Tuesday, October 20, 2015

TRUTH: A movie must-see!


http://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/truth-review-cate-blanchett-robert-redford-toronto-film-festival-1201592326/ 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/16/movies/review-truth-treads-a-perilous-political-tightrope.html?referrer=google_kp&_r=0


Finally, in a movie entitled TRUTH, real truth is being told about the fall of Dan Rather and how absolute power often controls what we are allowed to see and hear, keeping truth away from us.  In Machiavellian manipulation, presidents are chosen for us (Bush/Cheney) while we the people and our supposed watchdogs in the fourth estate sleep at the switch. 

At the same time that Kerry was being swift-boated in lies, facts were being discovered about Dubya Bush's non-appearances for military duty during the Vietnam years. Dubya's powerful "Poppy" and friends arranged things so Dubya didn't have to actually fight in the war and instead was given a plush position
stateside in the National Guard. But Dubya, in fits-and-starts appearances, eventually didn't see the need to show up at all.  He avoided service almost completely and suffered no punishment.  The powers that be couldn't allow that truthful information to come out, especially when they were looking forward to another four years of control in the Cheney/Bush presidency.  (Amazing, isn't it, how that presidency was forced on us, even though they were really never voted in by the populace?)

And so...they arranged to destroy the messengers, Dan Rather and his producer/investigator Mary Mapes (just as in the movie "Killing the Messenger,"which told about investigative reporter Gary Webb, who was defamed and his career destroyed because his story "Dark Alliance," of CIA involvement in bringing crack-cocaine to the LA inner city, contained too much truth. Can't have that kind of information getting out to the public. Gary, who persisted in telling the truth about what his investigations showed, died of "suicide" in 2004, with TWO bullet wounds to his head).

The powers that be (read: Bush family and powerful friends in high places, journalistically and otherwise) succeeded in defaming Dan Rather and destroying his career and that of Mary Mapes, even though those two brave journalists were reporting truth about Dubya's dodging military duty.  This movie tells that story, with Cate Blanchette as Mary Mapes and Robert Redford as Dan Rather. 

Read the following reviews of the movie and decide for yourself if it is something you will want to see. Right wingers of the Tea Party type will want to avoid it -- actual truth is not on their agenda.  As one reviewer summed it up:

In the end, "Truth" is not unlike a veteran news program—solidly made, interesting, and worthy of sparking discussion, whether you agree with its political bent or not. It encourages people to start talking about the purpose of journalism, and seeing the greater picture. If it's not too late to do so.  (What a sad last comment--so true.  Read the book "Into the Buzzsaw" if you don't believe me.)

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