BY WILLIE HAGER
I have heard all my life that “Truth, as well as Beauty, is in the eye of the beholder”. A sentiment that I believe to be true, and one that I happen to subscribe to. So, it follows that a large percent of what people see, they believe. This observation points out to me that it is therefore very important to “see” things with an empirical and unwavering criterion in order to define and to discern the real Truth of a situation when confronted with contradictions.
I, along with thousands of others I am sure, received the following “Call to Action” on an fw: of an fw: of an fw: E-mail…well, you know what I mean. Anyway, it proposes a political action that, in my opinion, is fraught with contradictions, yet compelling in principle. Well here, see for yourself…
Contributed by Working Assets:
On September 10th and 11th, ABC -- which is owned by Disney -- is planning to air a "docu-drama" called "Path to 9/11," which is being billed as "an objective telling of the events of 9/11." In fact, the film was written by an unabashed conservative who twists the facts to blame President Clinton.
In fact, the list of counterterrorism initiatives undertaken by the Clinton administration is lengthy and comprehensive. Regrettably, the record shows that most of these efforts were watered down or abandoned by the Bush administration when they came into office. History will also record that President Bush was the one who received -- and while on vacation, chose to ignore -- a Presidential Daily Briefing on August 6, 2001 entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US."
ABC's new six-hour film was apparently screened in advance only to conservative bloggers and journalists -- and received extensive praise from none other than Rush Limbaugh. ABC is advertising the film as being "based on the 9/11 Commission report" -- yet also admits that it's a "docu-drama," in which writers and producers are free to invent and distort facts. Former counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke has already completely refuted one of the key scenes of the movie.
It's simply stunning to think that as this fall's election approaches, a major television network would devote six hours of prime-time programming to air such a slanted and inaccurate program. There is simply no way that a conservative writer, with an anti-Clinton axe to grind, should be allowed to use public airwaves to broadcast a gross distortion of the truth -- especially on the anniversary of the worst day in our history.
Call to action:
Send a message to ABC asking them to cancel the show.
Deadline:
9/10/2006>>
But, after reading it over a couple of times, and thinking about it…I'm sorry...I can't help it, I gotta say it; I’m thinking that we would all find ourselves on the other side of this issue if it was the Swift Boat Vets (NSSVs) that were mounting an internet campaign to block the airing of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 on PBS.
In my mind; it's not really a question of the spin or the veracity of the content, it's more about the ol' Freedom of Speech issue. Should anyone have the right to suppress anyone else’s right to speak freely; in this case to air on commercial airwaves what they refer to as a "Docudrama" as opposed to what we all want to call a politically corrupt Rovized Documentary? To be honest with you; it's the books that they are reading, and the movies that they are seeing; most specifically the ones that I don't know about that really scare me. If you don't want the kids to see it, change the channel.
Semper Fi!
windbender@rose.net
6 comments:
Hey Willie! Why don't we just wait to see the damn thing first before we all get in a tither about who did what wrong and who said this or that. Besides,truth or fiction, the movie must just be trying to wake up Americans and others who might get to view it, to the very real and not fictious reality of how determined these Islamic facist killers are in their quest to kill all who are not like them. That means you too and your 2 year old. I don't think it matters who was or is President! More later.
Joe Robinson, former VVAW.
I have to disagree. This is not about freedom of the press. It is about propaganda, pure and simple. I've seen some try to compare this to some of Oliver Stone's films and Michael Moore's. It is not the same. Those were films, this is a "doc-uped-drama" that is being aired on one the the "liberal" news media. Many, if not most of the sheeple will think everything is true in it. This is so gobbels, opps rovian in concept that it stinks. There are out and out lies, along with many misrepresentations. Do you not think this is "swift boating"? I damn sure do. Wake up and smell the shit coming out of Washington. This has absolutly nothing to do with freedom of the press, except that it destroys all credability(as if there was any) of what is left of the "free press". It shows just how deep the repungents have gotten into the press, never mind faux news, they now control all. I will say again, you have an obligation as Americans to protest the takeover of your country. You swore an oath, goddamn it!
Always watch your 6,
SgtWayne
SgtWayne...
