Yesterday I asked a question regarding the upcoming ABC mini-series "Path to 9/11:" Fact or fiction? Let’s go with fiction:
In a posting on ThinkProgress.org, and in a phone interview, Mr. Clarke said no military personnel or C.I.A. agents were ever in position to capture Mr. bin Laden in Afghanistan, nor did the leader of the Northern Alliance get that near to his camp.
“It didn’t happen,” Mr. Clarke said. “There were no troops in Afghanistan about to snatch bin Laden. There were no C.I.A. personnel about to snatch bin Laden. It’s utterly invented.”
Mr. Clarke, an on-air consultant to ABC News, said he was particularly shocked by a scene in which it seemed Clinton officials simply hung up the phone on an agent awaiting orders in the field. “It’s 180 degrees from what happened,” he said. “So, yeah, I think you would have to describe that as deeply flawed.” …
“As we were watching, we were trying to think how they could have misinterpreted the 9/11 commission’s finding the way that they had,” Mr. Ben-Veniste said. “They gave the impression that Clinton had not given the green light to an operation that had been cleared by the C.I.A. to kill bin Laden,” when, in fact, the Sept. 11 commission concluded that Mr. Clinton had. …
But…but…Rush Limbaugh met the 9/11 movie screenwriter on the set of the teevee show "24." Tom Kean thinks it’s peachy keen.
Here’s a reality check: showing something that is not true in a fictional "dramatization" that is being shilled out to schools across America as a fact-based show worthy of study, with handy study guides provided by Scholastic, and that will be broadcast with a weaselly disclaimer including the name of the 9/11 Commission as some justification for all the "fact-esque" pretend bits they’ve inserted into the mini-series – it’s called lying to the public. Period.
Fiction should be clearly labeled as such. And no amount of tap dancing by ABC, the people involved in making the film, or the entire wing-nut scream-o-sphere makes it okay to shill out untrue things THAT DID NOT HAPPEN to the American public about the events leading up to 9/11 excusable. This is not some fictional episodic weekly show spoon fed to the public as "loosely based on real events" — this is a mini-series that ABC and the filmmakers were trying to pass off as based on the 9/11 Commission Report and other real world events — and now we find out that it’s a whole lot of fiction with the occasional fact stuck in to make it appear legitimate.
Label it clearly as non-fact-based fiction, or take out every factually inaccurate scene. It’s that simple.
UPDATE: Atrios reports that President Clinton’s office asked for a copy for his review, and were refused by ABC. Can someone explain to me why Rush Limbaugh and Hugh Hewitt and crew all got a review copy, but President Clinton — whose presidential Administration is featured in the film — is not allowed to see a copy? Has the Bush Administration received review copies? Inquiring minds want to know…
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Fitz!
Lies!
Murtha is currently being interviewed on MSNBC — just FYI everyone.
Christy!
Olbermann!
Fitz!?
Even if it’s labeled as fiction, we all know people will disregard it. Look at the furor over the DaVinci Code. Is there any legal grounds available to halt this thing? A violation of campaign finance law, anything?
NeoCON fantasy
I think for a little perspective, we have to go to that great political philosopher, Tommy Smothers: “Truth is what you get people to believe.”
So I suggest we all wait until the ratings are in and there is some follow up polling before we commit ourselves to whether or not this is fact….
Roddy at 7 — You’ll pardon me if I stick to the old time definition of truth: what the facts show, what the events actually were, what history shows, not how you spin me.
Thanks for the Murtha tip. They should broadcast him speaking on all the major network news shows. How can anyone listen to him speak and NOT be convinced that he knows what he’s talking about?
Take action, dudes:
Path to 9/11 – Big List of Action Contacts
Christy, any chance we can get this up on the front page?
carolyn urban @ 9
??
tell ABC, and afternoon rush hour, precisely what you think:
http://freewayblogger.blogspot.com
This is what Free Speech looks like.
carolyn urban @ 9
???
why the other networks are not running with this story at greater length is beyond me… seems like they could be having a field day at the expense of their competition.
Christy Hardin Smith @
8
Awww. Such a romantic. That’s positively Platonic!
Of course, I agree. Did we miss the post-modern train?
Remember what Daniel Patrick Moynihan said: “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts.”
I just went to the movie’s website/blog, where the screenwriter, Limbaugh’s pal, says:
we have talked to numerous media outlets from the New York Times to the Washington Post, Congressional Quarterly, Reuters, The Washington Times etc.
Note the “we have talked to”; he doesn’t mention which media outlets have been shown the movie. I politely (really) asked for a clarification on this point in the comments.
http://blogs.abc.com/thepathto911/
Geez. I’m going to try that again.
How can anyone listen to him and NOT be convinced that he knows what he’s talking about?
Sorry.
OfT
Moonie financed, wingnut, INSIGHT, is probaby accurate here.
GOP secretly channeled millions to Lieberman
I’m sure Ned has election attorneys/accountants trying to figure out how the GOP is laundering these funds to Joe. On the bright side, every dollar to Joe is one less dollar for Scooter’s, , Delay’s …. Defense fund.
I don’t think a label is good enough.
Creating a lie-based “docudrama” in an
election year is despicable.
Trading on 9/11 like this is unpatriotic.
If they show this I will boycott the sponsors and all corporate entities for the rest of my life.
