Posted by BrentBurk on 01/09/09 Last updated 01/09/09
Transcript from MSNBC's "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue" (8 Jan. 2009)
PAT BUCHANAN: Well, the difference is, in my judgment, Afghanistan, that was--al Qaeda was responsible for bringing down those towers. If the Afghans had dealt with them, given us Osama Bin Laden, then we would not have gone in. We had a justification. That was an act of war. The Israelis have been hit for six months with these little rockets that didn't kill anybody. It was outrageous, cruel and stupid, and they triggered a blitzkrieg against the Palestinians in Gaza, which in my judgment is an Israeli concentration camp, where a million-and-a-half people are locked up, cannot come out or go in. They've been controlling food, electricity, fuel. And the innocent people in Gaza are the ones suffering.
SHUSTER: Concentration camp? Doesn't that diminish the significance of the real concentration camps? BUCHANAN: I'm not talking about a death camp. I'm talking about what the British had in concentration camps in South Africa, and what the Spanish had in Cuba, and what others have had where they bring all these people, lock 'em in there, and treat them with great cruelty, and a humanitarian disaster, despite what Tzipi Livni says. CLIFF MAY: The people of Gaza could have peace tomorrow, and they could have an independent state the day after. All it would take would be for Hamas to do two things. One: stop the missiles. You cannot have any country, even a country like Israel, simply accept that, OK, for the rest of our lives--and this has been going on for years now--we accept that they are going to be firing missiles at us. Some of them are small, some of them are bigger, they'll get bigger. But we accept this as a fact of life; we deserve to be hit with missiles. All Hamas would have to do is say: no more missiles starting tomorrow; we understand. And by the way, we accept Israel as a state, as a neighbor. Now, Hamas cannot do that because of its religious convictions that infidels may not, anywhere in the Middle East, be in power.
I'm not entirely convinced that Israel has no justification. Though their response may be disproportionate to the attacks committed against them, I sure as heck wouldn't take kindly to the idea that someone shot at my home -- even if nobody got hurt.
The following excerpt is from an essay I wrote for my college Theatre class.
Mark Twain once observed that, “…the nation is divided, half patriots and half traitors, and no man can tell which from which.” This is the problem with defining “patriotism”, like the word “love” there is no true definition that satisfies everyone who uses the word. What may be patriotic to one man may be considered treasonous to another. Some consider it to be patriotic to unquestionably be loyal to their government, I disagree.
Someone once said that, “…a nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves,” and in today’s world this has been too often the case. In the face of danger citizens instinctively look to government to protect them and during such times governments use the opportunity to accomplish unrelated goals. A nation that was once governed by law will soon be governed by men if its citizenry are blinded by a shield of false patriotism which puts love of government before love of country. Patriotism should be recognized as the love of one’s country and dissent of one’s government whose actions violate the morals and freedoms of its people.
I agree. I have in the past considered the morality of the Declaration of Independence. I have to agree with the founding fathers when they said that it was their obligation to throw off a tyrannical government. England could have simply accepted their decision, but in the spirit of tyranny, they fought to keep them in their power instead. As adults, we are not children. We don't need someone making choices for us or fixing our problems. We need our freedoms protected and nothing more.
Posted by BrentBurk on 12/14/08 Last updated 12/14/08
The following movie review is for the History Channel's "The Best Kept Secret: D-Day" for my college History class.
The History Channel has had a long record of showcasing historical events to the masses in an entertaining and concise matter that enables millions of people to learn what they would not have otherwise. The Best Kept Secret: D-Day gave viewers the opportunity to learn more about the strategic plans behind the largest amphibious assault ever. Plenty of Americans have seen the Normandy Landings portrayed in movies like Saving Private Ryan or learned about it in their history books during school but very few people know about the plans of deception that helped lead the Allies to success on D-Day. This documentary allows them to discover just that.
The television series used several different types of sources and aides to educate audiences on the subject. Primary footage of World War II was predominantly used to allow people to see firsthand what the events that led to the Invasion of Normandy, also known as Operations Neptune and Overland. Photographs of the people and documents discussed were also used to give the story credibility. Interviews with people directly and indirectly associated with the Operation, such as historians or relatives of people involved, were included to give different perspectives and insights. Reenactments of specific situations were used to help fill the visual void so the narrator could produce details on events which took place and audiences could see how it may have happened. All of these elements allow the video to be a superior way to learn about this historical event.
