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To: genefromjersey
It'll be interesting in any event, a couple of time-loop / alternate history stories have been quite good at least in making the premise come full circle. (Plot aside)

On the other hand, when I read the original post it seemed more like the author had a distinct theory to put forward. That he either believed in or believed a case could be made.

Interesting, a lot of people do become icons out of convenience or necessity. Remember that the manufactured 'hero' in Wag The Dog turned out otherwise, I expect it might happen in real life more often than we realize.

[I am neutral concerning Earhart aside from understanding that she was at least as much manufactured as real]
30 posted on 08/19/2002 6:23:56 AM PDT by norton
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To: norton

Yes, there is a really numerous evidence exists that supports a theory that Earhart may have been captured by Japanese and probably to die in captivity.
But the concept of THIS movie - as it is described here, displaying her as a traitor - is a complete absurd, based on rumors and fabricated stories factually debunked since long ago.
There is absolutely no factual evidence exists that supports this ridiculous stuff; on the contrary, there is a lot of a firm factual arguments proving that something like this never could happen.
Earhart was a really good pilot, who was not a "media created celebrity" but a real record breaker who really set her records. No "media machine" may help you if you are alone over the ocean in an unreliable plane in the night. You can do it - or you can't. She could and did, let's not forget about this.
But she was NOT an aircraft designer, not a radio expert, not a test pilot and not a military pilot.
She simply never had any kind of technical information to help Japanese in any way, even if she would want. Especially in 40s - several years after she could been captured. Even if she would have such a knoweledge - just conditionally - the development of aviation in late 30s was so quick that after very short time after her capture in 1937 all that she WOULD know would became obsolate and useless, and very quickly.

Also, there is absolutely NO any real evidence or any real base to suspect that she would agree to be a traitor - at any conditions. The personal character of Earhart is a not a matter of speculations. It is a matter of credible historical records and numerous and independent evidence. She was simply not such a kind of person who can be a traitor. She had a very certain "sense of the mission" as backbone of her spirit, and for such a person a treason is an absolute MORAL suicide - an obviously impossible thing. Such a people preferes rather to die than to live in infamy - just another type of psychology.
Despite popular beliefs, the history of a Japanese aviation is not a mystery since long ago. A lot of information and authentic documents, records, photos etc. was declassified and published openly since 40s, about all the Japanese wartime and prewar planes and their development and technical history.
Absolutely no evidence supporting the wartime "folklore rumors" - connecting this stuff with Earhart in any way - was ever found.
It will be extremely sad if this movie will be done in such a way as it is described here. In fact, it would mean an attempt to tarnish baselessly a reputation of deservred and innocent person, to confuse and misinform people around the world and poison their mind by a slander, morally unfair and factually incorrect misinformation.

Respectfully submitted -
Alex V.Mandel, Ph. D (aviation and naval historian, Amelia Earhart historian for 22 years)


31 posted on 08/31/2004 6:42:45 PM PDT by Alex Mandel
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