Truth
The Most Important Film of 2015
Dan Rather: ©Wikipedia
CBS does not want you do see Truth. Karl Rove does not want you to see Truth. Those who broadcast yellow journalism and fake news as opposed to honest news, don’t want you to see Truth. But if there is ever any hope of saving America and restoring the vision of our country’s founders, people may want to consider it their patriotic duty to see Truth. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, don’t walk, but instead run to the nearest theater showing this very accurate account of the fall of honest journalism.
Regardless of the personal motives of our founding fathers, what inspired the American people to fight and win the revolution of 1776 were the honest words of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, of Thomas Paine in Common Sense and of Patrick Henry in his speech to the Virginia Convention. Back then truth mattered.
Even prior to the events in the movie, truth had become hidden behind money and lies in the ongoing sell-out by the corporate-owned media. Most independent so-called news journals have also traded honesty for profits. Dan Rather and Mary Mapes were among the last truth tellers in broadcast news. Some remain upset that Rather allowed the station to force his retraction of a true story that could have affected the outcome of the 2004 Presidential election but others point out that the station would not have allowed him to air any further verification of the story. (Given that Kerry didn't even wait for a full first count in Ohio before breaking his promise and conceding, there is some question as to whether any amount of truth could have resulted in a fair election in 2004.) Looking back, it is clear that Rather and Mapes were set up and became casualties of the media’s final switch from honest news to purchased news. Since 2004, most Americans have learned that their 60 Minutes news story about Bush’s National Guard service (or AWOL service) was accurate. The set-up of the 60 Minutes staff had all the markings of a Karl Rove operation. As a result of the unified goal by CBS and George W. Bush to consolidate and control the media and their apparent quest to stop the flow of truth, careers of some of the industry's most hardworking and honest reporters were savaged. But the real loss was to the public. The attacks on Mary Mapes, Dan Rather and their staff resulted in a chilling effect on journalists. The result is that the public now has difficulty finding sources of accurate news. Acclaimed journalist Greg Palast has often spoken about how journalists want to tell the truth but their editors won't let them. In addition to being the most important motion picture of 2015, Truth could well be the most important work of the decade or maybe the century. Unfortunately, for the public, a major effort to hide this film has resulted in theater-goers having to search for local showings in artsy theaters during the limited release period. But to those who make the effort to track down a showing, this film winds up a powerful and unforgettable experience.
The fall of the truth has resulted in an unprecedented number of whistle-blowers and truth-tellers being prosecuted for nothing more than telling the truth. Edward Snowden has been threatened with prosecution for informing the American people that their Constitutional rights and privacy have been violated by the U.S. Government. Pharmaceutical companies, the biggest purchasers of media spots, have been allowed to falsely claim that dangerous/deadly pharmaceuticals are safe for children. These dangerous products that the mass media has been bribed into promoting have too often resulted in parents needing to bury their infants and children. Recently, the supporters of Bernie Sanders watched in shock as every American network falsified the results of the public reaction to the October 2015 Democratic debate while ignoring their own polls, all of which showed Bernie Sanders had soundly defeated Hillary Clinton in the debate by landslide margins. When Fukushima dropped high levels of radiation across America and seriously contaminated America’s food, water and milk supplies, the media took money from energy companies and suppressed information about the dangers Americans could have taken precautions to protect themselves against. Scientists have estimated that a significant number of American lives have been lost as a result of this cover-up. This discussion doesn't even begin to touch on the military-industrial complex's use of the media falsifications to promote death on a scale of millions of innocents lost for greed and profits. Additional examples of media misinformation detrimental to the American public in the last decade are too numerous to discuss in as few as a hundred articles. But what is clear is that there is a lack of conscience on the part of those running CBS and other Networks. So naturally, CBS hopes you will believe the lies and stay away from exposes like Truth.
While additional courageous journalists, such Glenn Greenwald, continue to join the fight to keep the public apprised of information it needs to know, the corporate media and our government have done their best to suppress these voices and their sources of information. When will Julian Assange’s freedom be restored?
Robert Redford was perfectly cast as Dan Rather. Undoubtedly, he identified with Rather in that he (Redford) has worked for years to inform the public of major issues---particularly those affecting the environment and wildlife. Cate Blanchett and the other performers were very convincing in their roles. The casting, screen-writing and direction were the best this writer has seen this year.
