As we approach this election season we are inundated once again with propaganda designed to make American’s fearful once again with regard to the so called “War on Terror” by the Republicans, who it seems have nothing else to tout as a success, but is it? We are seeing a great deal of rewriting of history right now and this movie seems to be particularly odious in it’s framing and intent. See the link at the bottom which takes you to a letter on the Act for Change website, to be sent to the President of ABC asking them not to show this film.
Anyone remember the “Swift Boat” movie, coming out right before the election in 2004 regarding John Kerry? Do we want this to happen again…..We need to take back this country from those who are doing it more harm than the ‘terrorists’ ever could.
ABC: Tell the Truth About 9/11
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.
Update [2006-9-6 14:28:25 by diane101]: fOR A DIFFERENT APPROACH, Kahli posted this link
to ask ABC to post disclaimers with the showing of docudrama.
I already called and emailed both Diane because this was all over DK yesterday. Thanks for putting it up here.
Hi Aloha, how are you doing….I got this in my email today from Act for Change, and of course I thought here we go again….
The swift boat movie of 2004 was one thing that really propelled me into getting active and blogging that year. I expect there is more to come from that quarter.
Doing really well except for the 10lbs since I quit smoking over 3 months now! I can breathe again. Olbermann’s commentary last night was sooooooooooooooooooooooooo good. We need more Keiths out there in the media. Ya know, REAL journalists.
I guess this is as good a place as any to place this latest comment last night from Olberman to Bush’s speech yesterday, yay Keith, keep up the good work.
Our local programming was just interrupted with ABC’s Charlie Gibson saying that Bush was making announcement today that the prisoners held at various places outside the US will now be moved to Gitmo, I bet they are happy at the upgrade in their detention facilities.
and this
Sometimes I’m tempted to ask the question, “Can it possibly get any worse?”, but I’m afraid I already know the answer. Outrage upon outrage.
For those who want to take more action, I’ve put up a list of ABC advertisers with their contact info on my blog.
Cheers
As a liberal,I don’t feel comfortable with the idea of censorship but I agree that this program must be challenged.
If anyone is interested in a different approach, check out this petition from Representative Louise Slaughter that calls for the placement of prominent disclaimers rather than cancellation.
Thanks for adding that link, I just got the email in my inbox….
I am not in favor of censorship either, but the only way I can see that major disclaimers would work is if some one like Richard Clark, who was in the Clinton Administration and worked on counter terrorism could give a full rebutal to each of the absolute fantasy scenes in this program. It is bad enough to slant the truth or leave out important parts of the truth but when whole scenes about what Sandy Berger supposedly said to CIA operatives on the ground NEVER HAPPENED, that is just too much.
Also the program seems totally focused on bashing Clinton once again and playing a lot of actual clips of him saying “I did not have sex with that woman.”
You might want to go to Media Matters for their take on this.
This ranks right up there with Swift Boats, if not even worse.
If what we are being given is propaganda, then does the right to “free speech” apply? Is it called “censorship” when one stops propaganda?
Recognizing the power of visual images, especially when music is added, and knowing once something is seen, then it cannot be unseen, makes the countering so much more difficult. Facts, reasoning, and logic are so much weaker than emotional forces, imo. Words, words, words vs. image & music, image & music, image & music – they are not equal in their impact.
The most effective counter, imo, would be variant images, e.g. a split screen with the Trade Center towers on one screen going through the sequence of events and on the other Bush in the Florida classroom going through his sequence of actions with a clock marking the time under both screens.
Personally, I think these images, side by side, shown over and over from about Sept. 11, 2002 would have negated the ability of Mr. Bush and “brain” to use September 11th in anyway at all. It astounds me that they can still get away with using that day for their propaganda.
I know many here disagree with me but, yeah, I believe free speech applies to propaganda. I believe it also applies to pornography, insulting Islamic cartoons, and KKK rallies — all of which I abhor.
I certainly don’t want the great decider or anyone of his ilk claiming that my work is propoganda and therefore not protected as free speech.
If the miniseries is promoting lies about Clinton’s actions regarding Osama, I would like to see him sue the hell out of everyone involved in the film. I’m not sure, but I think when one is a public figure it is hard to bring a case of slander or libel.
This is not censorship, just plain old style boycot!
