Friends,
Fahrenheit 911 isn't being released in Wexford, but a friend
got me a bootleg DVD and I gave it a viewing last night. It's
an amazing piece of work, quite at a different level of
cinematic artistry than Roger's previous efforts. I've read
several reviews of the film, but none of them prepared me for
the effectiveness of the presentation, nor did they adequately
describe the fascinating propaganda spin.
The way he presented the 9/11 attack itself was extremely
evocative. By never showing the tower or the planes, he
heightens our awareness and concentration.
Reviewers noted, with some surprise, that the film did very
well with conservative audiences. The reviewers did not seem
to notice that the film was aimed specifically at conservative
audiences, and intentionally played to their prejudices. For
example, one particularly effective sequence shows a series of
handshakes and embraces between the Bush's and various
Arab-garbed Saudis. Roger is making a valid point about
Bush-Saudi connections, but he's also exploiting anti-Arab
sentiment in doing so. But I don't fault him for that--he's
simply hitting Bush back with his own propaganda weapons.
His use of the Rawhide sequences are brilliant. At one level
the sequence is a statement about Bush's cowboy mentality. But
at a deeper level, Roger is showing how these kind of media
images are deeply embedded in our cultural psyche, and how
they contribute to our acceptance of aggressive national
policies.
At the very end, he moves into a whole new dimension of
philosophical expression... beyond Bush, beyond 9/11, he is
commenting on the basic nature of our hierarchical, dominator
society. Good stuff.
---
Several of you will be glad to know that I've finally gotten
hold of a copy of Eisler's 'The Chalice and the Blade'. As you
pointed out, it fills an important gap in my understanding of
the development of civilization. Indeed, it shifts my view
considerably. The promising European neolithic period, and the
dynamics of invading herding societies, gives me a whole new
perspective on the rise of dominator cultures. I especially
like the perspective on Minoan culture. I fell in love with
the Mioans when I visited Knossis. Eisler presents a
well-researched popularization of an entire field of study,
and those are the kind of books I find most useful.
yours,
rkm
--------------------------------------------------------
From: "Claudia Woodward-Rice" <>
To: <•••@••.•••>
Subject: RE: more subscriber dialog...
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 19:51:10 -1000
rkm> You talk about people "taking their tails from between
their legs"... what specifically do you mean by that?
I see far too many people who are submissive and whipped as a
first response to aggression- by political crony groups,
bosses, real estate developers- whatever. You may love them,
but you can't count on them in a fight.
---------
Dear Claudia,
Within the context of a dominator society, I agree that those
with the guts to fight back deserve admiration. But if we
want to escape from the dominator world view, then I don't
think fighters are what we need. Aggression may change who's
on top, but it doesn't eliminate aggression. What we need is
to learn, and to help others learn, how to work together to
build a new culture and a new civilization--based on neither
dominance nor aggression.
cheers,
rkm
--------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 00:51:55 +0800
To: •••@••.•••
From: Betty Daly-King <>
Subject: Re: more subscriber dialog...
Richard - a dose of Paulo Friere 'conscientization' needed?
----------
Dear Betty
Absolutely! Non-aggressive self-empowerment! Friere's work is
discussed in "Gaian Democracies", by Madron & Jopling.
yours,
rkm
--------------------------------------------------------
From: J Fadiman
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2004 19:46:50 EDT
Subject: Re: more subscriber dialog...
To: •••@••.•••
rkm> The human shadow will always be with us. What we need is
a society which does not reward and promote the shadow aspects
of our nature.
brilliant!!!!!
--------------------------------------------------------
From: ernie yacub <>
To: •••@••.•••
Subject: Re: more subscriber dialog...
Date: Wed, 14 Jul 2004 03:39:17 -0700
X-Scanner: OK. Scanned.
Dear Richard,
Thanks for the intellectual stimulation.
rkm> The most impressive applications of local currencies I've
heard about are happening in third world countries. With the
IMF sucking away all the hard currency, local currencies are
enabling economic activity to carry on. Wherever local
currencies are used, I would hope people build on that to
create community solidarity in other ways as well.
the same conditions apply to most of our communities - a very
few (individuals, corporations) have too much money and most
of us don't have enough, so we compete for it, as individuals,
businesses, organizations, communities - it amazes me that
our communities work at all given the way conventional money
sucks and corrupts.
and since it is just a symbol, a token we use to acknowledge
real gifts, we can create our own wherever we are.
i am convinced that community currencies will transform
society - a systemic solution to a systemic problem - hard to
see the transformative potential but it is there - like
eliminating poverty.
at the very least, cc will help us deal with the very hard
times ahead.
cheers
ernie
--
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Richard Moore (rkm)
Wexford, Ireland
_____________________________
"...the Patriot Act followed 9-11 as smoothly as the
suspension of the Weimar constitution followed the
Reichstag fire."
- Srdja Trifkovic
There is not a problem with the system.
The system is the problem.
Faith in ourselves - not gods, ideologies, leaders, or programs.
_____________________________
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