Whoops, forgive me, Carolyn. Mods! Clean up on aisle 17!
I hear that tommy yum, and next time I’ll reread before submitting.
carolyn urban @ 21
Preview is your friend!
:-)
carolyn urban @ 21
There’s always the ‘edit’ button if you catch it within 5 minutes. ;)
ABC is wrong on this why do republicans think lying is ok IF IT HELPS THEIR SIDE! Maybe its an authoratarian personality thing, or they just worship the king of lies (notice attempt to peel the christian from the conservative) but the END DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE MEANS!
twolf1 @ 23
From what I’ve heard, the edit function isn’t too skippy with ie.
:(
Dr. Bong @
24
The cure for “ie” is firefox or opera
Carolyn — I edited your original post to reflect intent. If everyone can refresh screens, then we’re good to go.
That’s what I find, but it may be the toobz are just twisted at my end.
Fascsim creeps closer as the corporate entities feel emboldened enough to speak and propogandize. This is more than a little scary.
The always impressive Lukery @ http://wotisitgood4.blogspot.com/ is urging all who can to view http://www.911pressfortruth.com/
as an alternate view. (I haven’t seen it yet – evidently it will, upon viewing, remove the “undecideds”)
afterthought @ 26
I have firefox at home, but when I lurky at worky, I gets what they gives me.
Thanks Christy.
Added to this atrocity, they are shoveling this out to school children across America. This is really criminal and unprecendented. It smacks of obviious brainwashing and Scholastic and teachers across America should be held accountable for one of the year’s biggest shams. Perhaps Disney and Phillip Morris ought to join forces.
meta @ 31
That would be smokin’!
Maybe ABC just didn’t give the project the right kick-off press release . . .
9-11.
ABC News can’t handle something that big, so it’s up to ABC Entertainment to tell the story.
“Path to 9/11″ is masterpiece of narrative imagination, a high-flying flight of fancy, a marvel of mindless speculation.
But most of all, it’s a spinsperational tale of hope, brought to you by Mickey, Dopey, Dumbo, and the whole gang at the RNC. (Hope, as in “we hope you all vote GOP in November!”)
Hooww!!! I have spent the last three days catching up and, oh boy, there were plenty of things worth spending time catching up! I have been away from the computer for three weeks and look how much I have lost… I really should arrange a different way to get my daily dose of reality based information on how the world is going (…telepathy maybe). A fundamental part of which is this blog,”the blog with the girls and the gay guys” to use the words of the always funny Trex (…well nearly always , none is perfect (!) not even dinosaurs(!)) … Maybe I did not notice it during my three weeks vacation (yes Italians are a bunch of lazy guys (and gals), take the word from one of them, and they do enjoy their holidays… as anyone trying to do business with Italy in August can easily tell you … :P) when trekking over the Alps (too busy enjoying the view, the air and the sun) but now that I am back at work and to the “civil” world I can see that I have really become attached to your community and to the sound minded people that are part of it even being and outsider and a foreigner.
And one really needs some good signs nowadays: the international scene seems to be getting slightly better from some points of view, for once also with the contribution of my country (the decision of Italy to go into Lebanon with the ONU force is a controversial and difficult one for me since war in any form scares and disgusts me, but it is in a completely different league than participating in the disaster that Iraq was meant to become from the beginning with the hope of getting a share of the oil booty, as astonishingly admitted by the right wing Defense Minister Martino (I am not joking you can google it, he said that in a interview and spent the following months desperately denying it) of the now gone (never soon enough) right wing Berlusconi government. Still is really difficult to understand why Europe seems to be alone in this mediation: Condoliza Rice and the USA are conspicuously absent with real contributions from this attempt to settle the region and take some peace back to the middle east. Don’t get we wrong I know quite well than this cease fire is weak and fragile as a baby and that the whole middle east can easily blow up in mere days. There is no way this quagmire can be sorted out without the direct intervention of the USA, which is rightly enough, the only superpower left: USA has always a mayor player in the evolution of the world and seeing it give up its diplomatic influence on the base of the aggressive neocon agenda is a dreadful sight. I am deeply convinced that if the world has any hope to reach a more stable condition this can be achieved only with the collaboration of USA and Europe. I know quite well that Europe is very far away from being a coherent political player and that our European governments should work much harder to find a common voice and overcome the bitter divisions, but the failing of the USA to live up to its tradition (admittedly not always spotless (South America anyone ?) but as I have said perfection is not of this world, commitment and redemption are what makes the difference, in my humble opinion) of being a major player on the peace keeping of the world really leaves little space for optimism toward peace.
Still what we have from Bush is insane babbling about waging war on Syria and Iran and we get speeches like the one by Rumsfeld comparing dissent for war and government to appeasing the Nazi. I do not know if you are aware how dreadfully similar this behavior patter is to the one of the totalitarian regimes that have plagued Europe (and Italy specifically) during the 1900: labeling the dissenters as “traitors” is a first step of a road I am really hoping your country will be strong enough not go down This is one of the few points I found myself disagreeing with John Dean: I am afraid that if the current generation do not strongly push back against the rhetoric of the BushCo the USA will end up “boarding the bus” of fascism… By the way I have read the 3 posts of the “CWC” Salon top to bottom and I really enjoyed every single minutes of the hour(s) I have spent reading those posts and discussions… I am reading Dean’s books for the second time just to follow up what I have discovered there: mega-kudos to Jane, Mr. Dean, Mr Greenwald (Unclosed Territories is one of the best blog around, with the only let down of some toxic trolls ruing the otherwise interesting discussions following the great post by Glenn) and to all the other people involved in that miraculously interesting and compelling discussion…
On top of that you have “propaganda” movies being trumped over the media as truthful (”truish” would be a better term.. God bless Colbert!!) and “informative”: again a scaring similarity to the not so far away past that Europe lived. What I see happening really is heartbreaking: as I have already wrote in the past, all over Europe long gone is the idealistic idea of the USA as the “Freedom Country” and that for my generation (kimba1970… so you can guess my age) is really is a huge let down…
How well I have pestered you enough, I go back lurking…
Peace.