The content itself allows this program to stand out as it is unique to most. Rather than focusing on the day itself the video educates viewers on what made it successful due to the planning and participants involved. Deception was a major theme behind the invasion of Normandy. Fictional armies were created, planted bodies were set up, and fabricated documents were sent. Perhaps the most important factor behind the success, however, was the use of the double agent Juan Pujol Garcia, or British codename Garbo. Garbo was the main tool of deception that the Allies used to mislead the Germans about the timing and location of the upcoming attack. He gave out misinformation throughout the war and persuaded the Nazis to defend the coast of Pas de Calais rather than Normandy. Tom Hanks may have been the hero in Steven Spielberg’s film, but Juan Garcia was the hero of World War II.
The video did produce some predetermined conclusions about certain decisions made during the Operation, however. For example, the program touched upon the use of Ultra, the British decoder that helped Allies determine what the Nazis were up to. At one point Allies were notified that a ship they were about to demolish had hundreds of prisoners of war on board. Rather than halt the attack the British decided to continue with the original plans, resulting in the deaths of Ally prisoners of war by Ally fighters. The video proclaims, as did the military, that it was done in order to save the decoder and if they halted the bombing it would have given the Allies away. Therefore, it had to be done. Kill a few to save a lot. There wasn’t enough skepticism or room to disagree with decision as it was presented in the video. It could have maintained a better balance if it were to do that rather than presenting one view.
Overall, The History Channel’s The Best Kept Secret: D-Day was an enjoyable presentation on the little known story behind the Invasion of Normandy. It used a mix between primary and secondary sources to give it credibility and make it visually appealing and told the story of deception in a concise enough matter for viewers to learn about an historical event in one hour. It may not win as many Academy Awards as Saving Private Ryan did, but it will surely be just as educational.
The following was a movie review of "Life in the 30s" for my college History class.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected during challenging times. The stock market crashed, unemployment boomed, and the economy fell into a depression. American families feared the worse as many began starving and becoming homeless. Roosevelt aimed to change the atmosphere and in his first Inaugural Address he proclaimed to his fellow Americans that, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” A new era was to begin; a New Deal was to be enacted. The educational video, Life in the 30s, showcased how life and politics were in the 1930s by using primary sources for footage and a narrator to tell the story.
Several different types of primary sources were used for this educational video. Most of the sources came from archive footage of some of the most important events of the 1930s. Political rallies were highlighted in the film, which conveyed the hunger for answers that citizens had for their government. Those watching the film see why such hunger existed as more archive footage of the disparities the average American faced during the Depression are shown. Thousands of men stood in food lines so they could feed their families for the day, 15,000 veterans march in Washington, D.C., to receive what they were promised, and unemployed men sat in parks so they wouldn’t feel ashamed at home. Hard times are clearly seen as the first hand footage is shown with the narrator explaining the events that took place.
Roosevelt saw these problems first hand and initiated the New Deal program to relieve the pain the Americans were going through. Life in the 30s showed how the Americans listened to Roosevelt’s ideas by listening to his frequent radio conversations known as “Fireside Chats.” Viewers were able see how the ideas went from the planning stages, with archive footage of the president meeting with advisers, to promotion, with footage of celebrity endorsements of programs like the WPA, to execution, which the audience got to see when they saw the dames being built through the TVA program. These primary video sources allow audiences to see firsthand what happened during the New Deal program. It also included headlines from newspapers, which lets viewers to get a feel for what was important during the days.
One of the biggest headlines for the times was of “the Crime of the Century.” Charles Lindbergh’s dramatic life story played out in the newspapers of America for the world to see. His son was kidnapped and murdered and the news covered every step of the way from having “Wanted” posters in the newspapers to electrocution of the convicted murder on radio. Modern audiences will get a glimpse of how the media covered such stories with the video, audio, and print presented.
The educational video wasn’t all that educational, however. The documentary used video editing tricks to draw certain emotions about certain subjects. For example, President Roosevelt and government were characterized as the saviors of Americans. The President was a happy man with a happy family who was shown with happy music. Those who criticized the New Deal were viewed as extremist as footage was shown of opposition leaders violently leading a rally into a frenzy while ominous music played in the background. They were considered “extremist” who used simple slogans and racism to convince their audiences. Considering this film was produced during the same time one must wonder whether the government encouraged propaganda for this documentary, like they did so many other times during the Great Depression and World War II.
In the end, this video can be seen as an educational documentary that will allow modern audiences to get a look and feel of how life was in the 1930s. The primary sources used throughout the film give it credibility and allows there to be more interest in the subject. Though, one should not use this film to determine the success of government, Roosevelt, or the New Deal as it is clear that a certain agenda is presented.
