Desperately trying to get the appointment of Secretary of State for the presidential campaign, Congressman Underwood made a very good plan, only to be betrayed. "There are two kinds of pain: one makes you strong; the other is useless", Underwood's appearance reiterates Dante's admonition of the gate of hell: those who enter this gate, give up all hope. The entire layout of "House of Cards" seems to be about Underwood's "eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." However, for a veteran politician like him, the use of "redemption" to embellish it is slightly sentimental: the "sin" here is by no means inappropriate in the moral sense, but more necessary for his followers who have forgotten about power." Passion, Responsibility and Proper Judgment". Don't forget, when his wife asked him why he didn't expect to be dumped by the president, he replied that he was too complacent.
Underwood's excitement stems from his subsequent display of a strong will to power as a politician: something that sets him apart from the well-behaved public servant. The latter prefer to live in the political arena, which is what Max Weber calls "living by politics".
Using the taint of political allies to achieve control purposes, colluding with journalists to defeat political enemies, and even inciting the framing of syndicalists, etc. all remind the audience that Underwood is not within the scope of the evaluation of earthly morality, but they are absolutely within the scope of earthly life. top. It can be said that director David Fincher exquisitely explained the significant difference between "living by politics" and "living for politics" in party politics: alcoholic Congressman Pete was not only reduced to Underwood's pawn, but finally because of his difficulty. Reconcile the conflict of inner morality and shame into the nooks and crannies of the political field, and finally die a logical and bizarre death - no sympathy. Perhaps the audience will only bemoan its weak desire for power and lack of political will. For "those who have excelled in transcendent love and sagehood, be they from Nazareth, from Assisi, or from the noble castes of India, never resort to violence as a political means. They have been and are still Work in this world, but their kingdom is 'not of this world'.... Those who seek the salvation of their souls for themselves and others should not seek it in the path of politics, which has entirely different characters and can only be achieved by violence Done. There is an inherent tension between the patron saint of politics, or the devil, and the God of Love, and the God of Christianity as portrayed by the church. This tension can lead to irreconcilable conflict at any time.” But Is Underwood a Machiavellian politician who "loves his country more than his own soul"? Absolutely not. What he seeks is power, and the satisfaction it brings - vanity, which is the "ethics of belief" in all his political actions.
"House of Cards" also stands out because the director clearly exposes the connection between the media and modern party politics. This is what Max Weber said of journalists in his "Politics for the Cause" speech: "Journalists seem to belong to a class of pariahs, and the 'social world' always judges them by the worst of them. ." Zoe, a reporter for the Washington Herald, is clearly not yet a "demagogue" in Weber's sense—one of the types of modern politicians. Zoe is nothing but a journalist who is dissatisfied with the status quo and perhaps has a stubborn pursuit of the truth. But Zoe's rapid rise from a career-hungry "lace news" reporter to a promising political journalist, I'm afraid Underwood has taught her more than any journalism school. However, the reason why the old-fashioned Underwood chose Zoe as his microphone is definitely a discerning eye: they have a strong sense of balance in their hearts. In this utter gamble of her career, Zoe has shown inner stability and confidence that is setting her apart from the rest of her co-workers.
"House of Cards" will leave more room for Zoe to play than Underwood. Perhaps these two political pariahs who use each other will have a real showdown at some point in the show: only in this ultimate showdown, Only then can we guess the trump card of director David Fincher: is political party politics or "media governance" more powerful, or maybe the two are congruent? !
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