P.s : Since I really need to share this with someone: this night (0.22 a.m) my nephew was born… Luca, 3.01 Kg, 52.8 cm long, black hair and blue eyes for the moment, a powerful voice that can shatter glass… Let’s hope the world of his future is going to be better that the actual one!
The Scholastic thing is really disturbing me. Don’t know if anyone’s seen this but Scholastic has a 9/11 Discussion Guide. *gag* On the fifth anniversary of 9/11, The Path to 9/11 (an ABC miniseries that details the historical events leading up to 9/11, beginning with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing) will air as a nationwide broadcast. This dramatization of events is based on The 9/11 Commission Report, published in July 2004 . . . *gag*
Can’t help but notice ABC touts the commission credentials, when previously they willy nillyed about straying from the actual matter in the report.
Meta – I agree. I think that is the worst part of this whole mess.
Updated above gang: ABC has refused to give a review copy to President Clinton to view, Atrios is reporting. Any reporters out there find out if the Bush Administration got a review copy?
Welcome back, Kimba1970! I really enjoy the perspective of FDL’s “foreign correspondents” – keep it coming.
So is there any legal way to derail this turd express?
meta @ 32
As I understand it, the teaching materials are designed for students in grades 7-12. I think most of these students are old enough that teachers should be able to use this incident to teach them a valuable lesson about media manipulation and propaganda, by contrasting what ABC wants them to believe with the truth. So, teachers, use those materials–but use them wisely.
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2….._0905.html
Peterr @ 34
That’s a masterpiece! Please, please float this around.
OT Is http://www.Joe2006.com down or back to the ‘old’page?
The distribution in schools, I agree, is the scariest part of this, as are the “study” guides that are so right-leaning as to fall from their own weight. The teacher’s unions should be heard from.
OTOH, with the debut of Sunday night football on NBC with the Giants and Colts, and the debut of a Monday night doubleheader of NFL football on the next night on ESPN, we’re not looking at blockbuster ratings for this special.
CBS is re-playing the special they showed in 2002 of the original filmmakers who just happened to be there that day — if you have not seen it, you really should turn off the phone, set aside the time and let it wash over you. Disturbing, potentially for kids, but the unvarnished truth of the day.
Also, most of America has moved on. Here in the NY Metro area, we are inextricably entwined in that day forever, but it’s not the same elsewhere.
I, for one, plan to watch CNN pipeline’s free replay of the live coverage of the day 5 years ago, starting at 8:30am. I think watching it will be fascinating in the retrospectroscope.
Christy,
“Let’s Go With Fiction…”
This is a prime example of Repugs and their “truthiness”.
For those who struggle with just what “truthiness” means, here tis:
“Truthiness – From Wikipedia,
Stephen Colbert announces that “The WORD” of the night is “truthiness,” during the premiere episode of The Colbert Report. Truthiness is a satirical term coined by Stephen Colbert in reference to the quality by which a person claims to know something intuitively, instinctively, or “from the gut” without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or actual facts”.
Reality has long since departed the scene in the Repugs’ worldview.
Hopefully, the Repugs will too exit “stage left” come November!
Oh Christy, can that possibly be true?? This is an outrage! How could they deny President Clinton a review??????? As Jennifer Nix, relayed – are they just out of dubs? This is really dispicable.
kirby, is the CBS show the documentary by those 2 French guys who were actually working on a documentary on the fire department at the time? If so, that is an incredible piece of work. Full of integrity and truth and an amazing depiction of what happened to ordinary citizens.
Don’t be so sure that teachers will be the beachhead here — many will be delighted to have an official backup for their right-wing views.
Why haven’t we heard from Lee Hamilton on this? Unless he’s under anesthesia or in a coma, he can’t be totally out of reach. How about inviting Richard Ben-Veniste for a chat here?
Fro @ 8:12 am, thanks for that link of contacts. Many companies yet to contact…
Please don’t think people will disregard this as just another tv movie. They will not — this will be touted as fact and with ABC giving it to schools nationwide, THIS WILL BECOME THE OFFICIAL RECORD. We must DEMAND ABC PULL THIS SHOW! This must be the official demand of all of us. Call the President of ABC, Alex Wallau 212-456-6580 (his direct line) and call your democratic reps to demand they pressure ABC to kill the show.
Can we get some Exec. phone numbers? Aravosis hit Ford hard when it implemented anti-gay policies by flooding inboxes, faxes and voicemails of as many Ford Execs as possible. There’s still time to carpet bomb ABC’s phone lines and emails. Any ideas?
meta at 48 — you are correct about it being the French filmmakers. On at the same time as this monstrosity from ABC on Sunday night.
http://www.cbs.com/specials/911/
Someone on one of the threads yesterday said Lee Hamilton is in Iraq. Guess he planned it that way.
