Squealing Like Stuck Pigs
Members of the Clinton Administration are protesting their depiction in the new ABC program about 9/11. Not surprisingly, they've complained to the network -- which, of course, wouldn't have cared less if similar protests had emanated from the Bush Administration.
Hugh Hewitt has posted an email that characterizes the changes as "minor, and nuance in most cases" . . . well, we'll see. It's worth pointing out that 9/11 Commission Chairman Tom Kean has praised the documentary in its original form, as has Oliver Stone.
The other controversy eliciting complaints concerns the existence of some cursing in the program. Some stations have either dropped or delayed the documentary, citing the American Family Association's threat to complain to the FCC over the salty language used by firemen. What a shame that both sides are trying to use the documentary to advance a political agenda.
Many stations chafe at the tightened FCC scrutiny, and love nothing more than an opportunity, as they see it, to dramatize the supposed "constraints" imposed on them by expressing doubt about whether they can run movies like "Saving Private Ryan" (not surprisingly, the FCC deemed the movie not indecent). That being said, both the stations and the American Family Association should be able to understand the world of difference between salty language used by those who actually witnessed the events of 9/11 first-hand and the casual use of the f-word by self-indulgent rock stars at awards ceremonies. If cursing were ever justified, it's certainly in a 9/11 situation.
Even so, it doesn't strike me that the viewing experience would be irremediably impoverished if the f-word were bleeped out, even when it comes to the discussions of 9/11. Every televised image we see is the product of an editing choice. Someone has made the decision that Americans don't need to see the corpses of those forced to jump from the World Trade Center hit the ground to experience the documentary's full impact; how would a decision to bleep the f-word be any different?
Hugh Hewitt has posted an email that characterizes the changes as "minor, and nuance in most cases" . . . well, we'll see. It's worth pointing out that 9/11 Commission Chairman Tom Kean has praised the documentary in its original form, as has Oliver Stone.
The other controversy eliciting complaints concerns the existence of some cursing in the program. Some stations have either dropped or delayed the documentary, citing the American Family Association's threat to complain to the FCC over the salty language used by firemen. What a shame that both sides are trying to use the documentary to advance a political agenda.
Many stations chafe at the tightened FCC scrutiny, and love nothing more than an opportunity, as they see it, to dramatize the supposed "constraints" imposed on them by expressing doubt about whether they can run movies like "Saving Private Ryan" (not surprisingly, the FCC deemed the movie not indecent). That being said, both the stations and the American Family Association should be able to understand the world of difference between salty language used by those who actually witnessed the events of 9/11 first-hand and the casual use of the f-word by self-indulgent rock stars at awards ceremonies. If cursing were ever justified, it's certainly in a 9/11 situation.
Even so, it doesn't strike me that the viewing experience would be irremediably impoverished if the f-word were bleeped out, even when it comes to the discussions of 9/11. Every televised image we see is the product of an editing choice. Someone has made the decision that Americans don't need to see the corpses of those forced to jump from the World Trade Center hit the ground to experience the documentary's full impact; how would a decision to bleep the f-word be any different?
posted by LadybugUSA at 9:35 AM
2 Comments:
It really is quite simple...
In early Sepetember of 2000, then Governor of Texas George W. Bush met with George Tenet, Director of the CIA. According to the President's testimony recorded in the The 9/11 Commission Report.
"President Bush told us he asked Tenet whether the CIA could kill Bin Laden, and Tenet replied that killing Bin Laden would have an effect but would not end the threat. President Bush told us that Tenet said to him that the CIA had all the authority it needed."
Putting aside all of the conspiracy theories put forward by the right wing fever swamp... We have a simple statment of fact made by George Tenet and attested to by President Bush. President Clinton had given the CIA all the authority it needed to kill Osama Bin Laden. This testimony is found within the same report ABC/Disney is claiming their mini-series is based on.
If the ABC/Disney mini-series puts forward the claim that the Clinton administration refused to authorize the CIA to capture/kill Osama Bin Laden, it would be an out-an-out lie. Should such a scene appear, it is clear that ABC/Disney has produced a piece of political propaganda.
As I said at the top, it is quite simple actually.
(I guess that's a "no")
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