Hi diane….been getting quite a few petitions in my emails about this so called docudrama..anyway signed this one. What’s worse is that I read that ABC is planning massive push to air this for free plus contacting schools all over the country for students to be shown this ‘history’..now I wonder what is behind that…making sure Clinton and democrats are the true evil-doers maybe…damn bastarized press anyway.
Hi chocolate, I’ve missed you…..yikes, more work to do it seems on ABC, can you post a link to the article.
BTW I am watching msnbc and Brinkley just gave a report on Arnold that he has hired democrats to run his campaign, has Maria been doing some work on him…he is sure making some changes…
This is starting to look a lot like a presidential election year!!!!!!
diane, I’ll have to go look up where I read that this morning…offhand can’t remember where I read it.(although it was probably either buzzflash or American Politics?)
What is behind this is a commitment from Bush to remove all ownership and balance and any other reg from broadcasters and media moguls:
http://www2.boomantribune.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2006/9/6/17726/34707
Three news dots. Draw the straight line between them.
I have to admit I’m pretty horrified that this is being pushed to schools as historical fact.
Perhaps we should be contacting our school boards to find out if the movie is going to be shown and whether or not it is being presented as “fact.” If it is, we need to demand equal time to present the other set of facts.
http://www2.boomantribune.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2006/9/6/17726/34707
The dairy above explains how this is a direct quid pro quo from ABC to the NRCC. This is about keeping republicans in the House. This is a campaign contribution.
action list of contacts
An editd version of the program is to be shown on Sunday and Monday nights on BBC2 in the UK. I have just written this to them (use the complaints link if you wish to contact the BBC, not the Radio Times one.
Propaganda or not, I do think there’s blame to go around, and Clinton is not my political hero. That said, all this focus on Clinton letting OBL get away ignores the fact that:
Who is more culpable?
I think we should be very specific with our criticisms. And we won’t be able to be specific without having seen it.
I don’t think a boycott is the answer. I think a careful, factual critique as soon as possible afterwards can go a long ways to countering false mythology.
Please read the title of this post once again.
OK.
Thank you.
Now…HOW are you (practically speaking) planning on going about this? Short OR long term.
Gonna write letters?
Right.
THAT’S done a lot of good so far. Straightening out the media.
Short of blowing ABC off the face of the map…which is not going to happen, if only because “ABC” is everywhere . (“I am everywhere, man, I am everywhere.” The REAL JohnnyCash. BIG cash. The media HAS no real “location.” Except of course in your goddamned TV sets. THAT’S the “ABC” of it. To the XYZ of it. Teach Me Tonight. Thank you, Sammy Cahn. And Ol’ Frankie Blue Eyes, too.)
Short term…fuggedaboudit. Ain’t happening.
Long term? Stop the hypno-dissemination of lies by the media?
The Dems won’t do it. And you can be damned sure the Ratpubs won’t. Both parties LIVE by the media. They LIVE by the lie.
So…who ya gonna call?
MEDIABUSTERS!!!
NEWSTRIKE!!!
MEDIASTRIKE!!!
Goddammit!!!
Turn your fucking TVs off, off O-F-F!!!
And starve the media out.
(Just thought I’d mention it. I no longer have any faith whatsoever that media addicts can quit. Hell…most of them do not even know that they are addicted. Do you.)
Sleep well.
A(rrr)G(h)!!!
Hey Arthur, yeah you are right, and I don’t even think anyone thought we had a snowballs chance in hell of doing that for one second, but at least we expressed our outrage. So yeah I sure need to turn off the TV but as you say I am an addict.
Goddamnit.
AG
Then tune off ABC. I just wrote them and notified them. Just like I did with Fox, so I will do with them.
AG
Good advice, AG. I called two weeks ago and canceled my DirecTV. I’m putting the old UHF antenna back on the roof for the university PBS station. Other than that, I don’t care to participate any more.
Oh, Indiana!!!
If only I could hear that about 5 million times!!!
We could change the world.
Really.
Change the world.
AG
he Orange Place says that scholastic will pull apart from ABC
On msnbc they are waiting for a response to Clinton’s demands the movie be pulled.
I am so glad to hear that Cruz!! I have supported Scholastic Inc in so many ways over the years with boook fairs and such at schools… and haven’t been involved for a few years. I’ve been a flaming basket case since I read that they’ve become a GOP tool.
Hi DJ!! How are you? Rather than Texas, they are now saying: don’t mess with the net roots!! π
Already signed it π
Bunch of Bush Progoganda Media Slaves is what they are.