Come on now people – all of the so called “historical dramas” made in the US are largely fiction to make some Americans look good and everybody else evil. See the brutal British in “The Patriot” or the daft submarine flick U-571 with it’s American heroes (sorry guys, you weren’t at war at the time).
Hamilton is in Iraq? What? They don’t have phones or satellite links there?
Link to: Richard Ben-Veniste says 9/11 Com didn’t find what ABC film claims:
http://public.cq.com/public/20060905_homeland.html
meta @
32
To me the Scholastic ’study aid’ aspect is most disturbing — like a bomb that hits, then starts burrowing. Even if the bomb looks like a dud, it’s that later damage that w/b the worst.
Someone also pointed out on a previous thread that the target looks like ’security moms’ (non-football fans) and it will impact big with Christian schools and home schoolers. Anyone know how many kids are in not in public schools where parent/public pressure can be applied? (tin foil hat on) Come the revolution, where are *they* gonna turn for soldiers?
First impression of MSNBC’s all-day election palooza:
Have only seen about a half hour of it, but I’m afraid it may be a sham – one whole day dedicated to running down democrats and pumping up republicans ahead of the midterms.
I couldn’t believe the PR piece they just did for Santorum – Casey is weak, Santorum is strong, no mention of anything negative on Santorum, and we know there’s plenty. Showed a couple favorable Santorum clips from MTP. Made sure they emphasized that the polls are tightening fast, blah blah blah. Then, at the end of the piece they quoted Santorum’s staff as saying, “it’s always a close race and Santorum always wins.”
I just don’t like the tone so far – at all.
Anybody else watching this? Whaddya think?
I have to absolutely agree the Scholastic tie-in is the scariest part of all this. I remember how impressionable I was in school and I’m sure kids today are just the same. Of all the dirty tricks, this one -really- pisses me off.
I can see one silver lining: prograssive-minded parents would definitely sit their kids down for a chat about this. Dialogue in the family is always good.
FWIW, the big dawg, imo has zero leverage on this. Dopey and Mickey…. say Clinton was responsible for 9/11. Even for Clinton to deny it, gives it far more dignity than it deserves.
I bet Clinton has called Joe several times to ask him for payback wrt Bill’s campaigning against Ned for him. Bill’s learning what we already knew, Joe’s a
fuckingturncoat.Maybe this will get Bill into CT to campaign AGAINST Joe.
I think this is a great opportunity for us to show the big dawg some support. Nobody’s blaming us for 9/11, yet, so we have the imprimatur of impartiality to
bash the helloffer our sincere and very serious criticism of Disney/ABC and theiridiot/apathetic/lazyshareholders who made a $40,000,000 taxable contribution to the neocons. They can’t find any sponsors,stupid enough to buy advertising.Spoke with Ben-Veniste’s secretary link and she told me to write him an e-mail. I begged him to be more vocal and public on this.
I’m so late to work, thanx to fdl
got to go
neurophius @ 41
I respectfully disagree, neo. I’m not so sure a 12 year old can make such distinctions. And why highlight such a fiasco when it may have the intended effect for those students who can’t understand such a grossly overstated political manipulation? There’s about 34% of adults out there that wouldn’t be able to see through it all.
everhopeful @ 59
a direct quote from MSNBC’s crap on Santorum – “Santorum is known for his directness”
I am trying so hard to remember but I can’t. Didn’t a network broadcast something slanted like this during 2004? I sort of remember a controversy, but I can’t remember any more about it. Does anyone remember, or am I just confused?
patchandtuc @ 65
Wasn’t that Timothy Bottoms as Bush movie on Showtime? The one where he was chomping at the bit to get back to the WH and take control, but those cowardly military officers kept flying him from rabbit hole to rabbit hole?
windje @ 44
windje: On my computer, using your link, the Joe site is working. The blog is up, including the (very polite) comment that I posted there last night.
Leave it to mentally challenged wingnuts to make Clinton the bad guy rather than Osama Bin Laden. They are really banking on it as the end note to the most shameful story in our history.
I’m posting in the comments section of Joe2006 right now. there’s actually a debate going, but everyone’s got their minds made up. No one’s budging.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M….._&_Maw
Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw LLP, is a large law firm headquartered in Chicago with offices in the United States and Europe. It was formed by the combination of the U.S. law firm Mayer, Brown & Platt and the UK law firm Rowe & Maw.
trblmkr says
September 6th, 2006 at 8:52 am*
I just trying to piggyback on trblmkr with a little brainstorming. Ben-Veniste’s law firm probably stands to profit from any pub, additional visibility, he gets. If anyone knows their press secretary, PR Firm, that could help get him interviews.
Also, we can Spotlight Christy’s post to Chicago (his law firm has offices in Chicago), DC, Northern VA media and ask them to interview Ben-Veniste or at least call him to get a quote.
As a mother of an 8th grader, you bet I will be talking with her tonight. As she likes to read this blog, and has commented a time or two, if anything develops in her school about this, I’ll make sure she reports back. :)
twolf1 says
September 6th, 2006 at 8:54 am*
everhopeful @ 59
You might appreciate http://driftglass.blogspot.com/ the take of Drifty:
Seriously, Santorum is insane.