Copy 5X5! Actually, we don't have a disagreement. Inasmuch as I agree with your premises and comments with regards to the "Free" Press. I apparently didn't make it clear enough in my communication that I was referring to Freedom of Speech, as opposed to Freedom of the Press, which, to my mind, is an entirely different can of worms altogether. In fact, as I said in the piece; to me, it was more about the tactics of the dissent, rather than the content of the program. For that,I apologize.
My piece was attempting to be about the expending of energy, and the rewards thereof. Simply put; I believe that all of our energy would be better spent helping middle of the road and undecided voter types of folks to see the contradictions by exposure to them, using whatever constitutionally acceptable tools are at our disposal. This in order for them to"see" Objective Truth with a critical eye through the fog of spin and propaganda, whichever side of the aisle it comes from. This, rather than censorship of one's ideas, no matter how repugnant or filled with lies, subterfuge, and political bile they are, or might be might be.
This strategy, in my opinion is much more productive in the long run than attempting to mobilize the masses to suppress someone else's Constitutional right to be wrong. That's what they do (Repugnants). I believe that this strategy is a more powerful weapon for us then attempting to suppress or dispel their lies in the same manner that they use to keep Truth from the hearts and minds of the majority of the American public. A public who don't seem to be willing to accept the "Liberal" or the "Neocon" label s proferred by the 527s (Not-So-Swifts, etc.), but seem to be increasingly accepting of rational and well documented information in their political perspective and decision making. Sort of a "work smarter, not harder" approach to the use of our limited time and resources over here on the "lower middle class, blue collar workers, and minorities" Left. Don't want to wake up one morning thinking..."Victory!" And find, instead, that the Who's lyrics, "New Boss, same as the Old Boss..." have become the new American nightmare.
As I write this I have just read on the internet cyberwaves that ABC has, in fact, capitualated and compromised on some of the material in question. Rightfully so. A victory for the "sheeple", brought about, no doubt, by their attention to and open debate of the contradictions/lies and it's impact on ratings (their sole driving force, as opposed to any serious consideration of ABC giving the money back to the spin miesters, and not airing the show. I suspect that it had a lot to do with the dreaded "Liberal"/left wing blog-o-sphere that the Neocons and Swifties have been sniveling about an awful lot lately.
Semper Fi!
Willie
Bill
I did read freedom of speech and without thought (that does seem to happen every now and then) change it in my mind to press. Still doesn't change anything. Just as we do not have the freedom of speech to shout fire in a theater when there is no fire, the gov't doesn't have the right to produce propaganda. It isn't about people speaking their opinions how ever idiotic they may be. It is about a government, in this case one that is supposed to be ours, lying to the American public. Not the same. The government, no matter what disguise it uses, must never be allowed to present lies to the public. The government must never be allowed to use "the free press" to deciminate lies to the public. That is what they are doing on ABC and the sheeple will fall for it.
Always watch 6,
SgtWayne
From an E mail from a Friend:
It appears to me that they are thinking that swiftboating worked once, so they are trying it again. On another forum, one person asked why didn't John Kerry come out fighting when the swiftboat ads were aired. I read _Crashing the Gate_ and some other articles, and they said that Kerry DID want to come out fighting but the DNC said not to "dignify" the ads with responses.
What I figure is that the neocons/swiftboaters knew they had Kerry over a barrel because if he sued and took them to court, not only would it tie up his campaign money, but it would tie up his time and efforts, distracting him from the campaign. If he didn't sue, people would say what *I* heard them say, "Well, if it's not the truth, why doesn't he sue?" Of course WE know that if he had sued the court case would not have even been put on the docket until after the election and it would be too late for the truth then.
I think that's why so many people bombarded (me included) ABC and Disney and other people with protest messages. We learned that to stay silent and not to "dignify" a statement just doesn't work. These people need to be bombarded with messages saying we don't want FICTION when it comes to documentaries.
Betty
yo Willie,
I think you got this one right, but another aspect of the question is;who has the time to stir up letters to ABC about their stupid program? The real issue now seems to be spending time and $ to elect good state and local candidates. Luckily there are few still out here in the boonies...
Okra
Post a Comment