i have started to get caught up on my reading of folk's blogs- because i hate not being able to do so more often. i like to take sunday mornings and start going down the blogroll- and then finish up in the evening. it helps me to reconnect and i learn so much. truth be told- it gets the juices flowing and i can think of stuff to write about other than my cats :) so- in lieu of recent events- seems like there are always recent events anymore- i figured i should add my two cents worth.
i watched(finally) v for vendetta last night- and if you haven't seen it- see it. the screenplay is magnificent and hugo weaving is one of my favorite actors anyway. no- you don't get to see his face at all in the movie and that is cool. natalie portman is, as always, excellent. i found the movie inspiring and the fact that the words used in the script were real words. not slang- not monosyllables- but the real deal. real honest to goodness english. it was like balm on a rash. anyhoo- see it. i intend to buy it.
which leads me to the un and hugo chavez. i admire the man- not necessarily for his politics because i think he is too far left- but for the balls he has. he has been going toe to toe with bushco for quite some time now- and for him to call bush the devil- in new york city- well, at the risk of pulling a bill maher- that took courage. i think that he shouldn't have resorted to name calling per se- but hey- it got the attention that he wanted it to- so i guess that that was the intent.
torture- ah yes. you have a different opinion of torture when you aren't on the receiving end. i prefer to imagine what it is like to be on the receiving end and work towards not doing it. better to err on the side of human rights. unfortunately, the folks on the right of things think it is ok to torture people who aren't americans. we amercans mean so much more- and hey- if torturing 10 people gets 1 to talk- it was worth it right? as long as it isn't americans. my question is- what are you going to do when it is americans? are you going to feel the same way when it is a fellow american who doesn't agree with whoever is in charge of the government? why do you folks on the right think that this government is so benevolent? they have bold faced lied, cheated, stole, murdered- and yet- this is the party of values? convince me. don't give me the tired argument that folks on the left are just as bad. prove it to me. not ancient history- recent stuff- and i don't buy that bill clinton is the blame for everything on the planet. explain to me how torturing and/or killing people is the best plan for america. explain to me how we can 'compromise' on the value of one human life over another. who gets to decide whose life is worth more? and don't you think that that is why most of the rest of the world is fed up with the way america is operating these days?
15 comments:
That's a great Sunday round-up. ""V For Vendetta" is a great movie- parallels, parallels.
I constantly catch myself wondering how could it have come this far in 6 years. Then I look at the perpetrators. Then I think about the 2+ years we have left and that they're on a roll with all of this increasing seemingly exponentially.
The Democrats are in really good shape for the Mid-Terms (I know- could be/should be better), but I can't help but wonder WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, that is to say, what the neo-cons "have up their collective sleeves"- the minor (subplots if you will) tricks like the gasoline prices/"swiftboating" and the major attention grabbing IS OSAMA DEAD?- and then the potential "threat" of another attack here in the U.S.- FEARMONGERING AT ITS BEST.
They can stretch these ploys out for long enough to mesmerize the media and the masses. I don't want to wake up on Wednesday November 8 with yet another nightmare.
I agree V for Vendetta is an excellent film. Natalie Portman was excellent (the last thing I saw her in was Garden State which I hated with a passion!). The film maintains the basic story of the original comic (or should that be graphic novel) but it does turn many of the story lines around. That said it is a good film version. Well worth seeing.
Chavez is another matter. Watching him cozying up to Ahmadinejad makes me think rather less of him.
Anyway, enjouy your Sunday Betmo
Batmo....So good to be back and reading your thoughts. Good stuff and a great perspective, as usual, especially on the torture front.
I personally don't like the reason that some give for not torturing others. That is, that if we allow torture, then Americans will be tortured if captured. I believe we simply should not torture another human being, period. Not because of what they'll to to "our" troops, but because torture is inhumane and not at all the right thing to do.