Just plain fucking nuts, and the fact that he has been elected to the Senate says vastly less about Little Ricky than it does about Republican voters generally, and the Republican voters of Pennsylvania.
I said once upon a time that, somewhere, in a sane Alternate Universe:
Rick Santorum is a crank with a “Kristian Konspiracy Kavalcade” show at 2:00 a.m. on public access cable. His sidekick is a fetus-in-a-jug named Mr. Snubbles, watched only by stoned teenagers who cop a few, cheap laughs at his high good-hair-to-bugfuck-crazy ratio.
Instead he is a Senator.
So what kind of radically undermedicated asylum escapee looks in the dead, button eyes of a Ricky Santorum and sees the pack of mad, sterno-drunk, scripture-gnawing rats behind them, scrabbling all over each other in has vast, empty skull, says , “Yes! That’s the one I want!”
All rational voices are appreciated, no?
I think when you make a deal to distribute the film to schools and provide teaching materials for lessons based on the film, you have lost the argument that the film merely uses the 9/11 Report as just a jumping-off point for a creative exercise.
And when is the last time a network, which presumably already paid a tidy sum for the right to broadcast a movie, then decided to do so without commercial sponsorship? That has to add up to far more than just the lost ad revenue. I remember when Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan were broadcast – it was on a “limited commercial interruption” basis.
I think, by the time this film airs, it is going to be an object of derision, and ABC and Disney are going to be in hot water with their stockholders and the viewing public, all of which is going to put them in a bad spot with advertisers who may no longer feel they should pay top dollar to advertise on a network with a compromised reputation.
How can this not be killing the News division at ABC? How is this any different from what the CBS News division went through after Dan Rather’s National Guard story debacle?
I guess we can measure how far things have fallen when the networks can no longer be trusted with the truth.
Are you fucking kidding me? ABC won’t give an advance copy a 2-term President of the United States? I’m saying it here. I hate these bastard stan spawn called the neo-cons and all they have done, are doing.
Rant over, for now.
LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT LAWSUIT
meta @
64
Meta’s right, that is just the age when kids are likely to get passionate without being critical. No coincidence that ‘adult’ Baptism and Confirmation are done at ages 12 to 14! Also, there are lots of things that will just slip into the unconscious. I remember how shocked I was when I saw a real photo of a bunch of cowboys ca 1870 from, I think, the Smithsonian. There were black guys, there were Native Americans and some wore (gasp) bowler hats!
meta @ 64
I respectfully disagree. Kids are much savvier to obvious manipulation than you think. This generation has grown up innundated by overtly obvious advertising pitches. Key word, obvious. They are much more sophisticated then we were at that age.
Northern Observer @ 76
looseheadprop, an attorney, said the same thing yesterday. Either a civil law suit, or there are numerous jurisdictions that can investigate. There are also levels of concern wrt the fiduciary responsibility of Disney/ABC to its shareholders.
jayt @ 73
Diebold?
Thanks jayt at 9:03 for the link.
meta @ 64
I agree, meta, that some 12 year olds may not be able to make such distinctions. It is outrageous and shameful that Scholastic is participating in this hoax. But I believe wise teachers could make use of the incident to teach (1) what is truth? and (2) don’t believe everything the medida tells you. A lot of those kids are going to be watching the show, and they need to hear another voice–a rational one. Maybe the Scholastic materials would work for that and maybe they would not, but the lesson can still be taught, to those students that wise teachers think can handle it.
The thing that really concerns me about this is the part of the plan to distribute this propaganda to schools. This reminds me very much of the push around “Intelligent Design” and other far right initiatives. It’s clear that if you get something into schools for mass distribution among a population that is not equipped to exercise any sort of critical thought or evaluation, it will end up coming off as historical fact. Kids exposed to this will be growing up with a mythologic and innacurate view of what happened that just happens to support a Neo-conservative world view. That is not an unintended consequence. Can we do anything to prevent this fiction from being release to schools as factual?
What we have here is an excellent example of Republican propaganda, and we should play it up as such:
— factual distortion
— prepared backoff: It’s just a docudrama
— $40,000,000 of tax-deductable (i.e., expensible) coporate sponsorship of Republican propaganda
— unfair use of public airways
— ABC and Tom Kean squandering their credibility in support of this nonsense.
— Another corporate sponsor pitching this mere docudrama to public education as fact.
Well on the one hand, none of these kids can vote until they’re 18. Maybe by the time they’re 18 they’ll all remember the crap shoved down their throats by ABC and the Republicans and this effort to influence the worldview of these youngsters will backfire considerably.
Franken is ragging on this movie, reading excerpts of the 9/11 report that contradict their version. Maybe, just maybe, this could blow up in their faces big time.
Glenn Greenwald weighs in on this topic with another worthwhile post:
http://glenngreenwald.blogspot…..html#links
HotFlash says
September 6th, 2006 at 9:10 am
Diebold?
I’m sorry, but I don’t know what you mean.
Madelein Albright and Sandy Berger have also been refused copies.
