Bush assassination imagined...

Posted by Evan Derkacz at 1:51 PM on September 12, 2006.

CNN claims we're 'appalling' -- film is picked up by the Passion's people

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Laura is dying to see the new "fictional documentary" about the assassination of President Bush and so, I gather, are many Americans.

Actually, according to one of the producers of Death of a President it's not just the wish-fulfillment promised in the title but "a look at what's going on inside of America as a result of its foreign policy."

Fox's Roger Friedman proves he hasn't eaten out, seen a movie, turned on the TV or walked on the street in years with this comment:

I’m guessing there are a couple of things Americans, no matter what their party affiliation or political ideology, really don't want to see in a movie. One would be the assassination of a sitting American president, and the other would be a black man getting pinned for his murder just to make a point about anti-Arab sentiment since Sept. 11.

Passion of the Christ distributor Newmarket Films begs to differ as they've paid a million dollars for U.S. distribution rights. Given their ties to the Passion, the Republican smear-machine faces an uphill battle.

Critics will cry foul and point to the controversy raging over ABC/Disney's crucifixion of history in Path to 9/11. The obvious differences will be obscured, but whatever. For finger-in-the-wind pols and pundits it's just another opportunity to trot out their plasticized patriotism and play indignant American for the camera. The differences, as if they need to be articulated, are a.) This won't be shown on a public network but rather by ticket sales at a movie theater and more importantly b.) That this film portrays an imagined future scenario, thereby avoiding slandering people involved in any actual incident by blaming them.

(If it turns out to show that Dick Cheney ends up assassinating Bush on the Senate floor and eating him with a mild eggplant relish and a side of delicately flakey cornbread with a whisper of cumin then I'll eat my hat.)

In the clip featured here, CNN obliges critics while giving no truck to opposing arguments. Always eager to wave the flag more vigorously than Fox, the report crows: "U.S. reaction, in a word: appalling."

Leaving aside the Freudian slip, CNN's conclusion may have something to do with those they've chosen to interview.

I mean, you take one guy from the Washington Post and white-Christian-terrorism supporter and all-around loony toon, congressman Peter King (R-NY), and yes, it is appalling. And yes, they are appalled.

But I don't recall hearing from a film critic, a historian, a Democrat, a progressive, a person on the street, etc. I also don't recall anything but polite curiosity marking the faces of network reporters when the issue of torturing humans is discussed -- and that's something that the real administration advocates doing to real people.

Incidentally, I also don't recall much outrage when Ann Coulter advocated assassinating Clinton for his sexual indiscretion...

Evan Derkacz is a New York-based writer and contributor to AlterNet.

