Well, actually, not just Hollywood's problem. The following is excerpted from a Michael Barone piece, via Instapundit.com
HOLLYWOOD'S TERRORISM PROBLEM:
In the history of our time as told by the movies, the war on terror largely does not exist.
Which is passing strange, you know. Because the war on terror is the history of our time. The outcome of our battle against the demographic, political and military upsurge of a hateful theology and its oppressive political vision will determine the fate of freedom in this century.
Television — more populist, hungrier for content and less dependent on foreign audiences — reflects this fact with shows such as "24" and "The Unit." But at the movies, all we're getting is home-front angst and the occasional "Syriana," in which "moderate" Islam is thwarted by evil American interests. But the notion that this war is about our moral failings is comfort fantasy, pure and simple. It soothes us with the false idea that, if we but mend ourselves, the scary people will leave us alone. . . .
In all fairness, moviemakers have a legitimately baffling problem with the nature of the war itself. In order to honestly dramatize the simple truth about this existential struggle, you have to depict right-minded Americans — some of whom may be white and male and Christian — hunting down and killing dark-skinned villains of a false and wicked creed. That's what's happening, on a good day anyway, so that's what you'd have to show.
Moviemakers are reluctant to do that because, even though it's the truth, on screen it might appear bigoted and jingoistic. You can call that political correctness or multiculturalism gone mad — and sure, there's a lot of that going around. But despite what you might have heard, there are sensible, patriotic people in the movie business too. And even they, I suspect, falter before the prospect of presenting such a scenario.
Hollywood's Terrorism Problem
I like how he reassures his audience with "despite what you might have heard, there are sensible, patriotic people in the movie business too.".
I wonder what the War on Terror would really feel like to any of us, how we would perceive it, if not for the on going war in Iraq. Take that out of the picture, because it could just as easily have not been a part of it. A lot of people see it that way, and wonder how existential it really is since the leaders of the country seem to be so focused on the Iraq thing to the detriment of the terror and national security thing.
The wider Barone and others cast the net around the Muslim people in defining hateful theology, the more they will drift toward embracing it. It truly becomes an "existential struggle" for them.
He's a smart guy and capable of putting out serious stuff, but he gets called out all the time for his smears and misquotings to prop up the Iraq war and just general rabble rousing. He's spent too much time in his FOX hole.
What would make a good war on terror movie? I guess 24 is popular, I've never seen it.
I wonder what the War on Terror would really feel like to any of us, how we would perceive it, if not for the on going war in Iraq. Take that out of the picture, because it could just as easily have not been a part of it. A lot of people see it that way, and wonder how existential it really is since the leaders of the country seem to be so focused on the Iraq thing to the detriment of the terror and national security thing.
The wider Barone and others cast the net around the Muslim people in defining hateful theology, the more they will drift toward embracing it. It truly becomes an "existential struggle" for them.
He's a smart guy and capable of putting out serious stuff, but he gets called out all the time for his smears and misquotings to prop up the Iraq war and just general rabble rousing. He's spent too much time in his FOX hole.
What would make a good war on terror movie? I guess 24 is popular, I've never seen it.
Maybe this would make a good war on terror movie- The case of Maher Arar
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columb ... ology.html
Just when you thought there were no more allies to allienate:
"The RCMP and CSIS should review their policies governing the circumstances in which they supply information to foreign governments with questionable human rights records. Information should never be provided to a foreign country where there is a credible risk that it will cause or contribute to the use of torture. Policies should include specific directions aimed at eliminating any possible Canadian complicity in torture, avoiding the risk of other human rights abuses and ensuring accountability."
They're talking about us there with the questionable human rights records thing.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columb ... ology.html
Just when you thought there were no more allies to allienate:
"The RCMP and CSIS should review their policies governing the circumstances in which they supply information to foreign governments with questionable human rights records. Information should never be provided to a foreign country where there is a credible risk that it will cause or contribute to the use of torture. Policies should include specific directions aimed at eliminating any possible Canadian complicity in torture, avoiding the risk of other human rights abuses and ensuring accountability."
They're talking about us there with the questionable human rights records thing.
Great post, LK. Since 9/11 it has been taboo in the movie and tv industry to show Muslim terrorists in a bad light. Usually they aren't the terrorists at all. On 24 it was crooked US politicians, and on that airplane hijacking movie, it was the airline employees. That movie made a big deal about wrongful accusations against some Arab flyers. And when Muslims are actually the terrorists, they are portrayed in a sympathetic light.
All in all, an appallingly gutless stand by the terrorist-ass-kissing anti-American left.
ZSpiddy
All in all, an appallingly gutless stand by the terrorist-ass-kissing anti-American left.
ZSpiddy
I don't think that most liberals really sympathise with terrorists, however, in the immidiate repercussions of 9/11, all those war-hungry, ignorant, singleminded, crazy-ass right wingers tried to make it impossible to see any other side of the story. This was evident with the ostracising of the dixy chicks. Naturally, those with some sence of humanity had to overcompensate by trying to show to the completely nieve conservatives (not all conservatives, just the ones that truly believe that america can do no wrong) that our shit does in fact stink as well. So yes, the movies since 9/11 have tried to show people that muslims do not in fact worship hate as some would have us believe, but show how american interests have been seen to in the middle east. In the end though, we can not forget that the would-be suicide bombers in the US would likely be of middleeastern desent. I can only hope that most americans try to see things for what they are and not just blindly follow the extremely hatefull, OR the overly compasionate.
How you compare may not be as important as to whom you are compared