Some of those left-wing liberals in Hollywood that we keep hearing about from the right should make a “docudrama” portraying PNAC, pre-Bush, saying that the country needs another event like Pearl Harbor in order to make possible the kind of takeover they are planning, and then the Clinton administration warning the incoming Bush administration about al-Qaeda and the Bushites systematically ignoring it–PDB, “you’ve covered your ass,” etc. Oh, wait–that would not be a “docudrama,” it would be the historical truth.
wrt the lie being distributed in schools via Scholastic, recall these words uttered by Rove and brought to light by Sidney Blumenthal:
Offstage, beforehand, Rove and Bush had had their library tours. According to two eyewitnesses, Rove had shown keen interest in everything he saw, and asked questions, including about costs, obviously thinking about a future George W Bush library and legacy. “You’re not such a scary guy,” joked his guide. “Yes, I am,” Rove replied. Walking away, he muttered deliberately and loudly: “I change constitutions, I put churches in schools …” Thus he identified himself as more than the ruthless campaign tactician; he was also the invisible hand of power, pervasive and expansive, designing to alter the fundamental American compact.
(emphasis mine)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/…..66,00.html
As a longtime mac and ipod user and as a longtime apple stockholder, I filed a complaint with the customer service division at apple yesterday. Essentially, the apple istore, in combination with Disney and ABC TV, has agreed to offer free downloads of Path to 9/11 at the apple istore video section, beginning September 10.
my complaint has been given a number, but no calls back. I warned apple that the story is all over the blogs, and as the movie loses cred, their stock could take a dip.
meta @ 69
Let us not forget how the Goopers howled “Wag The Dog!” long and loud every time Bubbah tried to take action against the Jihadis.
_
There are two things networks and studios understand: bad press, and money. So –
1) Keep asking ABC: Why did you lie? Why did you lie? Why did you lie? Keep posting. Keep making noise. Keep being outraged. Attack attack atack.
2) Disney: BOYCOTT, BOYCOTT, BOYCOTT. They don’t give a mouse’s ass about truth, but they sure as hell care about their bottom line. Can we make it an official battle cry? “Just say no to Disney!”
sorry about the weird double post, guys.
Tell ABC to tell the truth:
http://thinkprogress.org/tellabc
The #1 rule of self defense it to realize you are being attacked. This is an attack. Putting your trust in ‘wise teachers’ to defend kids is rather like ‘praying for peace’ — a way to feel good about not doing anything concrete. How about making an alternate study guide available for download? I can do the html and provide space and (some) free bandwidth. I could get it on google within a couple of days. Anybody?
percy @ 94
Death to Mickey Mouse! hehe
But now that I think about it, perhaps a vocal and filmed destruction of Disney themed toys would be newsworthy.
Disney, ABC contacts:
http://www.disneyabctv.com/datvg_contacts_disp/
flood ‘em with calls and letters!
Sounds like it should be called a “Bush Faithful 9/11 Lullalie”.
windje @
44
It’s up. Here’s one of the comments that had me riding the roflcopter :) :
Just to remind everyone of the Spotlight feature. If you really want a quick and easy way to communuicate with ABC, try it out. I did yesterday and it worked great.You can find the spotlight link at the bottom of each post.
That said, there’s still nothing like calling them up on the phone and asking pointed questions.
HotFlash @ 97
HotFlash, I think that is a great idea. I was wishing I knew someone who could do that. I was also thinking that a lot of teachers’ unions are Democratic-Party-oriented, and maybe the unions could be used to spread the word about the alternative guide.
I need to leave for work now. I hope this idea develops.
Millineryman @ 6
NO! NeoCon Propaganda
Is this a prelude to the October surprise, or does it get worse?
I hope Fitz has something for their ass.
jayt @ 88
I mean, maybe he didn’t *really* get elected. What machines were used for voting? Did the exit polls match the election results? as in http://www.blackboxvoting.org I am not familiar with how the voting went last time he was elected, it was before I was paying attention to such things.
I love guys like Ed*ard Teller, who, when a bit pissed, DO SOMETHING about it.
It is, I would submit, something of the FDL effect.
News is submitted here – for persons who no longer simply bitch – but who immediately and reflexively take action.
That’s quite a bit of a something, isn’t it?
my take on best pressure point – apple.
apple’s image is anti-establishment and young, possibly more hip than microsoft and the pc culture. their image and niche depends on being perceived as being that way, along with being innovative. if there is a company involved in this outrage which might be pressured into backing out of participation in the 9/10 – 9/11 LIE, it is apple.
Thanks trueblue for the contacts link.
Kurt @ 101
______
Joe Leaverman statement in the wake of the November election:
“For the good of my constituents in Connecticut and for the nation, I cannot and will not let this decision stand.”
Bring back America Rock!
Folks of a certain age no doubt remember it, and those older or younger ought to check it out. I especially recommend “The Preamble” and “Three Ring Government”. (The site has full lyrics, but only limited audio-only wav files and none of the great animated video.)
Attack - with good music, fun graphics, and (last but not least) the Constitution of the United States of America!
In 1787 I’m told,
Our founding fathers did agree
To write a list of principles
For keepin’ people free.
The U.S.A. was just startin’ out.
A whole brand-new country.
And so our people spelled it out
The things that we should be.
We, the people . . .
Kurt @ 98
Kurt – that’s a kiss-worthy idea. Siun – is fdl or anyone else out there in the position to organize such a political “happening”, with press notification? In LA? Out in front of Disney Studios?
This is from a post on TP.
I think emailing the Chairman of the Board @ Disney is an awesome idea! (slightly evil laughter!)
