In Kabul, Afghanistan: people in the market, people shopping, people building, people working, people riding rides, are all being watched by a white balloon. But why? For their protection? Or for mine?
In Kabul there is a white balloon that is owned by the United States military. In Maryland there is also a white balloon owned by the United States military. Both of these balloons are there for protection, but for whom?
Johnson documents a balloon that documents everything. A balloon that is above everyone and everything. A balloon that is god like. A balloon that strikes fear. A balloon that controls. It is ominous as it defies the winds and stands stationary surveying the civilians as they carry on with their everyday lives in the military occupied city of Kabul. At first you don’t know who is watching or why, but when you learn who it is documenting every moment it creates a sense of suspense. That at any moment something could go wrong, because the balloon’s presence tells you there is something wrong. That these people need to be watched and if they aren’t bad things will happen. The balloon is ire and evil, but it seems to be a necessary evil, in order for us to be safe. Johnson implies that the all seeing balloon will keep us safe because it is God like: “He sees the sky, the earth, and under the ground. God sees everything.” What safer feeling is there that as a soldier riding around in hostile territory than knowing that God is watching over you. The balloon will control them out of fear “insurgents and local nationals alike believe the blimp and see everything and will act differently when it is up.” The military strikes fear into the people and the balloon controls that fear, by making everyone know all through out the city that the United States military is always watching. I felt uneasy but I felt like it needed to be done to keep soldiers safe and the people calm.
But the short does not end there, it keeps going, and it goes to Maryland. That is when I felt uneasy. Why are they watching us? What have we done? But maybe it isn’t what we have done, but maybe it is what we might do. Johnson equates the military to the balloon and the balloon to God, making it so that the military is above everything. The military is even above God which Johnson emphasizes with a shot of the balloon over a church. That shot made me feel uneasy, it made me feel as if the military is everywhere at once and that they are doing it in the name of “protection” for America, but I don’t know if I feel safe anymore.