 2012, the year the Mayan calendar ends.  Continued...

In Eugene Jarecki’s powerful documentary “Why We Fight,” pedestrians are randomly approached on the street and asked, “Why do we fight?” Like well-trained patriots, they respond, “We fight for freedom,” “Ideals,” “What we believe in ...” For those of us who remember all the times we have been mislead into war with words like “freedom” and “democracy,” this is a painful reminder that the government propaganda machine is as effective as ever.  Continued..