HOLLYWOOD ARABS

New York Post ^ | January 8, 2006 | Amir Taheri

[ConservativeStatement]

January 8, 2006 -- THE would-be ruler of an oil-rich Arab state is planning a policy reform that includes allowing girls to go to school and signing an oil contract with China. But days before he takes over, he is assassinated when a remote-controlled bomb destroys his bulletproof limousine in the middle of the desert. Who would want such an enlightened prince out of the way?

The answer given in "Syriana," the Hollywood blockbuster starring George Clooney, is simple: The murder was planned and carried out by the CIA, the dirty-tricks arm of the United States of America.

[ConservativeStatement]

Good article.

[Argus]

Didn't feel like logging in at the Post. But I figure I know where the article's going. I tried to watch Syriana, but I couldn't make it through. Too boring and predictable.

[dennisw]

Didn't feel like logging in at the Post........

Full article here and it's very good!

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=7&section=0&article=75912&d=7&m=1&y=2006

	‘Syriana', the new Hollywood blockbuster starring George Clooney talks about a murder planned and carried out by the CIA. Ph. Archives

EXCERPT--->>>

And, yet, in the past week or so I have received more than a dozen emails from Arab friends throughout the Middle East citing the film as, in the word of one of them, another “sure proof” that the US will never tolerate democratic leaders in that neck of the wood.

According to an old saying one can never convince anyone who doesn't wish to be convinced. The makers of “Syriana” are preaching to the converted if only because an extraordinarily large number of Arabs are comfortable in the certainty of their victimhood.

Long before “Syriana” hit the silver screen those Arabs were convinced that whatever misfortune has befallen them is due to some conspiracy by a perfidious Western power.

In North Africa where France ruled for more than a century every shortcoming, and every major crime, is blamed on the French.

From Egypt to the Indian Ocean all was the fault of the British, until the Americans emerged as a more convincing protagonist in the fantasyland of conspiracy theories. (In Libya where Italy ruled for a while in the last century, even the fact that the telephones don't work in 2006 is blamed on the Italians.)

 

[softwarecreator]

Syrianna ...the Hollywood blockbuster ...

Hardly a blockbuster.  It cost $50+ million to make, grossed about $40m so far and is falling fast ... dropping out of the top 10 this week.

Just another failed attempt by libbies to push their stupid agenda on us and thinking we'd be stupid enough to pay to see it.

[Argus]

Taheri's a good analyst. I think the motivation of a guy like Steve Gaghan, the writer/director of Syriana, is even simpler. He wants to be seen as cool and sophisticated by his peers in the Hollywood "creative community". The cool and sophisticated point of view, long set in concrete, is that the US is always in the wrong, if not incompetent then criminal. This is their default setting, and an ambitious person of limited talent dare not contradict it if he wants to get ahead. So we get toxic tripe like Syriana, QED.

[dennisw]

The sniveling little punk (based on me seeing him on Bill O'Reilly) wrote one good movie:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160797/

IMDB says he's 40. He's baby faced and looks about 25. He wrote "Traffic" which was OK but pro drug IMHO. That was back when I would actually blow money on a movie that had a buzz

[Shermy]

Add that the movie was, originally at least, inspired by Baer's book. IN that book Baer describes plotting to kill not an enlightened sheik, but Saddam Hussein.

I guess telling the truth wouldn't advance an anti-American agenda.

[dennisw]

Thanks much

Memo to self:
Get Bob Baer's book from the local library (it has a long list of people reserving it)

[Tyche]

"he is assassinated when a remote-controlled bomb destroys his bulletproof limousine in the middle of the desert"

If only the CIA was that good. We can't even check into a Italian Hotel without blowing our cover...

[Alouette]

Here is a dilemma.

What if a loved one were kidnapped by a perfidiious terrorist group and you could save your loved one by agreeing to watch one of the following four movies.

Which one would you choose?

1. Brokeback Mountain
2. Syriana
3. Brokeback Mountain
4. Brokeback Mountain

But wait! you cry out. "That's only two movies!"

"No," they say. "But if you don't want to watch 'Syriana' we will make you watch 'Brokeback Mountain' three times!"

[kublia khan]

If thats the choice maybe you better tell me which "loved one" you have. I don't want to appear callous but I need to make an informed choice.

[dennisw]

I think the motivation of a guy like Steve Gaghan, the writer/director of Syriana, is even simpler. He wants to be seen as cool and sophisticated by his peers in the Hollywood "creative community". The cool and sophisticated point of view, long set in concrete, is that the US is always in the wrong, if not incompetent then criminal. This is their default setting, and an ambitious person of limited talent dare not contradict it if he wants to get ahead.

That description fits so many in Hollywood. I would merely add that just one glance tells me Gaghan is very high IQ. But to what purpose? Ultimately zero, it's all done for nothing except fame power sex money

[dennisw]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160797/

[isom35]

for all you trekkies out there, the prince is the doctor from deep space nine.

[WOSG]

Fascinating ... so they had to make it more ANTI-AMERICAN?!?
And os they took out the one part in the book that is based on fact - our attempts to depose saddam hussein - and replace it with dumbed-down conspiracy theory that the America haters will feed on?

Clooney, clooney, clooney,.

what to make it more 'convincing' to have an absurd fantasy of an "enlightened" Arab ruler (quick name a single Arab ruler that is 'enlightened' enough to propose women's lib - the people who do that in Arabia get death threats and are widely unpopular and considered unmuslim - check the article on the al Arabiya article on suicide bombers.

Hollywood libs are so stuck-on-stupid!

It reminds me of how "The Sum of All Fears" was twisted into a story about some neo-nazi guy ... INSTEAD OF ARAB TERRORISTS LIKE WE REALLY HAVE ON PLANET EARTH.

Meanwhile on Planet Hollywood, the only bad guys are:
a) greedy businessmen,
b) CIA/FBI/NSA/Govt conspiracy or
c) Right-wing extremists

[gonzo]

"...Add that the movie was, originally at least, inspired by Baer's book. IN that book Baer describes plotting to kill not an enlightened sheik, but Saddam Hussein.

I guess telling the truth wouldn't advance an anti-American agenda..."

The same thing happenned with Tom Clancys' "The Sum of All Fears". Hollywierd changed the nuclear detonation from Arab terrorists to Neo-Nazi white Americans.

And so it goes............FRegards

[opocno]

It's probably been said here before,

But it chaps me that when the Islamofascists talk about what they hate about America, the first thing they mention is all the filth coming out of Hollywood (for which they, for once, are right). Then Hollywood complains when America goes to war to, at least indirectly, defend them.

Remember when the Academy Awards were worried about being attacked right after 9/11? Maybe we should set up a defense shield with one big gap right over Hollywood - Iran, North Korea - you want to get back at America? Here's your chance.

Then we retaliate and turn their countries into glass factories.