I worked with Natalie Portman when she was 15 years old on a movie entitled "Beautiful Girls". Matt Dillon, Timothy Hutton, Lauren Holly and Uma Thurman also were in it. Check it out if interested. Google 'Beautiful Girls'. It was filmed in 1996 in Minneapolis. I worked special effects and made the snow for most of the winter scenes. The story was about a bunch of guys who worked plowing snow, go figure.
Hugo Chavez is a hero. He says things that people are thinking. He says things the Democrats don't dare to say. I agree, name calling isn't the best decorum, but I wish I could say these things and know that George is gonna hear it.
Keep at it. As usual you provoke thought and keep us thinking.
Peace to all.
Your blog is such a reference for me, Betmo...with your extensive blogroll (my new word for today), I always come here for all of the interesting blogs..so how many times have I been here today...do I dare ask?
Thanks for your comment on isamericaburning.
I found the link to the Mars Hill Church in Seattle which led me straight to Echidne of the Snakes and her post.
I went back and updated the post since you left your comment.
Re your post - I'm with Chuck. They're going to pull something. You wouldn't believe (or maybe you would) how nasty the CA campaigns are becoming. Jerry Brown needs to counteract some of the horseshit (I was around when he was "Governer Moonbeam" (heck, I was around when his daddy was governor for that matter). They've been trying to crucify him ever since.
The Attorney General of CA wields a very big stick. The guy running against Jerry is a neo-con.
The fact that we are a super power and the process of how we make laws allows for the opening of such immoral laws to be made.
This process lays the responsibility at the peoples feet.
This is why we must become more involved in our political process, be more responsible for the people we elect, and be prepared to impeach those that break the law and/or the values of freedom we represent.
The fact that crack boy is prepared to state legally that torture is legal, moral, and how to do it - ruins our credibility throughout the world.
This man should have been impeached long ago. Our failure to impeach him, makes us as a people criminally negligent.
betmo, I'll try to see "V for Vendetta," per your good review. Yes, Rove and Company will pull something out of the air at the last minute. We all can about predict about what it will look like. Regarding torture: I think an additional reason we should not do it or allow it is this. It does awful things to the perpetrator as well as the victim. I am a retired therapist who can visualize the PTSD symptoms those people might get later as a result of their "work." It is abusive of the government to ask citizens to do this in our name.
V for Vendetta - YES! Somethings were too close to today to be comfortable and I'm sory about the way it had to be resolved, but yes - great movie. As for Chavez, did you hear the one - chavez suggested the UN should be taken out of the United States and Bush said, "Well, tht would leave us with ited States. I don't think that'll work."
sounds about like the brain fart- um the brainshrub. :)
I too am afraid they'll do something re the midterm elections. But then:
the 2004 election amounted to a coup d'etat, as I keep reminding myself to steady my nerves: what 'might' happen has already started, we're already in what will be (although some of us are still sheltered from it worst effects)...
Haven't seen vendetta yet; but heard nothing buy good about it.
(I sadly think that the "October Surprise" will be Iran) Agreeing with Time; Impeach him.
Thanks for your little notes when you stop by!
I loved the movie Beautiful Girls and V for Vendetta was amazing. Read here for further details.
As for Chavez, his speech was awesome. It’s funny how much of the world knows about US behavior. It would be great if some people in the states could start to see it. I have read the Chomsky book and he is right: I would highly recommend it.
Chavez was awesome! I loved it! Iran better watch out, the day gets closer. Make no mistake about it, that is the October suprise!
OK, admittedly, I did not love the movie. BUT you MUST read the graphic novel/comic. Alan Moore damns conservatism in that work. I was actually surprised how much of the story they preserved (I fully expected the "gays came first" storyline to be removed or watered down). On the plus side, it was far more faithful than, say, From Hell. But trust me, the original is better.
Tell Sophie "meow" for me. Too bad, the people who really need to see "V," either won't watch it or won't get it.
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