I haven't written directly about the putative cause of the recent Mohammed-movie mess violence, in large part because it seemed too trivial; the film itself is little more than a live-action Jack Chick tract, painted in broad and sloppy strokes, rather than a serious biopic or critical deconstruction of the religious myth.
...And then the pseudonymous producer turned out to be a Coptic Christian, instead of the nice Jewish boy he'd claimed to be -- and then he turned out to not be a career producer either, having previously worked in the bank-fraud industry. And then, he got a midnight knock on the door: the terms of his probation barred him from, oh, using computers (at least online), or soliciting investors, both of which he certainly appeared to have been doing.
It was that midnight-arrest-in-force -- for the kind of misbehavior that usually calls for two officers, during the day -- that had some bloggers invoking Orwell's 1984 or William Shirer. While cooler heads (Sebastian, Popehat) were pointing out that you give up rights and can be prohibited from specific activities on probation, the timing, nature and publicity of the arrest does give the impression that the manner in which it was done was intended to send a message. "--Intended by whom?" then becomes fertile (though rootless) ground for speculation.
My own speculations went in a different direction, remembering some of the grandiose funding claims made for the film: we're more likely to be watching a real-life version of The Producers than 1984. And just like the move, Max has gotten nabbed before he could catch the plane to Rio.
Fraud is not free speech; it ain't protected. Unfortunately -- and thanks to both an overly-dramatic arrest and the drama some of us have added to it -- that is far too subtle a message for the marching (burning, assaulting...) morons of Mohammed and the Middle East.
In fact, it's hard to find any category in which this entire muddle can't be scored as "lose."
Any other time his PO would call him and ask him to come in. 5 deputies? After midnight? Publicity for the masses.
ReplyDelete+1
ReplyDeleteMuch like Janet Renos rescue of young Mr. Gonzales so he could be returned to the workers paradise of Cuba.
Drama for the mommas.
Gerry
It should not be forgotten that the ME cannot feed itself. For Ahmed the Egyptian, with his fifty buck a month salary, forty buck a month grocery bill and ten buck a month rent; there is no disposable income. And every extra penny for food means less food can be purchased.
ReplyDeleteWhen the price of food rises, all Ahmed can do is take up his belt another notch, and hope the kids don't starve before he does.
Start at the Atlantic, all the way through Algeria, Libya, Egypt, The Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan, along with Pakistan and Indonesia, and the details vary but the people are all in the same shape. Busted. Even more busted than Americans.
So the whole Islamic world is a powderkeg, waiting for the mullahs to go tanist and declare some sap who claims descent from Mohammed "Caliph." And thar she blows.
Whether the people force China to start a war, or the ME goes first, it appears we are in for a time of troubles. All we can do is try to survive, try to salvage as much technology as possible in dead tree form, and try to preserve civilization.
Because the present situation is all to reminiscent of the Moties.
Stranger
Seems to me, the problem is two fold.
ReplyDeleteThe Federal Government gets used to abusing power, and we the people become lulled into accepting it. It's not so much that what the FBI did is wrong, just excessive.
How do you rate the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs calling Terry Jones to get him to stop supporting the video?
ReplyDeleteMidnight arrests used to be a way to avoid publicity. Now they seem to be a way to maximize publicity.
ReplyDelete" ... we're more likely to be watching a real-life version of The Producers than 1984."
ReplyDeleteI'd say "55 Days At Peking".
Mike James
One moment please. Did you notice that it is White House and UN Policy to blame this Entire Mess on this Jack Chick Wannabe? In spite of Eyewitness Testimony by those who were there, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice made the rounds on all the Sunday Pundit Shows yesterday and said the ENTIRE FAULT lies at the feet of the Producer. She even claimed there was NO Proof that Al-Queda has had ANYTHING to do with this at all.
ReplyDeleteIf I was in working in the State Dept. or the CIA or the VOA or any other branch of the Government that works Overseas, I'd be worried that the Obama Administration has decided that it's better to Appease the Islamic Fundamentalists rather than ensure their safety.
Of course, the U.S. Military has been dealing with this Policy for several years now.
One moment please. Did you notice that it is White House and UN Policy to blame this Entire Mess on this Jack Chick Wannabe? In spite of Eyewitness Testimony by those who were there, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice made the rounds on all the Sunday Pundit Shows yesterday and said the ENTIRE FAULT lies at the feet of the Producer. She even claimed there was NO Proof that Al-Queda has had ANYTHING to do with this at all.
ReplyDeleteIf I was in working in the State Dept. or the CIA or the VOA or any other branch of the Government that works Overseas, I'd be worried that the Obama Administration has decided that it's better to Appease the Islamic Fundamentalists rather than ensure their safety.
Of course, the U.S. Military has been dealing with this Policy for several years now.
He was not arrested. Due to a large groupe of news media folks the sheriff was asked to bring him to be questioned by his P.O. He left after meeting with his P.O. and is in hiding.
ReplyDeleteI am sure the P.O. knows where he is.
Ah, yes, that great technicality-- Look, if there;s a passel of men-with-badges at your door, and they haul you off, that's the sort of thing commonly referred to as an "arrest."
ReplyDelete...Or street theater, which I think this instance was.