[Hugin]

New York Times film critic A.O. Scott has indicted the film as political propaganda: "The politics of the Iraq war are entirely absent, which is a political statement in its own right," he declared. "And though George W. Bush's name is never invoked, 'American Sniper' can be seen as an expression of nostalgia for his Manichaean approach to foreign policy."

Really? I do not think it means what you think it means.

Man·i·chae·an noun \ˌma-nə-ˈkē-ən\\ˈma-nə-ˌkē\

1: a believer in a syncretistic religious dualism originating in Persia in the third century a.d. and teaching the release of the spirit from matter through asceticism

2: a believer in religious or philosophical dualism

[tubalcane]

It’s the dualistic thing they’re latching onto, and though Manicheanism means more than that, it’s become a standard ancient reference, like Philistinism. Bush the Younger did say something about “you’re either with us or you’re with the terrorists” shortly after 9/11 to Congress, so there’s some justice to it. Of course, you could impute the same dualism to Obama, Clinton, Carter, or most any modern leader. Because that’s how we talk now. We don’t say you’ve stained my honor or I want your stuff. We say you’re evil and we’re the force of light.

[zeestephen]

In my experience, modern usage of “Manichean” means arbitrarily judging every person or event as good or evil, without any possibility of compromise.

And, in my historical judgment, it’s the only way to fight a successful war.