The following was a movie review of George Clooney's "Good Night, and Good Luck" for my college English class.
“Good night, and good luck.” Americans growing up in the mid-1900’s were bound to hear this famous trademark by CBS’s See It Now host Edward R. Murrow, a man famous for his wartime radio broadcast and hard-hitting television journalist career. A critically acclaimed film by the same title, which was written, directed and acted in by George Clooney, took a historical look at Murrow’s See It Now during the show’s exposé on McCarthyism. It took over a half a century for Murrow’s story to be portrayed on the silver screen, but Clooney decided it was a story Americans had to see in 2005. He used the movie as a way to educate the public about McCarthyism, expose the agendas of television networks and warn Americans about the same dangers that lurked in post-9/11 America.
America is often known as the United States of Amnesia for if her citizens aren’t educated in an entertaining fashion on events of the past they will usually forget the history that defines them. As such, director George Clooney took the opportunity to educate Americans about the time of McCarthyism. During this point in American history it was believed that Communist were infiltrating the country, to which government officials responded by setting up a massive witch hunt with Senator Joseph McCarthy leading the charge. Americans began to panic resulting in the Second Red Scare.
The Red Scare brought McCarthy to fame when he led a vicious campaign against hundreds upon thousands of American people. Average citizens began being fired from their jobs once the government accused them of being Communist, Communist sympathizers, or related to such people, which was the case when Lt. Milo Radulovich was originally discharged for having a father and sister who were accused of such things. His story was broadcasted on See it Now which was portrayed in the movie. Many people ended up being ruthlessly interrogated by McCarthy himself, as was seen through archive footage in Good Night, and Good Luck. Those who dissented from McCarthy, including Edward Murrow, were assumed to have Communist ties. This was accurately shown in the film when McCarthy’s chief investigator, Don Surine, approached Murrow’s colleague, Joseph Wershba, claiming Murrow was on the Soviet Union’s payroll (“Edward R. Murrow and the Time of His Time”). Education was a key factor for creating this accurate film which also accurately exposed the agenda of the television networks.
Television networks, including Murrow’s longtime employer CBS, were more concerned with selling advertisements and receiving revenue than running controversial stories that swam against the current. For instance, rather than broadcast a story about President Truman’s requirement for all federal employees to sign a loyalty oath, CBS decided to join along and required their employers to sign one too to assure advertisers that they didn’t harbor any Communist. This was portrayed in the beginning of the movie with a discussion between Joe and Shirley Wershba. When Murrow effectively challenged McCarthyism, as was documented in the film, his show lost its sponsors and CBS Chairman William Paley demoted See It Now into a one-hour Sunday afternoon show with no funding, simply using it to fill a void. Murrow’s speech at the end of the movie revealed that television can be used to educate the people, which he advocated for, or mindlessly entertain them. Today it seems that entertainment has predominately overpowered education in television. This attributes to Clooney’s inclusion of Murrow’s words of warning, a warning that rang throughout the entire film which mirrored post-9/11 America.
After September 11, 2001, Americans ran to their government demanding security and much like the Red Scare, the government responded by trading liberty for security. Legislation that violated the Constitution continuously passed Congress through bills such as the Patriot Act, Military Commission Act and Protect America Act. Those who dissented from the government’s response were viewed as terrorist sympathizers. David Cole observed that the Patriot Act, “resurrects the philosophy of McCarthyism, simply [by] substituting ‘terrorist’ for ‘communist’” (“National Security State”). Through legislation such as the Military Commission Act, those who are deemed to be an unlawful enemy combatant by the President can be put into a military prison without a trial nor are they shown the evidence that is being used against them. The Protect America Act gives the executive branch the power to search Americans’ emails, listen to their telephone calls, track their movements through cell phones, and secretly search homes and businesses without a warrant while giving immunity to telecommunication companies who cooperate with the government. It is as if they paused McCarthyism and resumed it after 9/11 while putting it into overdrive mode. George Clooney used his expertise to warn the American people by trying to teach them of the past so they wouldn’t be doomed to repeat it.
Clooney made a film to educate the American people, expose the television networks and warn the citizens. Those who watched the film attentively will now know how McCarthyism rose and fell, why television networks are entertainment boxes rather than educational ones and why it is dangerous to trade off liberty for security. Murrow once said that, “We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home,” and such a message like that has never been so relevant than it is today.
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