Essay/Term paper: Movie: the caine mutiny - evaluating the performance of a government

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Political Science

Movie: The Caine Mutiny - Evaluating the Performance of a Government


Governments are an essential and important part to our everyday life,
and without, there would be no control or leadership. Governments are
sanctioned to constitute and systemize the interrelationships of the people with
their divisional bounds, the relations of the people of the community as a whole,
and the arrangements of the community with other political entities. In the
movie, "The Caine Mutiny", a form of government plays an important role to
everybody aboard the ship. There were certain hardships with the configuration
of the government, and in this case, the government was the captain. Although
the captain didn't go directly against the Naval Regulations, the crew thought
that he was incapable of holding this position as captain. With all of this
happening, it was hard for the sailors aboard the ship to appreciate the form of
government and their leader.
The constitution for many countries, hold the rules (may be written, or
not written) to which a government must obey. In this scenario, the Naval
Regulations were intended to be followed upon and consented to. If a government
is fulfilling its basic functions, then it is properly following the
constitution, but if it isn't ensuing the constitution, then the fundamental
purposes aren't being achieved. Within the constitution, there is power granted
to impeach the leader if he/she is not implementing their primary services. In
the movie, we see captain Queeg as one who is incompetent of achieving his job
as the leader. Captain Queeg can be easily compared with Charles III—king of
England during the Revolutionary War. He was old, and powerful, and with
authority, but also wrong. Captain's new position angered many sailors aboard
the old battle ship with his strict and reserved mannerisms, and the way he
handled many situations gave the sailors fair reason to be easily infuriated.
Overall Queeg portrayed a very futile leader as head of the government on the
ship.
There are many possible risks that one can come upon if they decide to
change governments. There is always the risk of a failed government which could
be at the worst disadvantage to anyone and everyone. Once a government fails,
it can easily be trampled over and picked upon by another country. The power
can be lost by everyone in their country and can be difficult to gain back. The
change in governments can also effect the people of the country, because it will
most likely be at a disadvantage to some people because not everyone is easily
satisfied. The support of people in a country can readily be lost and gone
forever.
One of the sailors, Stillwell, was faced with a difficult situation when
he was given contradicting orders by captain Queeg and officer Maryk. Stillwell
opted to choose Maryk's orders, because he obviously thought that he was more of
an effective leader. Officer Maryk thought that Queeg was not following the
Naval Regulations and felt that he had the power as stated in the constitution
to overtake captain Queeg's position. Even when taken to court, officer Maryk
was found not guilty of what he had done.
In today's world, we see countries establishing new governments. They
can be either at an advantage or disadvantage to their country, depending upon
the change. An example of one that has had positive results would be that of
East Germany. Before their change, they were holding a communist government,
but presently with West Germany they now hold a federal republic government.
This has helped begin the diminishing of the communist governments and a
definite advantage. Also in Russia, although they aren't completely non-
communist, they are becoming more of a democratic society. The Cuban Prime
Minister, Fidel Castro, has shown how a change in government can give negative
results. Castro seized power when the government of Fulgencio Batista collapsed,
and he openly embraced communism. His dictatorship has shown no evidence of a
successful government and in turn has shown poor consequences.
Governments of all withhold many and various types. What may work for
one country, may never work for another. There is really no one to say what
type of government is right and what type is wrong, it's what works best for
each country. However, it's unfortunate that there are countries that have to
deal with immoral leaders who make the wrong choices and decisions. As learned
in "The Caine Mutiny", there is power given to make a change. Although it may
not always be the right thing to do, it will definitely give a learning
experience and may help mold the government to a more successful type.