George Mitchell is Chairman of the Board at parent Disney. He can be reached at his law firm, let him know that this is pretty lousy to condone for a ratings:
george.mitchell@dlapiper.com
Comment by Ed —
jayt @ 106
thanks, jayt!
call apple. ABC won’t budge. Disney won’t budge. Scholastic is getting pressured by teachers here in Aaska. How about teachers in the lower 48? apple will budge if we push.
To understand Scholastic’s role in all this it helps to know that Scholastic distributes Disney’s books for children through the Scholastic Book Club. I am sure there are other areas where their business interests intersect, aside from the 9/11 Study Guide.
http://homeclubs.scholastic.co…..t_id=82692
http://www.book-club-offers.com/wonderful-disney/
BTW someone upthread left italics on, can’t get rid of it.
kristinejob and neo, I agree with your points, too.
God, this is such a mess. I can’t believe Disney is so stupid as to not allow anyone in the Clinton administration to view this spectacle. Are their lawyers insane?
What we really need is a legal injunction. Now.
Is anyone talking Boycott yet? Like all things Disney, the ABC Television network and all of its Prime Time advertisers. I called our local ABC affiliate to express my outrage, and hopefully their entire network of stations is receiving similar feedback.
Disney’s lifeblood has come from producing and showing fantasies. Heck, they even have theme parks and cruiseships that are all about inviting people to all the fantasy they can possibly gobble down.
This is a particularly ugly fantasy with the potential to do enormous harm to our already sullied reputation.
Lots of people go to these theme parks with their kids. Now might just be the time to cancel those planned and expensive adventures to the Magic Kingdoms and tell Disney and the kids and the grandparents why.
Don’t know how Johnny Depp feels about this project, but he has a new Pirates of the Caribbean out and alla those kiddies and adults who were looking forward to it (myself included) might want to give it a pass.
percy @ 111
I may be missing something. Beating up Mickey Mouse or Dopey, or Snow White, might just play into their hands. I fear Rove would turn it into an opportunity to make the neocons (busy defending us from Islamofascists) look like the victims of the feverswamp that is the filthy-mouthed, unwashed, unpatriotic netroots.
I think Rove would love us wasting time attacking Mickey Mouse and Snow White as surrogates for the neocons. Rove will wrap himself and the neocons around Snow White in a heartbeat.
OT, it would piss off Disney shareholders. IMHO, we need the shareholders pissed off at Disney management for
giving,spending $40,000,000 on a miniseries for which they cannot find sponsors.The beauty of the Kiss float imo is that it’s Bush and Joe, no surrogates, no intermediaries.
ed*ard Teller @
107
I agree. What do you think is the best method? I love apple and don’t want them to be involved in this imbroglio whatsoever.
From Lamontblog:
Ned in D.C. this morning said a hypothetical Sen. Lamont (D) wouldn’t back the Senate confirmation of Lieberman as Sec. of Defense:
Replacing Rumsfeld with Lieberman, Lamont said, would be “a lateral move.”…
Pressed on whether he would vote to confirm Lieberman, Lamont said, “I don’t think I would.”
Discussing Lieberman, he said, “I know the man. I respect the man. He’s a man of integrity… but he’s been so wrong on one of the biggest issues of the day.”
In other – non-hypothetical – Senate confirmation news, Sen. Dodd has said he will lead the opposition to the nomination John Bolton to the UN after his recess appointment last year:
He intends to address the Senate Democratic Caucus to make his case, make a speech to the full Senate and argue against approval by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when it meets Thursday.
“My objection isn’t that he’s a bully,” said Dodd, D-Conn., when Bolton appeared before the committee recently, “but that he’s been an ineffective bully and can’t win the day when it really counts.”
I’m going to call my kid’s high school and make real sure they aren’t showing this.
Link to Lamontblog:
http://lamontblog.blogspot.com/
Kurt @ 98
I agree. I think it would be a great to boycott Disney and Disney products not only because they are responsible for this travesty, but also for their continuous marketing blitz aimed at the youngest “consumers”. I particulartly hate the Princesses – idealized Caucasions with wasp waists who have become the icons of the 10 and under set. I have two toddler granddaughters and I don’t want them to become anorexic trying to live up to this “ideal”.
folks,
energy spent hassling apple and scholastic will pay 10 times the dividends of hassling ABC or Disney. when I spoke to apple and scholastic yesterday, they had no idea what was coming down.
it should be obvious to you pups by now that ABC and Disney have millions of $ invested here, and will only dig in, no matter what we do.
ET, maybe I missed something, thread is moving pretty fast. I agree ABC Corporate probably won’t budge. Contacting ABC affiliates, however, still imho, has terrific impact. The affiliates have to tell ABC what they’re hearing from their locals and ABC Corporate has to respond to their affiliates. Since Spotlight makes it so easy for us to find our local ABC affiliates, why not go for it?. JMO.
Lawsuit? lets do it — how do we start? If they (disney_) smell litigation that might make them wake up and take notice.
Thanks Trueblue. I sent some emails. Can this contact put in the front article?
Margot @ 121
ask for the administrator responsible for curriculum. The way this is being fed to teachers is they are being e-mailed by scholastic with an informational about the program. they can then download pdfs and copy them at school.
as this is a bold, brazen attempt to influence the outcome of a national election, teachers who particpate and use school funds for making copies of the pdfs -which are political flyers, IMHO – may be in violation of their contract with their school district and the by-laws of their union (how often does that happen?).
