Exploiting 9/11
You may have noticed that Stageleft marked Sept. 11th with a day of silence. We thought it was the only way to avoid even the appearance of exploiting an event that should be beyond partisan showmanship.
Too bad our Prime Minister couldn’t resist the impulse to turn the anniversary into a sales pitch for George and Steve’s Excellent Adventure. Vulgar, oportunistic, and sadly predictable.
Next time, Mr. Harper, simply stand on a pile of corpses…that’ll give you more height.
“Next time, Mr. Harper, simply stand on a pile of corpses…that’ll give you more height.”
In essence he did. The speech so predictably named the relatives of grieving Canadians who lost loved ones in the tragedy. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t as bad as the “desert of despotism” Bush foolishness but Harper has learned the art of capitalizing on fear.
Unfortunately, very few people took the opportunity to shut up yesterday. One anti-religion organization used it to trash all religions. Keith Olbermann used it to call for Bush’s impeachment. Dems and Republicans sent e-mails to their bases reminding us of how each of the other has “forgotten” what 9/11 means, and how the country isn’t safer. Bush jumped on the camera last night to talk about fucking Iraq and tell us that “regardless of the mistakes made, the worst mistake would be pulling out.”
Blah blah blah.
God forbid they all shut up for one day.
In fact, the only people we didn’t have to hear from yesterday was those partisan widows who turned in to Kerry shills during the last election and campaigned from the top of their husbands’ tombstones.
At least someone didn’t use the day inappropriately.
Unfortunately with you guys heading into November elections and us heading into the last stages of a Liberal leadership campaign, there’s going to an acute shortage of Shut-Up in the land, I fear.
How is remembering innocent fellow civilians that died in
your country “vulgar, predictable and sadly opportunistic”?
I fear we’re going to see even more 9/11 victim porn as the Republicans get even more desperate. It has never ceased to amaze me how low the rightists will sink in trying to assure their preservation. I really believe these people are hiding something big.
I couldn’t listen or watch and ended up taking refuge in my Cinderella, Black Crowes, Pat Savage, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath collection….. with back-to-back reruns of Miami Ink on Spike TV to occupy my evening.
The (Right)WingNuts have turned it into a reason to bash anyone who doesn’t agree wholeheartedly with their point of view and agenda – we’re apparently all lily livered, anti-freedom and democracy, Arab hating, cowards…. and after the 25th fake emotional choke-up for the masses I switched to Air America.
— that was a mistake, there I found that the (Left)WingNuts had turned it into a reason to bash anyone who doesn’t agree wholeheartedly with their point of view and agenda – they’re all war mongering nut jobs out to make a buck who hate Arabs….. and after the 25th fake outraged for the masses I went to WinAmp.
I wonder if every August in Japan there’s a week long parade of news casts, ‘documentaries’, and political WingNuts, using that tragedy for their own little political purposes?
Next year I fully expect to see some guy on TV in a bad suit, 10 gallon hat, riding an elephant, and selling used cars with the slogan “flatter than the twin towers financing, our prices can fall no lower”.
Cinderella?
Wow…
“How is remembering innocent fellow civilians that died in
your country “vulgar, predictable and sadly opportunisticâ€? ”
Because the way in which politicians such as Stephen Harper and George Bush choose to “remember them” is to use them as props in photo ops. Because their cohorts use them and the events of that day to further their agenda, which I’m sure you would agree, even if you are completely retarded, has been filled with lies, miscalculations and mismanagement.
As for the general public as a whole, the industry surrounding 9/11 documentaries, movies, interviews, recaps, pins, flags, etc., etc., is booming. Yesterday, you would be hard-pressed to not find a TV station that didn’t have some sort of showcase special on 9/11. The worst trend is the pathetic “documentaries” that take painstaking care in attempting to recreate the minute by minute horror these people endured before their death, simply to sell the commercial time in between.
It is an auspicious day, and should be treated with respect, and not exploited. I totally agree with the statement that silence, to indicate what we have lost and who we should remember on that day is far more fitting than the crass actions of many who should know better.
Did anyone watch “The Falling Man” on CBC last night?
To me, it spoke more about 9/11 than all of yesterday’s speeches and writings.
“The Falling Man” spoke of the depths of desperation and of the heights of hope. Also, it spoke of our individual freedom of choice and how society and individuals respond to individual choice. It contains a surprising twist and speaks well of the determination of people’s search for truth.
Try to see it if you can.
To the CBC: Stories like this are the reason Harper and his supporters would see you taken off the air. Keep on Keepin’ On CBC!
“How is remembering innocent fellow civilians that died in
your country “vulgar, predictable and sadly opportunisticâ€?”
