2004-7-8 14:40:00
John C writes:
But, all the hoopla surrounding this movie makes me want to see it all the more. If the Bush supporters didn't want anybody seeing this movie, why didn't they just shut up about it and let the film die in obscurity? All this free publicity just encourages people to go see what they are being told they shouldn't see.
JJ:
For one thing the movie is not dying in obscurity. The main reason for this is that the press has given it millions of dollars of free advertising and there are millions of Bush haters eager to see any accusations against Bush. There are also many fence sitters who have little knowledge of current events who will think that everything in the movie is true.
The truth cannot be seen by the average person unless it is out there to examine. If the lights of Germany had been more conscientious about exposing the propaganda of the Nazis then Hitler cold have not risen to power. They tried to ignore them and a it turned out they did not die in obscurity.
John C:
This reminds me of the old stories which the Mormon Missionaries always tell: they go to a new town and some preacher feels threatened and doesn't want anybody listening to the elders, so he stirs up a big controversy and makes people want to listen to them all the more.
JJ:
You are talking about a completely opposite situation. In those days the preacher spread lies about the Mormons. In this case I am presenting the truth about something controversial.
John C:
Lesson: when you try to suppress people and tell people they can't have it, that's what they want even more. If the government declared "The Immortal" a manual for terrorists and banned it, your sales would go through the roof.
JJ:
This is true, but I know of no one trying to suppress the film. Do you? Giving an opinion or countering distortions is a far cry from suppression.
The only attempts I have seen to ban and suppress speech have been from the traditional left. Every time David Horowitz speaks at a college he has to have up to 20 body guards protect him because so many students attempt to ban him or stop him from speaking. Justice Clarence Thomas has a similar problem. Rush Limbaugh would be risking his life if he spoke at a college and Democrats are currently trying to get him off the armed services network. On the other end of the spectrum, no one ever tries to stop Justice Ruth Bater Ginsburg or any non violent democrat from speaking.
Now I do not wholeheartedly endorse the traditional left or right, but I do endorse fairness and freedom to express. Those who are most adamant about trying to obstruct speech are currently on the left. This cycle changes somewhat with the passing of time.
John C:
I have a question. I have understood you to say that in any conflict there is always one side on the side of Light and the other side of the side of Darkness.
JJ:
If I said this I was out of my mind. What I have taught is that one will always be closer to the light (or the dark) than the other.
For instance, during World War II Stalin was fighting Hitler. Both were bad guys, but Hitler was the worse of the two so we were rooting for Stalin to prevail even though he murdered about 20 million people.
John C:
If I have misunderstood this, then my following question is irrelevant...
JJ:
I think you misunderstood so I will not comment unless more clarification is needed.
John C:
Why is it that so many people are under the illusion that Thomas Edison first invented the light bulb?
JJ:
I assume this to be a rhetorical question, but the answer is they were taught that by authority and accepted it without question.
John C:
He joined forces with Joseph Swan, the real inventor, and then together commercially developed the light bulb around the world.
JJ:
Edison deserved credit for the light bulb because he made the first one that was usable and practical. Swan's bulb burned for only a sort time and was impractical and costly.
If I recall correctly, Edison made bulbs that burned a short time and was impractical, but considered them failures until a usable one was made. His final bulb had ingredients that Sawn had not perfected.
From my knowledge of events I think Edison deserves the credit he has been given.
Time is that quality of nature which keeps events from happening all at once. Lately it doesn't seem to be working. Anonymous
Copyright 2004 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved