selenak

Searching with you. America has produced so many great thinkers and ideas, which makes the current situation all the more scary and frustrating...

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monanotlisa.livejournal.com

Brave New World, indeed...

::shudders::

For this? Is, no doubt, just the tip of the iceberg...

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Such a lot of doublethink and doublespeak these days. Yes, we're really outraged about the torture, except we've known for months and besides, boys will be boys, eh? No, those WMDs were never our reason for starting a war, we did it to depose an evil dictator ~~when he stopped being useful~~.

On the other hand, thankfully the media situation has changed somewhat, at least for the print media, and the conformism has lessened...

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kernezelda

It's frightening how easily it's happening, these erosions of our freedoms and suppression of opposing views.

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Hm. Allow me to nitpick this post a bit: Considering that Mr. Moore is at large and certainly not hurting for income (he lives in a well-to-do neighborhood in Manhattan, as I understand), being denied distribution by one company is hardly a drop in his bucket and certainly not proof that America is becoming a police state. Bear in mind that the Bill of Rights does not guarantee distribution or an audience. Nor are the suspicions of Mr. Eisner solid proof that Jeb Bush would in fact pull back on their tax breaks (and why should a large corporation get tax breaks anyway?).

I think we need to be careful not to overstate issues.

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What

gehayi said in her reply below, at length. The issue isn't Moore losing money (which he can indeed well afford to) but Disney trying to stop a film for political reasons (as opposed to economical reasons like going over budget, or necessitating a higher rating than originally agreed on).

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Prove that the Bushes had a say in what Disney decided to do. Saying "the Bushes have close ties" is not proof.

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gehayi.livejournal.com

Frankly, I don't like either Moore or Bush, but I don't think that Disney--having known that their distributor, Miramax, was making and distributing this film for some time--should now get to say, "Oh, no! You can't distribute this film! Jeb won't like it! Geordie doesn't like it! It'll endanger tax breaks! None of this occurred to us during the year or so during which this film was being made!"

Granted, Moore can go off and find another distributor, but the point is:

a) Disney knew frigging well that the movie was critical of Bush when Miramax agreed to make it;
b) The reasons that Disney can withdraw a film from distribution are spelled out in the contract (filming the movie wildly exceeded expenses, the movie's content pushes it into a higher rating, etc.) and criticism of a public official is NOT one of those reasons;
c) Criticism of public officials in written, printed, or electronic media is not illegal, and in almost all cases is not considered libellous under state or federal laws either.

So Disney is suppressing distribution for political and economic reasons. Now, it is not the government that is suppressing distribution--that WOULD be illegal--but given the close ties between Disney and the Bush administration, it's hard to believe that the Bushes didn't have some say in this.

Ah, well. The movie will be at the Cannes Film Festival next week. So it will be seen. Without question.

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As I said to

selenak above, it's hard for me to believe the Bushes did have a say without proof beyond murky suspicions.

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masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com

Apparently, May 1st - is now Loyalty Day. (By Public Law 85-529.)

Isn't that the kind of thing dictators do when they're worried about being deposed? I say the shrub is panicking.

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If so, I hope he's panicking for a good reason and won't be elected. Never in my entire life have I been so worried about American elections.

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artaxastra.livejournal.com

You and me both.

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Apparently, May 1st - is now Loyalty Day. (By Public Law 85-529.)

::shudder::

The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father -- oops -- sorry. Wrong brainwashed dictatorship...

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I was thinking "and when will he establish Night Watch?" myself.

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Yeah, that one, too... Although, didn't he already try to do that? There was that push to have "everyday citizens" like postal service employees, bank tellers, cashiers, etc, watch people and report any suspicious activities, mailings, etc. I can't remember what it was called, and it got squashed pretty fast because of the outcry, but I'm betting it's still encouraged...

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Operation TIPS -- here's an article...

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muffinmonster.livejournal.com

Yes, exactly. This started quite a discussion on RASTB5M some time ago. Let me see if I can find it...

groups.google.com

"ATTN JMS: Have you seen this? Shades of Nightwatch?"
"ATTN JMS: Nightwatch/Home Guard in America?"

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Yep, that's where I first heard of it. Scary that they managed to hide it that well, isn't it?

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well he has got this new home-defense-ministry-thing. (keep forgetting the correct name ...)

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Homeland Security?

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Homeland Security

yes, I guess that was how it is called. (the name reminds me strangely of the ministry for national security in the former GDR. ;-) [or rather ;-( ]

But now for something completely different ;-): I loved your idea of the "civil disobedience" day. And this got me thinking (which is never really good … ;-) ):

Why not simply proclaim such a day? And publish the proclamation in our (i.e. bimo’s, yours, mine) respective ljs, with an appeal for people to join in celebrating the day with a “special event” of sorts (Thoreau reading in the public, painting the white house pink, BBQ’s including philosophical discussions or alike) . Thus we could form a kind of secret society ;-) (always wanted to do this).

A society of people who still know that, for a fully for an enlightened human being, anarchy is something to be envisioned and not something to be dreaded. A secret society of people who know that thinking things through and following a thought to it roots was once called radical :-) and was a good thing to be. (One of the mostly abused terms or ideas of the century, imho.)

Anyhow, I would suggest that July 12, , being H.D. Thoerau's Birthday, is an appropriate date. :-)

I know this is completely crazy, but how do you like the idea? And if you like it, who writes the proclamation?

F.

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Okay, back in Munich and thus able to answer: I like the idea very much, though we shouldn't call ilt a "secret" society - after all, we want people to think about the concept of "radical" not in connection with "elitist".

But yes - a day in celebration of civil disobedience, and those who had and have the courage to practise it. Thoreau's birthday would fit beautifully.

The proclamation: I'm tempted to put this one on you, busy as I am at the moment. Will volunteer passages, though, if you like.

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I like the idea very much I hoped you might :-))

we want people to think about the concept of "radical" not in connection with "elitist".

You are of course right there :-). I was rather joking, thinking along the lines of tuning the lj community into a new underground movement ;-)).

The proclamation: I'm tempted to put this one on you, busy as I am at the moment. Will volunteer passages, though, if you like.

I will as gladly give it a go, but I am not likely to find time to write before next weekend. What about me sending you a first draft then and you add / alter / rewrite any passage you would like to add / alter / rewrite ;-)?

F.

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That works for me, comrade!

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comrade!

*gg*

"Mit uns kämpft die Vernunft und die Zeit :-))"

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mylexie.livejournal.com

I have not much new thoughts to add to the whole 'the world is going to hell in a handbasket' thing, but I do have one other observation to make..

You have the HAIR soundtrack?! You're the first person, other than me, that I know of who likes it. (My fav. track will always be #4.)

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Movie or play?

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mylexie.livejournal.com

Er. I think movie. (I'm not at home, and don't have it with me. Sorry.)

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Thankies!

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I saw the stage show when it came to town, and the movie in the cinema, so yes, I like it, very much.

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mylexie.livejournal.com

I had a music teacher who tried to show the movie to us for about 6 months.. then he gave up. I think I'm the only one in my class who actually wanted to see it. Two weeks back I put on the album for a friend of mine who wasn't in my class - her mouth dropped. It was pretty funny.

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By the way, in case you missed it, I did a little checking and discovered that Loyalty Day and the National Day of Prayer are actually hold-overs from the Cold War and don't have anything to do with the Bush administration. In fact, if you run a quick search, you will be able to find Bill Clinton's proclamations regarding both.

You are an excellent writer and I deeply respect you. But here, you have allowed yourself to jump to conclusions without checking the facts.

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