That’s not the vulgar, predictable and sodly opportunistic part jeff. Usng it as a sales pitch for your particular party’s policies, while standing with families and veterans is.
If Stephen Harper wants to sell his vision of leadership and his ideas on how the Afghanistan war should be prosecuted, he should do it where he is supposed to do it – in the House of Commons, not on live TV. He should do it in the House where he and O’Connor can be questioned on it, in Question Period or in commitee and then allow a real, binding free vote on it (you know, like he promised during the election).
Otherwise he is just as guilty of exploiting and using the 9\11 Anniversary as anyone else. And that is digusting.
with back-to-back reruns of Miami Ink on Spike TV to occupy my evening.
My husband’s quote about Miami Ink (which he sometimes enjoys): “For a bunch of guys invested in macho, they sure are drama queens.”
*g*
A “sales pitch”. Interesting. But allow me to frame this to you in another context. Let’s say you go to a family friend’s funeral. He was murdered in cold blood by a man that was out on day parol. Would you consider it a sales pitch if a member of the family spoke of the need to strengthen our criminal justice system?
Hey Locusta, I saw “Falling Man”.
It was a really interesting take on the whole thing. Not at all what I expected, although the weird passion the photog had for this photo was a little unnerving. But, all in all, a good show.
Throbbin, yes it was a little unnerving to say the least. Tom Junod is the kind of journalist we used to have: someone who would tie up all the loose ends. Someone for whom the story wasn’t told until every last truth or lie was uncovered.
It was awesome, IMO, that he carried on his investigation and eased the pain of the family first identified as the family of “The Falling Man” photo taken by Richard Drew. Junod went on to find the real identity of “The Falling Man” and ease that family’s pain. This journalist also made it clear that there were more “falling people” whose stories might never be known. Why? Partly because the Bush administration forbade the publishing of pictures of other “falling” people.
Canada deserves journalists like this man.
In the face of policies like Bush and Harper are trying to implement, journalists worth their salt will be more precious than gold.
P.S. I might have said before, the name Locusta emersonia loses its cachet without the “emersonia” attached. I prefer not to be an everyday sort of bug. Without the emersonia it has no meaning. Locusta: a once in a while infestation does not really do me justice, does it?
I shall change my name to Hazel or Marg or Mudd as soon as David Emerson runs in an election somewhere and wins!
“Partly because the Bush administration forbade the publishing of pictures of other “falling†people.
Canada deserves journalists like this man.
In the face of policies like Bush and Harper are trying to implement, journalists worth their salt will be more precious than gold.”
Oh that’s precious. So somehow allowing the publishing of pictures of people falling to their deaths is okay and journalists that allow this are to be commended. This passes the “Vulgar, oportunistic, and sadly predictable” sniff test in the left’s eyes. Good grief. And you even managed to blame Bush for NOT ALLOWING THEM TO BE USED AS PROPS OR PHOTO OPS in the same ridiculous sentence….
Jeff, the truth is never just a prop. People using the truth to prop up a lie is ridiculous.
Shock and Awe was all over the media. No worries there, eh? Those houses, hospitals and factories, PEOPLE! blown up and transmitted to the media were what? What?
You better hang on to you own precious Jeff, your argument won’t hold water. Bush allowed the blowing up of entire cities to be flashed all around the world 24/7 and yet tried to hide the real, gritty, average joe reality. Tried to make it hidden, pushed aside and covered up.
“Bush allowed the blowing up of entire cities to be flashed all around the world 24/7 and yet tried to hide the real, gritty, average joe reality. Tried to make it hidden, pushed aside and covered up.”
First of all, what on earth would Bush have to gain by hiding pictures and footage of the “falling man”? Wouldn’t he WANT the world to see this?
Second, do you know how ridiculous it is to even suggest Bush is to blame for the networks not airing these disturbing images? Is there anything that Bush ISN’T to blame for? Anything?
Jesus, LE… Use your brain. If anything, Bush wants you to constantly live in a state of “this could happen again.” Hiding any of the 9/11 imagery would be totally counter to the consistent argument that the left makes that he exploits it.
The fact is Bush wants you to live, eat, sleep, breathe, and crap 9/11, because it’s a constant reminder of what he perceives the constant threat to be. It’s in his best interest for you to see those images so much that it blanks out your brain from anything else and brings about a completely visceral and emotional reaction.
Even insinuating anything otherwise proves you understand nothing about the man you so despise.
[...] Amen to Cannuckistan. Stageleft talking about the media bombardment that was the 9/11 morbidity parade yesterday… I couldn’t listen or watch and ended up taking refuge in my Cinderella, Black Crowes, Pat Savage, Judas Priest, and Black Sabbath collection….. with back-to-back reruns of Miami Ink on Spike TV to occupy my evening. [...]