The War in Ukraine and the ‘Star Wars Effect’ | libertarianinstitute.org

[phoenyx]

Was perusing the antiwar.com website and came across a link to an article with the same name as this thread. Thought it was quite good and thought others here might like to see it. Some excerpts...


**
The War in Ukraine and the ‘Star Wars Effect’

by John Weeks | May 10, 2022[/COLOR]

[snip]

The American state has learned well the lessons of Hollywood. The blockbuster film Star Wars (1977) allowed the American people, disillusioned from the recent defeat in Vietnam, to project onto and root for a victorious rebel insurgency. The state-driven media presentation of the Russian war in Ukraine allows the American people, disillusioned from the recent defeat in Afghanistan, to once again root for a courageous and likable insurgency.

[snip]

The state, through its compliant media, is committed to keeping the “show” going. The Western consensus appears to be that, at some point, Kiev will fall. Then we’ll get to unleash our heroic insurgency on the Russians. If that means we fight the Russians to the last Ukrainian, then fight them we will. And God forbid peace breaks out too soon.

[snip]

Ben Afflek, speaking about Argo (2012), his film about the CIA working with Hollywood to create a fake film as cover to rescue diplomats trapped in Iran, said:

One of the themes of Argo is about storytelling and how powerful it is. From political theater to the way we kind of communicate to our children to the way that we inspire people, you know. And it’s interesting that Hollywood and uh, you know, the clandestine services both spend most of their time convincing people that something that’s not true is in fact true.

How true that is.
**

Full article:

https://libertarianinstitute.org/art...r-wars-effect/

[Swedgin]

Nah.

I don't think Czar Putin looks anything like Emperor Palpatine (GEEZE, talk about a dude who looks sickly!!!).

Even if they do seem to think alike.

[phoenyx]

Nah.

I don't think Czar Putin looks anything like Emperor Palpatine (GEEZE, talk about a dude who looks sickly!!!).

Even if they do seem to think alike.

Very funny :-p. But hopefully you agree with the deeper message in Mr. Weeks' article.

[Swedgin]

Nah, not really.

Strikes me more as Lord of the Rings.

The Ukrainians are already calling Russians "Orcs."

Maybe a bit of Harry Potter and Sinbad thrown in, as well.





(For me, the actual tactics on the ground are more interesting than a lame attempt to link real world events to fantasies in Galaxies Far, Far Away.....)

[phoenyx]

Nah, not really.

Strikes me more as Lord of the Rings.

The Ukrainians are already calling Russians "Orcs."

Maybe a bit of Harry Potter and Sinbad thrown in, as well.

(For me, the actual tactics on the ground are more interesting than a lame attempt to link real world events to fantasies in Galaxies Far, Far Away.....)

I just thought Weeks' was dead on in his assessment the government has become so Orwellian, complete with its own "Disinformation Board" at this point. I really think the last line that he quotes was spot on:

"And it’s interesting that Hollywood and uh, you know, the clandestine services both spend most of their time convincing people that something that’s not true is in fact true."

[Swedgin]

I can certainly see that.

And, yes, I do see how movie makers might try to slip some wokeness into their movies.

Don't know how well it works, though, in FANTASY. Some Science Fiction, might carry a "message," but anything that is escapist is exactly that.

There is a reason the writers choose to place their stories in such worlds: ESACAPISM.

That said, Tolkien's experiences in WW I influenced his work.

Lucas...was far more influenced by movies of the 40's and 50's. The "Sequel Trilogy" tried to go woke, but...well, we see what an utter failure that was (without even the need to address their wokeness...)

Even if they do put a "message" in such stories, said message is likely to be ignored or, not even interpreted.

It was interesting that in the MCU's Captain America: Civil War, Cap was basically Libertarian/Conservative, while Stark seemed to represent the "Highly Educated/I know more so, I make the decisions" mantra of the Left.

But that is just me, way over analyzing one of my favorite movies.

It is still...FANTASY.

[phoenyx]

I can certainly see that.

And, yes, I do see how movie makers might try to slip some wokeness into their movies.

Don't know how well it works, though, in FANTASY. Some Science Fiction, might carry a "message," but anything that is escapist is exactly that.

There is a reason the writers choose to place their stories in such worlds: ESACAPISM.

That said, Tolkien's experiences in WW I influenced his work.

Lucas...was far more influenced by movies of the 40's and 50's. The "Sequel Trilogy" tried to go woke, but...well, we see what an utter failure that was (without even the need to address their wokeness...)

Even if they do put a "message" in such stories, said message is likely to be ignored or, not even interpreted.

It was interesting that in the MCU's Captain America: Civil War, Cap was basically Libertarian/Conservative, while Stark seemed to represent the "Highly Educated/I know more so, I make the decisions" mantra of the Left.

But that is just me, way over analyzing one of my favorite movies.

It is still...FANTASY.

I think you're misinterpreting what the article in the OP was mainly about. My interpretation is not that movies are bad, far from it. It's more about how the clandestine services, in tandem with the mass media, is inserting fiction/lies into our news and passing it off as truth. While I think it's fine for Hollywood to get us to suspend our disbelief in things that clearly aren't true, the same can't be said for what passes for news in the mainstream media.

[Swedgin]

Thus the reason I try to get multiple sources, and then piece things together on my own.

But, this is nothing new. It's just gotten (and is getting) worse.

In many ways FOX news did cause this, as it was a money-making venture, first. When they came online, they filled a wide open niche: Conservative News.

In response, MSNBC and CNN both went full-bore Left. Then all three turned "news" into "partisan propaganda entertainment."

Way back in the day, almost everyone knew that Walter Cronkite was a Democrat. But, he was a professional, so, he tried to remain objective in his news reporting.

There are no Walter Cronkite's these days.....

[phoenyx]

Thus the reason I try to get multiple sources, and then piece things together on my own.

But, this is nothing new. It's just gotten (and is getting) worse.

In many ways FOX news did cause this, as it was a money-making venture, first. When they came online, they filled a wide open niche: Conservative News.

In response, MSNBC and CNN both went full-bore Left. Then all three turned "news" into "partisan propaganda entertainment."

Way back in the day, almost everyone knew that Walter Cronkite was a Democrat. But, he was a professional, so, he tried to remain objective in his news reporting.

There are no Walter Cronkite's these days.....

I personally don't have much of a problem with reporters and journalists being either from the left or the right, as long as they stick to evidence in their reporting, as opposed to the theater that's in a lot of the mainstream news. Honestly, the only mainstream news that I watch these days is the comedians. I'm left wing on a lot of things, such I watch Colbert and John Oliver a fair amount of the time. I think John Oliver is great when taking on certain corporate interests (he just did a great piece on energy companies in the U.S.), and I think Colbert can be good at pointing out Presidents' flaws- I certainly never liked Trump and Colbert was always there to poke fun at him. He hasn't been nearly as good at poking fun at Biden, but then I think it's clear that Colbert basically went for the same Covid narrative Biden bought into, so it's understandable.