The Motion Picture Academy often fears the media and might be deterred from properly awarding the best accomplishments this year. If the members of the Motion Picture Academy choose to be honest and give credit where credit where credit is due, Truth will be the big Oscar winner for 2015 with Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett taking home the Best Actor and Best Actress Oscars.
-----by Natalie of the Justice Gazette
Regardless of the personal motives of our founding fathers, what inspired the American people to fight and win the revolution of 1776 were the honest words of Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, of Thomas Paine in Common Sense and of Patrick Henry in his speech to the Virginia Convention. Back then truth mattered.
Even prior to the events in the movie, truth had become hidden behind money and lies in the ongoing sell-out by the corporate-owned media. Most independent so-called news journals have also traded honesty for profits. Dan Rather and Mary Mapes were among the last truth tellers in broadcast news. Some remain upset that Rather allowed the station to force his retraction of a true story that could have affected the outcome of the 2004 Presidential election but others point out that the station would not have allowed him to air any further verification of the story. (Given that Kerry didn't even wait for a full first count in Ohio before breaking his promise and conceding, there is some question as to whether any amount of truth could have resulted in a fair election in 2004.) Looking back, it is clear that Rather and Mapes were set up and became casualties of the media’s final switch from honest news to purchased news. Since 2004, most Americans have learned that their 60 Minutes news story about Bush’s National Guard service (or AWOL service) was accurate. The set-up of the 60 Minutes staff had all the markings of a Karl Rove operation. As a result of the unified goal by CBS and George W. Bush to consolidate and control the media and their apparent quest to stop the flow of truth, careers of some of the industry's most hardworking and honest reporters were savaged. But the real loss was to the public. The attacks on Mary Mapes, Dan Rather and their staff resulted in a chilling effect on journalists. The result is that the public now has difficulty finding sources of accurate news. Acclaimed journalist Greg Palast has often spoken about how journalists want to tell the truth but their editors won't let them. In addition to being the most important motion picture of 2015, Truth could well be the most important work of the decade or maybe the century. Unfortunately, for the public, a major effort to hide this film has resulted in theater-goers having to search for local showings in artsy theaters during the limited release period. But to those who make the effort to track down a showing, this film winds up a powerful and unforgettable experience.
The fall of the truth has resulted in an unprecedented number of whistle-blowers and truth-tellers being prosecuted for nothing more than telling the truth. Edward Snowden has been threatened with prosecution for informing the American people that their Constitutional rights and privacy have been violated by the U.S. Government. Pharmaceutical companies, the biggest purchasers of media spots, have been allowed to falsely claim that dangerous/deadly pharmaceuticals are safe for children. These dangerous products that the mass media has been bribed into promoting have too often resulted in parents needing to bury their infants and children. Recently, the supporters of Bernie Sanders watched in shock as every American network falsified the results of the public reaction to the October 2015 Democratic debate while ignoring their own polls, all of which showed Bernie Sanders had soundly defeated Hillary Clinton in the debate by landslide margins. When Fukushima dropped high levels of radiation across America and seriously contaminated America’s food, water and milk supplies, the media took money from energy companies and suppressed information about the dangers Americans could have taken precautions to protect themselves against. Scientists have estimated that a significant number of American lives have been lost as a result of this cover-up. This discussion doesn't even begin to touch on the military-industrial complex's use of the media falsifications to promote death on a scale of millions of innocents lost for greed and profits. Additional examples of media misinformation detrimental to the American public in the last decade are too numerous to discuss in as few as a hundred articles. But what is clear is that there is a lack of conscience on the part of those running CBS and other Networks. So naturally, CBS hopes you will believe the lies and stay away from exposes like Truth.
While additional courageous journalists, such Glenn Greenwald, continue to join the fight to keep the public apprised of information it needs to know, the corporate media and our government have done their best to suppress these voices and their sources of information. When will Julian Assange’s freedom be restored?
Robert Redford was perfectly cast as Dan Rather. Undoubtedly, he identified with Rather in that he (Redford) has worked for years to inform the public of major issues---particularly those affecting the environment and wildlife. Cate Blanchett and the other performers were very convincing in their roles. The casting, screen-writing and direction were the best this writer has seen this year.
The Motion Picture Academy often fears the media and might be deterred from properly awarding the best accomplishments this year. If the members of the Motion Picture Academy choose to be honest and give credit where credit where credit is due, Truth will be the big Oscar winner for 2015 with Robert Redford and Cate Blanchett taking home the Best Actor and Best Actress Oscars.
-----by Natalie of the Justice Gazette
Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford photos: ©Wikipedia