I am properly chastened by this essay, and now realize that I too, intelligent as I like to think of myself to be, was taken in by Hamas propaganda. HAMAS PROPAGANDA!! WTF? I have been leaping into the breach of conversations about this war without the true information I needed to do so. Deep down, I may have realized that when I almost …
I am properly chastened by this essay, and now realize that I too, intelligent as I like to think of myself to be, was taken in by Hamas propaganda. HAMAS PROPAGANDA!! WTF? I have been leaping into the breach of conversations about this war without the true information I needed to do so. Deep down, I may have realized that when I almost stopped talking about it at all online. The only problem with that being that I was avoiding discussions because they were usually with MAGAts who also have a twisted view of this war, its causes, and most importantly, its effects. I hate being so wrong, but I am always glad to be educated.
OF COURSE! When Nancy Pelosi said, "all roads lead to Putin," she was, as usual, absolutely correct. She was only speaking to Trump at the time, but we all know now that whatever Trump thinks, his Borg-like followers and minions think too. And Trump and Co. do love them a dictator like Putin, who seems to get ALL the "prizes," without seemingly, much effort. I guess you can do anything when you're a dictator over a democracy -- things to keep in mind. In an honest MAGA world, Putin would have been elected Speaker of the House, in absentia. Still waiting to hear that Russian State TV is playing "Swan Lake."
I think a remix of "Swan Lake," with 808 drums and rapping, is in order, and soon.
The propaganda is strong and it takes advantage of our basic human decency and empathy -- like in Silence of the Lambs when the serial killer kidnaps his victim by pretending to be infirm and asking for her help. I can't claim to be immune to it, not at all. And until Bibi steps down, the propaganda will be effective, because the optics from Gaza are so awful and undeniable, and so easy to weaponize.
This week's podcast helped me a lot with this...I'm excited to share it on Friday.
It's so interesting you brought up "Silence of the Lambs". I tell my daughters that it was one of the best movies I've ever seen. Not because of the subject matter, of course, but the storyline and the actors are so excellent. Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins - the BEST. I just watched it the other day - until Clarice enters the serial killer's house at the end - I can't see that again.
I have taken to clumsily calling him Bibi Trumpanyahu because yeah, he needs to go, and take the propaganda with him. I'm not sure where the label, "human shields" came from, whether our side or theirs (I think I heard Biden first use it), but it is a talking point that has worn out its welcome because WE GET IT!
"Silence of the Lambs" always reminds me of the many misdirections in its story, from the Ted Bundy-like "man with a broken arm," to even the last bits of the film where they're at the wrong house, but we're led to believe they're not. It worked for the movie, and it works now, obviously. It also reminds me to go back to GREAT films and stop trying to find anything in some of the current crap being released; I was pretty excited about the new Pet Sematary movie, until I saw it. Ugh! The streaming release of "Oppenheimer" continues....
I am properly chastened by this essay, and now realize that I too, intelligent as I like to think of myself to be, was taken in by Hamas propaganda. HAMAS PROPAGANDA!! WTF? I have been leaping into the breach of conversations about this war without the true information I needed to do so. Deep down, I may have realized that when I almost stopped talking about it at all online. The only problem with that being that I was avoiding discussions because they were usually with MAGAts who also have a twisted view of this war, its causes, and most importantly, its effects. I hate being so wrong, but I am always glad to be educated.
OF COURSE! When Nancy Pelosi said, "all roads lead to Putin," she was, as usual, absolutely correct. She was only speaking to Trump at the time, but we all know now that whatever Trump thinks, his Borg-like followers and minions think too. And Trump and Co. do love them a dictator like Putin, who seems to get ALL the "prizes," without seemingly, much effort. I guess you can do anything when you're a dictator over a democracy -- things to keep in mind. In an honest MAGA world, Putin would have been elected Speaker of the House, in absentia. Still waiting to hear that Russian State TV is playing "Swan Lake."
I think a remix of "Swan Lake," with 808 drums and rapping, is in order, and soon.
The propaganda is strong and it takes advantage of our basic human decency and empathy -- like in Silence of the Lambs when the serial killer kidnaps his victim by pretending to be infirm and asking for her help. I can't claim to be immune to it, not at all. And until Bibi steps down, the propaganda will be effective, because the optics from Gaza are so awful and undeniable, and so easy to weaponize.
This week's podcast helped me a lot with this...I'm excited to share it on Friday.
It's so interesting you brought up "Silence of the Lambs". I tell my daughters that it was one of the best movies I've ever seen. Not because of the subject matter, of course, but the storyline and the actors are so excellent. Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins - the BEST. I just watched it the other day - until Clarice enters the serial killer's house at the end - I can't see that again.
I have taken to clumsily calling him Bibi Trumpanyahu because yeah, he needs to go, and take the propaganda with him. I'm not sure where the label, "human shields" came from, whether our side or theirs (I think I heard Biden first use it), but it is a talking point that has worn out its welcome because WE GET IT!
"Silence of the Lambs" always reminds me of the many misdirections in its story, from the Ted Bundy-like "man with a broken arm," to even the last bits of the film where they're at the wrong house, but we're led to believe they're not. It worked for the movie, and it works now, obviously. It also reminds me to go back to GREAT films and stop trying to find anything in some of the current crap being released; I was pretty excited about the new Pet Sematary movie, until I saw it. Ugh! The streaming release of "Oppenheimer" continues....