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Showing a fictionalized assassination is no different than [Report this comment] Posted by: sln70 on Sep 12, 2006 3:31 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] fictionally portraying woman after woman being raped, beaten and killed on every crime drama on TV. No different than so-called "investigative journalism shows" like Dateline and 48 Hours rehashing domestic murders each week. It is offensive to show someone being killed, or to obsess over it on television, however, no one in journalism ever gage's America's response.. no one ever goes on record as calling these movies, shows, etc 'appalling' ps - it is funny that she in essence called the reaction appalling, rather than indicating properly that the people were appalled. Ahhhhhh grammar. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: Showing a fictionalized assassination is no different than Posted by: hudgeliberal What's disturbing people [Report this comment] Posted by: rollo on Sep 12, 2006 6:40 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] is that someone has articulated their darkest thoughts. Despite the empy blathering of most of the media, words and images have tremendous power. When Alan Hevesi made that comment about Chuck Schumer "putting a bullet in the president's brain" he publicly gelled the unspoken thoughts of many who are deeply unhappy with Bush. i.e. "why doesn't someone shoot the bastard?" Hevesi put it into words, and then it was out there. And now here comes this movie, graphically imagining the act itself. It feels like coming attractions, a preview of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The shock is not that Bush is internationally despised--it's that group conscience is actually willing him to die. If I were W I'd be shitting bricks. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Hey its only fiction [Report this comment] Posted by: Jersey Devil on Sep 12, 2006 8:09 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] What is all the screaming about. ABC aired the fairytale about 911 and now we have a chance to day dream about King George's demise. What is the problem, we all need a good laugh to make up for the debacle in Iraq! [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: Hey its only fiction Posted by: Pocahontas » RE: Hey its only fiction Posted by: sethmo If freedom means anything to George W. Bush... [Report this comment] Posted by: kenadrian on Sep 12, 2006 8:19 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] ... he will applaud the RIGHT of people in America to view this fictional work even if he personally despises the content. I haven't seen the film (yet) so I can't comment on whether or not it's designed to inspire would-be assasins but my instincts tell me that George isn't very popular anyways so it hardly makes a difference. As Paul Schrader said of his screenplay for "Taxi Driver", movies don't make crazy people do crazy things. There are people out there who are truly crazy and there are people out there whose fantasy life is healthy but they're not actually crazy. John Hinckley Jr. is the perfect example of that claim. He didn't try to kill Ronald Regan for political reasons. He did it because he wanted to impress Jody Foster with whom he was obsessed. So, the right to watch this movie should be upheld, especially by the one man sworn at the highest level of gov't to protect the American constitution. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: If freedom means anything to George W. Bush... Posted by: Bbear41 Fantasy fullfilled... [Report this comment] Posted by: Plenum on Sep 13, 2006 7:49 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Considering the appalling nature of this war by bush and his Radical Republicans, it wouldn't suprise me if there were billions worldwide whose fantasy for bush's assassination moght be satisfied after viewing it... [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] No Martyed Bush [Report this comment] Posted by: ccluelessfl60 on Sep 13, 2006 10:04 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Holy Crap No Saint Bush for me. If the tall tales that abound already spread by his fantatics imagine what they would do with his martrydom. No I want this man to live a long time and see his arrogance and hubris rob him of everything he holds dear. I want all of them to live to face the judgement of the people.They have perpetrated the crimes of the new millieum and I want them to pay for those crimes against humanity. No easy deaths. I want it to be slow and painful and last as long as the pain from the wounds of our soliders' and all the loved one,s anguish of lives they wrecked and cut short. No death is too good for George,yet. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Assassination Fantasy [Report this comment] Posted by: drsivana99 on Sep 13, 2006 10:46 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] I'm just afraid I would sit in front of the TV all day and watch it over and over and over again... [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] FED UP! [Report this comment] Posted by: lamoyer0 on Sep 13, 2006 11:54 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Well, since people from another country started this, giving voice to Americans who secretly ask: "where are the assassins when you need them?"..... When a coup of right wing crazies take over your government, use its soldiers/children to mass murder thousands upon thousands of innocent human beings in a foreign land, so THEY CAN PERSONALLY PROFIT.... when MERCENARIES are hired and blessed by the tyrants in control.... when the tyrants ignore the People's protests, when the profiting corporations and individuals OWN the legislature..... and when these tyrants and traitors lie, lie, lie...and couldn't care less if you know about it or catch them at it.... then what is a good patriot to think? Even those who don't believe in murder, capital punishment, etc. When citizens realize that the legislature has forgone checks and balances, when the ruling class profits from all this... then the People know they are screwed. At what point do law abiding citizens rebel? At what point, watching the carnage, ala Hitlerian Fascism grow, hurt, kill, pillage and torture, do citizens believe they have nothing left to lose? These are the ultra-rich, ultra powerful, despotic 'BREEDING GROUNDS FOR TERRORISM." The U.S. government has created them abroad...and now at home. It happens all the time in countries where human beings are oppressed, where governments are controlled by tyrants, where corporations exploit and poison people. Where tyrants lie, kill and profit from their power and control. America WAS supposedly a bastion of so-called "democracy." Now all we have left is Predatory Capitalism/Tyranny. Democracy is on life support in the U.S. What would one expect? There are very few Americans who would resort to assassination, but there are probably millions upon millions now who are grateful that someone has put this thought in the public purview... maybe only as a reminder, to these folks who believe that THEY are above the law, that they are not, themselves, immune from being a target/victim of a criminal act. Natural law says: what goes around, comes back around. Live by the sword, and die by the sword. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] The Video is fitting [Report this comment] Posted by: TooDamnCool on Sep 13, 2006 9:59 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] The terrorists in the middle east has its death porno for those long winter evenings, and now the left has its own! The line grows fuzzier every day. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

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» RE: Showing a fictionalized assassination is no different than Posted by: hudgeliberal

» RE: Hey its only fiction Posted by: Pocahontas

» RE: Hey its only fiction Posted by: sethmo

» RE: If freedom means anything to George W. Bush... Posted by: Bbear41

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» RE: Showing a fictionalized assassination is no different than Posted by: hudgeliberal

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» RE: If freedom means anything to George W. Bush... Posted by: Bbear41