I know most news outlets tend to have a political bias, but I would have figured the Associated Press to be the most impartial. But today I read an AP article that CNN picked up on the release of Fahrenheit 9/11. Most disconcerting to me is at the end of the piece two people, one pro-Bush and one anti-Bush, give their thoughts on the film. Their opinions are predictable, but the part that shook me was that the stringer made a point of describing the pro-Bush viewer as an employed production assistant, while the anti-Bush viewer is still "looking for full-time work." The first time I read it, I sat back and thought, What the hell does that have to do with anything? And that’s why I’m wondering now, was the point of the article to suggest that the opinions of unemployed viewers hold less weight than those of people with jobs? Maybe they’re trying to suggest that unemployed people who like the film are anti-government, or at the very least anti-Bush. Ugh, just read the article for yourself and pay attention to those two quotes.
I haven’t seen Fahrenheit 9/11 yet, but I understand that it partly concerns the atmosphere of terror created by the Bush Administration to push along its own agenda on a public too scared to know any better; and if you don’t agree with it, or even question the motives of Bush & Co., well, you must not love your country very much. It’s pretty stupid reasoning, and most level-headed people would agree, but it seems one can get away with an awful lot by threatening someone else’s patriotism (reminds me of a little trial in Salem a while back).
Speaking on this issue reminds me of a contest that was held earlier this year, Bush in 30 Seconds, it was called, where participants were given the task of creating pseudo-campaign commericals. The winner and the runner-up are worth a look; the latter is especially amusing as it features children spouting off the various proclamations made by Bush to date.
Boy, this section has been unusually political these past few weeks, hasn’t it? That was never my intent when I started posting here more frequently, I can assure you. Usually politics bore me, and while I still feel the Canadian equivalent is rather mundane, the show south of the border has been reaching me on a level somewhere betweeen entertaining and disturbing. Never before have I watched the events of the world unfold and actual feel the ripples through my daily life. Not that it affects us that much up here, but I’ve spoken to more than a few people who have also taken this strange new interest in current politic events (and not just in the U.S.). I think this can be explained, at least partly by the fact that I am an avid reader of the news. This is also an election year, so the press is writing a lot about it. The war in Iraq is ongoing, and that is also in the news a lot. And Michael Moore’s movie has seemingly dragged the entire entertainment community into the Bush debate. I don’t think the lines in the sand have ever been drawn as deeply as they have over this particular president.
This is a long one today, and I apologize for ranting. On the other hand, I’m going away for the weekend (the girlfriend’s sister is getting married on Saturday), so look at it as a little something to tide you over until Sunday.
Take care.
Ian