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Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Klaatu Barada Nikto!
Rewatched this on the weekend. Forgot how great it was, if somewhat schlocky. It is always worth it, to watch Patricia Neal. But more than that, watching this movie again made me realize how little times change. The movie was an exercise in Hollywood preaching, and Hollywood heavy-handedly telling us that our governments are exploiting our fear, and that the media is not interested in reasoned commentary, only sensationalism. (Plus ca change.)
Of course, far and away the biggest advantage to watching The Day the Earth Stood Still, is that we learn what to say to prevent our planet from being obliterated.
Cross-posted at Wonkitties.
Posted by wonkitties on May 23, 2006 in Film | Permalink
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Comments
Ya. Wad it is?
Posted by: Set you free | 2006-05-23 10:38:36 AM
"The movie was an exercise in Hollywood preaching, and Hollywood heavy-handedly telling us that our governments are exploiting our fear, and that the media is not interested in reasoned commentary, only sensationalism."
Oh that Hollywood sounds AWFUL! What a TERRIBLE message they are sending!
Most of you people could use a viewing of Planet of the Apes actually.
Posted by: Justin... | 2006-05-23 10:46:32 AM
Yes Justin,
Then we could see the folly of allowing Iran to develope nuclear weapons!
Posted by: Warwick | 2006-05-23 11:01:24 AM
Warwick:
Why would I be interested in watching a show about Justin's intellectual equals?
Posted by: Set you free | 2006-05-23 11:05:09 AM
Now, now, SYF,
No insulting the apes. What have they ever done to you?
Posted by: Warwick | 2006-05-23 11:23:24 AM
Hey Rondi,
SYF has called for the rape of mothers of welfare. How do you feel about him?
Posted by: Justin... | 2006-05-23 11:26:38 AM
Justin:
Oh, you silly boy whose immaturity shows no bounds!
How you twist concepts you have no hope of understanding.
Since you regurgitated the topic, allow me to once again state, in a form you may be able to understand, the line of reasoning used.
After the end of each point, take a deep breath and try very hard not to let your fertile imagination run away on you.
1) The original post (I have not checked on this) was about a gal whining she was not getting enough money from the government because raising her children was a hard thing for somebody to do by themselves.
2) Recalling an old chestnut by a childless friend of mine about how he resented being taxed for a service he did not need, it seemed an appropriate analogy for this debate. My friend, who ironically has a PhD in educational psychology said: “I had no pleasure in creating this child, why should I have the pain of paying for its education?'' My response to him at that time was “who paid for your education.''
3) Using my friend's pleasure and pain axis, I threw out the proposal that in the spirit of sharing and caring, there was one solution which would possibly please all parties.
4) I gave an escape for those who did not believe my proposal was a fair solution. That would be for the state has no place in the bedrooms of the nations. I'll readily admit I stole that one from Trudeau, buy hey, fair is fair. I crearly stated my preferred solution would for there to be no government money and that parents had to understand they would be financially responsible for their choice.
5) Since this allegedly compassionate program showed absolutely no compassion for the taxpayer, the idea was for anybody who figures they're entitled to my money should also accept the fact we're entitled to emulate the act with the aformentioned entitlee. That would not completely absolve the taxpayer of the pain, but like the original act would give him momentary pleasure.
6) On the first charge of advocating rape, I invited Justin and any friends he may have (and there are serious doubts on that point) to come along as observers to ensure both parties in this act would consummate their arrangement in a true spirit of secular humanist idealism. Afterwards, all parties could adjourn to the backyard barbeque pit, fire it up and sing Kumbaya.
7) To sum up, compassion toward the taxpayers inability to make ends meet because he's sending money to a special group who can't make ends meet makes consistnent sense on many levels. Nowhere in the proposal was it mentioned that welfare mothers would be the fortunate recipient of this brillantly-crafted idea. And since both parties received momentary pleasure, it's a win-win situation. Even for you Justin, who would get to watch and earn a government paycheque for your supervisory services.
8) Your turn liar, liar pants on fire. Answer me one question. Who raped any semblanse of sense out of your brain?
Posted by: Set you free | 2006-05-23 1:01:50 PM
Don't feed the troll.
Posted by: Speller | 2006-05-23 2:28:40 PM
I'm glad I wasn't the only person watching TVO on a Saturday night. But it was good, wasn't it?
Posted by: nine rune | 2006-05-23 3:38:47 PM
Speller:
I will not let people have power over me. Nobody has to tell me what people are like. I already know. John 2:24.
Posted by: Set you free | 2006-05-23 4:00:26 PM
Great movie and great propaganda. If only humanity were that good.
The thing is, when one gets to fundamental issues, the left has the right attitudes but no practical solutions.
Mark
Ottawa
Posted by: Mark Collins | 2006-05-23 5:57:29 PM
Other than Leninism, Stalinism, Maoism etc.
Mark
Ottawa
Posted by: Mark Collins | 2006-05-23 5:58:30 PM
Idealism is good until reality comes along and delivers the knockout punch.
Perfections are like cats chasing their tails – what seems perfect is always impossible to attain.
Posted by: Set you free | 2006-05-23 8:00:20 PM
Ultimately, all political systems are only as good as the people who run them. If the human race was kind honest and generous, just about any political arrangement would work.
Commies or fascists, right or left, jihadists or
crusaders; scratch the surface and you find it's all about one bunch of guys determined to gain power over another bunch of guys.
Given human nature, I'm inclined to the libertarian point of view; I'll stay out of your business if you stay out of mine.
(otherwise you've got trouble. Heads-up all you collectivist weenies)
ALL governments suck ALL the time.
Posted by: Stevie Eye | 2006-05-24 10:51:04 AM
Stevie:
All power is within you.
No human being can impose power onto you without your consent ... nobody.
Posted by: Set you free | 2006-05-24 11:17:45 AM
No one can control you except when they're feeding you into the ovens.
Pretending that we have power that isn't there is naive.
Lenin(?) said that one person with a gun can control 100 without one. There's a few lessons there...
Posted by: Warwick | 2006-05-24 11:48:17 AM
What nonsense!
Wars are as much about ideology as anything else. To be victorious, it is necessary to control the hearts and minds of the people. Lenin's asshole with a gun might be able to kill me, but he can't control my mind or soul. Resistance to the end is the way to go. In a very real way, we win; they lose.
"Give me liberty or give me death" or in other words "So go ahead and f**ckin' shoot me already, asshole."
Posted by: Stevie Eye | 2006-05-25 10:26:46 AM
Easy for you to say.
If it were that easy the Soviets would have collapsed a lot sooner (or never been able to seize power at all,) there would have been no holocaust, the Armenians would still be alive, and Pol Pot would have been shot like the dog he is...
Posted by: Warwick | 2006-05-25 10:36:28 AM
Warwick:
Stevie is bang-on.
If the asshole with a gun shoots me, he loses because there's one less person he has control over.
So, go ahead. Mow everybody down and enjoy your power on earth.
It all comes down to a struggle between the totalitarians (and I include all left-wing philosophies) and the people who value freedom and their abilities to make their own decision.
Canada has been subject to a slow brainwashing process of its young, disguised as a public education.
The populace are led to believe they cannot as much as fart without consulting some other wise guy in government. The more people stand up and say ‘I know how to fart on my own, thank you very much,' the less power the government has over you.
Apply this to whatever topic you'd like.
It'll ring true forever.
Posted by: Set you free | 2006-05-25 11:30:35 AM
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