Re: Well....maybe not...

Posted by Major Paul from 204.208.30.165 on July 25, 1998 at 23:13:22:

In Reply to: Re: Well....maybe not... posted by Mack on July 24, 1998 at 23:49:34:

: : I'm going to disagree with you on this one,

: : I always thought that the Government stuck it in that place because they didn't care about it. Look at the scene in the college at the beginning when they see the picture, they don't believe it. But they do want to get one over Hitler, which is why they ask Indy to go get the Ark (if they had viewed it as a danger, surely they would have sent the military to get the thing)

: : So when they finally get hold of it, it means nothing to them. They don't know anything about it and just assume it's a nice relic (after all, Hitler had been obsessed with religious artifacts, so maybe it was just suppsoed to look nice nad not have a function) and Indy's final comment remarking that they 'don't know what they're dealing with' shows that the military know nothing about the Ark's purpose or abilitiy. The only people alive who do were Marion and Indy. So the Government just puts it away with the other junk they have no use for. Maybe a few weapons and things, but more likely just bits and pieces.

: : If the Governement considered itsuch a great weapon, they would have used it. But they didn't. It might be a combination of both theories, but I think you over estimate the competence of the military considering thier attitude elsewhere in the film.

: : Phil.

Phil,
The soldiers who volunteered for the mission in "Clear and Present Danger" were not Marines. They were, in the film, volunteers from U.S. Army Special Forces units. In the original book, they were volunteers from the light infantry divisions of the U.S. Army, specifically the 7th Division at Fort Ord, CA (now deactivated) and the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. -MP

: I don't think so. You say that if they were interested they would have used military force? No they wouldn't. America was not yet at war with the Axis powers. Not only that, but they were trying to avoid WW2 altogether. They would not a start a big military operation over something like this. That would aggrevate Hitler into declaring war with everyone. But, one little covert operation of one man who OFFICIALLY doesn't have anything to do with the U.S. military could do the job. Especially if we had a notorious specialist in, say, archaeology doing it. This is where Indiana Jones comes in. His job was to work as a lone man obssessed with finding the Ark. He may be being paid by the CIA, but he never OFFICIALLY worked for the government. It's the same kind of deal where, in Clear and Present Danger (another excellent Ford movie) all the Marines had to remove there dog tags before starting their anti-drug campaign. It's called "plausible deniability," folks. It's good thing none of our congressman found out about the little skirmish. If they had, there would have been big hearing that would get the CIA as well as some higher ups in Washington into some very hot water for almost provoking war with the Germans. All the more reason to keep the Ark under raps, huh? To say that the Ark meant nothing to the government is a bunch of crap. If it didn't, they wouldn't have risked all of the afforementioned.

: Mack

Follow Ups:

Re: Well....maybe not... Mack 01:43:28 7/26/98 (1)
- Facts Major Paul 17:00:06 7/27/98 (0)

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: : : I'm going to disagree with you on this one,

: : : I always thought that the Government stuck it in that place because they didn't care about it. Look at the scene in the college at the beginning when they see the picture, they don't believe it. But they do want to get one over Hitler, which is why they ask Indy to go get the Ark (if they had viewed it as a danger, surely they would have sent the military to get the thing)

: : : So when they finally get hold of it, it means nothing to them. They don't know anything about it and just assume it's a nice relic (after all, Hitler had been obsessed with religious artifacts, so maybe it was just suppsoed to look nice nad not have a function) and Indy's final comment remarking that they 'don't know what they're dealing with' shows that the military know nothing about the Ark's purpose or abilitiy. The only people alive who do were Marion and Indy. So the Government just puts it away with the other junk they have no use for. Maybe a few weapons and things, but more likely just bits and pieces.

: : : If the Governement considered itsuch a great weapon, they would have used it. But they didn't. It might be a combination of both theories, but I think you over estimate the competence of the military considering thier attitude elsewhere in the film.

: : : Phil.

: Phil,
: The soldiers who volunteered for the mission in "Clear and Present Danger" were not Marines.  They were, in the film, volunteers from U.S. Army Special Forces units.  In the original book, they were volunteers from the light infantry divisions of the U.S. Army, specifically the 7th Division at Fort Ord, CA (now deactivated) and the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. -MP

: : I don't think so. You say that if they were interested they would have used military force? No they wouldn't. America was not yet at war with the Axis powers. Not only that, but they were trying to avoid WW2 altogether. They would not a start a big military operation over something like this. That would aggrevate Hitler into declaring war with everyone. But, one little covert operation of one man who OFFICIALLY doesn't have anything to do with the U.S. military could do the job. Especially if we had a notorious specialist in, say, archaeology doing it. This is where Indiana Jones comes in. His job was to work as a lone man obssessed with finding the Ark. He may be being paid by the CIA, but he never OFFICIALLY worked for the government. It's the same kind of deal where, in Clear and Present Danger (another excellent Ford movie) all the Marines had to remove there dog tags before starting their anti-drug campaign. It's called "plausible deniability," folks. It's good thing none of our congressman found out about the little skirmish. If they had, there would have been big hearing that would get the CIA as well as some higher ups in Washington into some very hot water for almost provoking war with the Germans. All the more reason to keep the Ark under raps, huh? To say that the Ark meant nothing to the government is a bunch of crap. If it didn't, they wouldn't have risked all of the afforementioned.

: : Mack

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