Posted on 06/30/2004 9:13:09 AM PDT by GarnetGirl04
No one who reads FR closely will have missed the huge controversy over possible ties between Hezbollah and an Arabian distributor of Fahrenheit 9/11. But just to recap:
Meanwhile, in the United Arab Emirates, the film is being offered the kind of support it doesn't need. According to Screen International, the UAE-based distributor Front Row Entertainment has been contacted by organisations related to the Hezbollah in Lebanon with offers of help.
OK, so that's not news. But I was still surprised by this response from the distributor:
First, in the original ScreenDaily Report of the connection, Front Row Entertainment said that money trumps principle:
And although Chacra says he and his company feel strongly that Fahrenheit is not anti-American, but anti-Bush, “we can’t go against these organisations as they could strongly boycott the film in Lebanon and Syria.”
But a few days later, they returned with an even more stunning comment:
Gianluca Chacra, the managing director of Front Row Entertainment, the movie's distributor in the United Arab Emirates, confirms that Lebanese student members of Hezbollah "have asked us if there's any way they could support the film." While Hezbollah is considered a legitimate political party in many parts of the world, the U.S. State Department classifies the group as a terrorist organization. Chacra was unfazed, even excited, about their offer. "Having the support of such an entity in Lebanon is quite significant for that market and not at all controversial. I think it's quite natural."
He's EXCITED about the offer? Hezbollah ISN'T necessarily a bad terrorist organiation? This isn't CONTROVERSIAL?
At least we agree on the last point: a connection between this "documentary" and Hezbollah is, indeed, "quite natural."
Well, that's true. Damned true!
Osama, for instance. Ya gotta love how The Blob chooses his political bedmates.
Well, in strictly commercial terms, he's right. This connection will probably be good for sales over there.
You're not going to look at moral implications when you're trying to sell a film that's already made ... you look for its natural audience: America's enemies.
D
Wait a minute. Is there not currently part of the Patriot Act in effect which covers financial gains to or FROM listed terrorist organizations? Isn't Hezbollah defined as one of the top five on their list?
This is beyond bad taste, or bad form and totally in the league of conspiring against one's nation.
Not everyone missed this one....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1155409/posts
Their defense would probably be that they have no control over the actions of their foreign distributor who simply cashes the checks from the theaters and sends them along after taking their cut.
Frankly, I think this works better as propaganda for our side than as a real legal impediment. Besides, the money spent by Hezbollah on promoting this film and having people watch it is money that won't be spent on suicide bomber belts.
Not saying I approve, of course, but it surely tells who's side Michael Moore is on ... and that's something the bulk of the American people won't like hearing about Moore.
D
Actually, I said "no one" had missed it.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
ping!
I hope the American left is proud to be ideologically aligned with Hezbollah.
The sad thing is that when I recently brought up this very topic on a fairly leftist-infested Usenet newsgroup, I got a lot of obfuscation and bs'ing around, as none of them was willing to either repudiate the support of vile terrorists. I got a lot of "Well, it's not Moore's fault who supports him..."
Then again, while listening to the translation of Saddam yesterday, I kept thinking just how much it sounded like he was reading a Kerry stump speech.
Liberals are now a fifth column.
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