Can illegal acts be committed for the benefit of the nation?_Frost vs Nixon(2008, directed by Ron Howard).

 

 

David Frost (1939–2013) was a British television host, journalist, and author.

In 1962, he was selected as the host of a satire program, which sparked a satire boom and led to his role as a host on American TV.

From 1969 to 2008, he interviewed all eight U.S. presidents who served during that period.

The film “Frost vs Nixon” (2008) is based on the actual interview with President Nixon in 1977.

It is planned at the intersection of Nixon’s desire to restore his honor and Frost’s ambition to advance his career.

Adapted from a play by British playwright Peter Morgan, Ron Howard portrays President Nixon’s inner world with profound psychological reflection.

Ron Howard’s dramatic direction, which includes deep insights into the responsibilities of power and faithful reproduction of facts, immerses the audience and receives praise from critics.

Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, reprising their stage roles in the film, realistically express the inner worlds of the seasoned politician and the worldly host.

The theater legend Frank Langella and rising method actor Michael Sheen embody the characters of Frost and Nixon, delivering a breathtaking acting duel.

 

 

In the summer of 1977, the largest audience in the history of American news programs gathered in front of their TVs.

When Nixon, who had remained silent for three years, began to speak about his time in office and the truth about the Watergate scandal, 45 million people tuned in.

Over four weeks of interviews with Nixon, Frost’s quest to uncover the truth about Watergate clashed with Nixon’s efforts to downplay the scandal.

Nixon deftly responded to Frost’s sharp, serious questions about Watergate and the Vietnam War by highlighting his diplomatic achievements.

While Frost symbolized the British charm, sociability, and cheerfulness, Nixon’s witty and humorous political acumen stood out.

The UK and the US are seen as fateful rivals and symbols, destined to engage in a subconscious and conscious battle over the legacy of Roman law.

When Frost failed to extract an apology in previous interviews, he launched a final offensive, based on extensive research, targeting a lonely and vulnerable Nixon who had lost his power.

He cornered Nixon by hinting at specific evidence related to the legal fees of those involved in Watergate and additional illegal activities.

Nixon, devastated by Frost’s unexpected counterattack, admitted his involvement in Watergate and apologized.

Despite showing respect to the fallen Nixon, Frost asked whether a president could commit illegal acts for the nation’s benefit.

The seasoned politician Nixon, having emptied his mind, replied politically, “If the president does it, it means it is not illegal.”

This response hinted at the dangerous boundary of the president’s legal responsibility for governance and policy decisions for the country’s benefit.

The controversy over whether illegal acts can be committed for the nation’s benefit remains a current political issue.

 

 

 

 

Addressing political issues is not easy, but historical facts bring us closer to the substantive truth.

In 1966, to end the Vietnam War early, the U.S. Army increased its presence in Vietnam. However, as the U.S. forces, vulnerable to guerrilla warfare, suffered heavy casualties, anti-war sentiment grew.

In the midterm elections, the Democratic Party lost a significant number of seats.

In 1967, the worsening Vietnam War led to an increase in the dollar supply by the Federal Reserve, reducing the dollar’s credibility.

As the U.S. balance of payments worsened and the dollar’s purchasing power declined, France withdrew from the Gold Pool.

The Gold Pool (1961) was an agreement between the U.S. and seven major European countries to maintain a fair price of gold (1 ounce = $35) in the London free gold market to prevent speculative fluctuations and currency exchange turmoil.

France exchanged $3 billion for gold and stored it in Paris.

To lower the price of gold and increase the value of the dollar, the U.S. flooded the London market with gold and sold it off, but suffered significant losses.

In March 1968, when the Gold Pool collapsed, it ceased operations.

Anti-war protests intensified, with even urban African Americans joining in riots and violent demonstrations.

In April, African American leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and in June, Senator Robert Kennedy was also killed.

In October, President Johnson ordered a halt to the bombing of North Vietnam and entered into the Paris Peace Talks.

In November, Democratic candidate Hubert Humphrey was defeated by Nixon, and Johnson left the White House.

 

 

In November 1968, Nixon was elected president, becoming the first to rise from vice president to president through an election.

In March 1969, the U.S. Congress began preparations to repeal the regulation that required the Federal Reserve to exchange dollars for gold.

In 1970, amid rising anti-war sentiment, the U.S. deployed troops to Cambodia at the request of the Cambodian government, which was under siege by North Vietnamese forces and needed military supplies.

In June, the Senate passed the Cooper-Church Amendment, cutting off military aid to Cambodia.

In 1971, as the growth potential and international competitiveness of defeated nations Germany and Japan increased rapidly, the U.S. market share shrank.

The rate of growth reflects the marginal utility and marginal productivity, which are the derivatives of utility and income that determine prices and income.

As the U.S. recorded a balance of payments deficit and the value of the dollar fell, attempts to exchange dollars for gold surged.

Facing pressure from gold outflows and unable to allow the devaluation of the dollar, the U.S. did not want to raise gold prices or interest rates.

When Nixon could no longer maintain the fixed gold exchange rate, he closed the gold exchange window, which sold gold at $35 per ounce.

August 15 marked the day the Bretton Woods system’s fixed exchange rate was abandoned, and the convertibility of the dollar into gold was suspended.

With the suspension of the dollar’s gold convertibility, the gold standard was completely abandoned, leading to the era of fiat currency with the unlimited supply of dollars.

 

 

In February 1972, Nixon lifted the Bamboo Curtain through a summit with China’s Mao Zedong.

Henry Kissinger, the President’s National Security Advisor, and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai conducted meticulous negotiations behind the scenes.

They aligned U.S. interests in escaping the resource-draining Vietnam War with China’s desire to move away from the failures of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, and to improve relations with the Soviet Union.

In May, Nixon also negotiated peaceful coexistence with the Soviet Union’s Brezhnev, who was supplying materials to North Vietnam.

In November, Nixon secured re-election with an overwhelming $60 million campaign fund, but it raised suspicions about the sources and uses of these funds.

In January 1973, after halting the bombing of North Vietnam, Nixon agreed to end the Vietnam War through the Paris Peace Accords.

In May, the Bilderberg Club held a secret meeting to incite a Middle East war, causing high oil prices to solve the weak dollar issue.

In July, international financial moguls formed the Trilateral Commission to plan a conspiracy of multinational bankers and entrepreneurs for a world single government.

In October, the outbreak of the Fourth Middle East War led to the first oil shock, causing oil prices to skyrocket.

Nixon proposed to Saudi Arabia the construction of infrastructure and military defense in exchange for buying U.S. Treasury bonds with petrodollars, increasing dollar demand significantly.

Double-digit inflation caused a serious balance of payments deficit, prompting major countries to implement devaluation policies based on a floating exchange rate system.

Developing countries, relying on IBRD and IMF loans, fell into a recession due to harsh bailout conditions.

In 1974, Nixon, having lost political power due to the Watergate illegal wiretapping scandal, resigned from the presidency to avoid impeachment.

In August 1974, Vice President Ford was sworn in as President following Nixon’s resignation.

In September, Ford issued a special pardon for Nixon, all those involved in the Watergate scandal, and draft dodgers of the Vietnam War.

Although he actively explained his actions to the House Judiciary Committee, he was engulfed in fierce controversy.

The question, “Can illegal acts be done for the benefit of the state?” represents the struggle between public justice and moral justice.