Not sure if people have seen this or not. UPI has an article that mentions problems with ABC’s 9/11 film. See:
The article permits comments. Play nice, use facts.
Ed*ard Teller @ 124
There’s no reason to limit ourselves. I think we can make our voice heard everywhere, all at once.
Ed*ard Teller @ 124
Agreed. Disney’s already on the hook for big bucks, so it’s doubtful they’ll back off. On the other hand, Scholastic’s academic rep is what they’ve got on the line – and once that’s tarnished, they will have a hard time getting it back. Meanwhile, Apple is already dealing with one huge legal/PR problem (backdated stock options), complete with congressional hearings and SEC filings, so the last thing they want or need is more PR problems or connections with potential political powderkegs like this.
Good call, ET!
John Casper @ 125
Good suggestion. People already are using Spotlight to contact the affiliates. More can only help. Please be polite and professional. In your comments use facts, not name calling.
I don’t know if anyone mentioned it, but the NYTimes also had a condemning article on the series today.
John Casper @ 125
I contacted every ABC affiliate in Alaska yesterday. From what I can tell after reading my reply and the replies others writing their ABC affiliates around the country are getting, is that we’re all getting a boilerplate letter noting that our concern is being passed along…
meta @
115
call george mitchell — he is on the disney board. His # is 212-335-4500 and his assistant is Ann Unger – 212-335-4601
new thread – Jennifer Nix and “No Copies for You!” (Bill Clinton, that is)
Calling all lawyers: isn’t something as demonstrably false as the assertions in this mockumentary actionable? Even though the status of everyone from Clinton on down is that of “public persona”, isn’t lying about their actions on this scale WRT to something as cataclysmic in our history as 9/11 a step too far? They’re (ABC and the producers of this dreck) essentially laying the blame for this at the feet of Clinton.
I certainly understand why Jerry Falwell lost his suit against Larry Flynt, but Flynt wasn’t implying Fat Jerry was complicit in the murder of 3000 or so people by a grievous act of omission, just having unusual sexual preferences/practices, if I remember correctly.
It seems that taking these folks to task for this is certainly not pressing on First Amendment concerns. And certainly, they could ask ABC as a remedy to (1) reshoot some of those scenes (2) clarify the “drama” parts of the film vs the “Docu” (if there are any, other than the actual attack) parts and (3) ask that this be run after the election if it’s truly a “non-partisan” film.
Or am I, as usual, just blowing smoke out of my ass while wearing my rose-colored glasses?
Thanks for the response ET.
Here’s what I just left for my local ACB affiliate.
FS – As I noted yesterday, George Mitchell is said to have sold out to big Tobacco long ago. Doubt he will be much help.
*xyz @ 120 –
I love Ned Lamont, but I’m so tired of politicians destroying language (which should, after all, be their most effective weapon). Joe Lieberman is not a man of integrity. A man of integrity would stand by the vote of his fellow party members.
It’s one thing to “say something nice” about one’s opponent. But why on earth would you pick a “nice” thing that not only is not true but, if it were true, your entire rationale for running against the guy would not exist?
Roddy at 7 — You’ll pardon me if I stick to the old time definition of truth: what the facts show, what the events actually were, what history shows, not how you spin me.
Well, okay. but that’s very Twentieth Century…
why the other networks are not running with this story at greater length is beyond me… seems like they could be having a field day at the expense of their competition
_____________________________________
They’re all republican owned and controlled.
FDL friends,
Just called allex wallau’s office at abc. I shared my outrage and concern over the 911 mini series. The woman I spoke with was polite but was far more concerned about how I got that #212-456-6580.
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
meta @
64
I think that the info said that the Scholastic materials are being sent to teachers of high school – not 7-12 – not that that makes anything any better. It is going to be hard to push back to the 100,000 teachers the materials are going to – likely most of them won’t hear or get our outrage and the reasons for it.
HotFlash @
77
Scholastic should be ashamed! I looked at these sheets in detail, and all I can say is SHEESH!
Iran, Iraq, Syria involved in the terror–NOT Saudi Arabia. Conflation of movie with 9/11 commission report. No mention of problems with the NSA, NSC or oval office before the attacks.. Bush alone created DHS. It goes on and on. I agree with the above poster that the aim is to probably reach `security moms’. Assholes! Blast scholastic!
Write to their pocketbook man, investor_relations@scholastic.com.
For some analysis of the Scholastic sheets, go to my post at Kos
The more I think about this the more I’m convinced this was a hit piece to shine a negative light on the CLINTONS. They want to associate the name Clinton with the attack because they are scared to death of Hillary running. Who have they got to run ,macaca boy? Condi? These scumbags are desperate.
Calling Keith Olbermann!
Since this is going to be commercial free, what are the bets that the Republican Party is paying for it?
Target the sponsors of their top three shows:
- Lost
- Desperate Housewives
- Grey’s Anatomy
Let’s tell them that we are neither going to watch those shows nor buy their products until ABC stops lying about 9/11.
Let’s get those sponsors to join us in putting pressure on ABC.
Miniseries will air with limited commercial interruption. “Some things you do for commerce and some things because they are the right thing to do.” – ABC’s Steve McPherson. http://www.variety.com/article…..=h&p=0
And some thing you do for Karl Rove and the Republicans.