A Marine's Best friend

Is a rifle, and the Marine at his left and at his right.

This scene in avatar is a discussion between the Mercenary Corps two signified Marines. In the beginning of the movie they start out as some what friends, seeing as they both had a bond shared in a tightly packed brotherhood. This friendships dissolves as each one goes their own way with the ideals of how Pandora should be treated. However at this moment in time Jake is relaying reconnaissance information to the former colonel in case the need for more violent actions to be taken against the resident tribe of Pandora.

The politics represented here are almost anti military. The way the scene develops, despite Jake's time spent with the indigenous people, he continues to relay information to his mercenary corporation commander knowing what it would be used for. He is a former Marine who is without morals and acting on machine like qualities of a trained killer, to follow orders no matter their opinion. This gives off the vibe to the viewers that Marines do not always do whats right, and despite the possibility of killing thousands, they continue with the mission because command says so. It also shows that the military members only have one job, to destroy. That they have no comprehension of how to take care of situations with diplomatic means.

People who cannot understand or be part of the military often fantasize what it must be like. This movie bridges that gap temporarily by showing how a briefing would look like, and how the mentality of leaders and followers are developed in the chain of command. With the data table displaying the Navi's home, it takes a strike at their intelligence, showing that the only reason that they are being 'friends' with the Navi is so that they can find their weaknesses and cripple them into submission. This is shown through the reactions the movie portrays. Giving Jake a sullen face, with a slight notion of grief, yet he continues to give what the colonel wants. The colonel only wants tactical information to destroy the tribe, rather than any other means of diplomacy. This ideology tries to argue to the viewer that marines are bad, they have no will to stand up for what is right.

By showing viewers their picture of what a military brief looks and sounds like, it argues what the military isn't. It does not seek diplomacy, they have no means of becoming allies with foreigners who dispute their beliefs and all marines follow orders, no matter the cost. This is all gathered in the private mind, as you wonder what its like to be in that fantasy world of a big shouldered gun wielding commando. Publically it tries to play on the history narratives of great wars across American pioneering. How our military destroyed the Indians and other cultures in order to further outs into distant lands. That when we want something, we take it.