Control Room

IN THE NEWS
This weekend, Queenmommy and I went to see Control Room, the documentary about al-Jazeera's coverage of the Iraq invasion, with two good friends. We were impressed. In fact, I was so impressed that I'm convinced this is a better documentary than Farenheit 9/11. As Queenmommy pointed out, Michael Moore's film is likely to remain the more important of the two: it will get a larger audience, and it may open the door for documentaries like Control Room to get a bigger audience. However, I remain convinced that Control Room is the better film.

What made me uncomfortable about Farenheit 9/11 is that, at bottom, it's still a film by Americans, about Americans. You're horrified to see Iraqis caught in the crossfire of the invasion, but they're still supporting characters at best. It's the same script used in many films, both fiction and non-fiction, about the Vietnam War: the anguished American occupies the center stage; the causes of his anguish howl from the chorus, tucked away in the eaves. If we want to make sense of what happened in Vietnam, or we want to make sure that we don't misstep in Iraq further, we need to bring these supporting characters into the center of the story.

Control Room shows us the point of view of moderate Arabs. That statement makes the hoo-ha about whether Control Room is slanted or not relatively meaningless. The people who are our best hope for making progress in the Middle East resemble the staff of al-Jazeera, and they don't like us very much.

Neither will you, if you watch this film, which shows the perspective from the other end of the gun barrel. We may be wielding our national power with the best intentions, but it may not look that way from the other side.

I hate giving out "spoilers" about movies (something which drives Queenmommy nuts, by the way), but I'll mention a few things that might inspire you further to see Control Room:

• The vividness of the personalities. Most anguishing to watch is Samer Khadeer, a senior producer whom we see trying to pave over his ideals with stony cynicism. He can't quite do it, so it's painful to see him say things he doesn't seem to quite believe, like, "Sure, I'd work for Fox if they hired me."


• The inanity of the American press. Try not to throw something at the screen when you hear a Today show correspondent ask a US military spokesperson, "What are the most striking images from today?" The day in question is one of the early days of the invasion, a more somber event that deserves better treatment than an inane question about "images."


• How much Middle Easterners want to believe in the United States. When a colleague says that some new coalition or faction needs to emerge to stop the United States, Hassan Ibrahim of al-Jazeera cuts him off by saying, "No, the United States will stop the United States."


• Lt. Josh Rushing. Here, you see someone who isn't the Ugly American, or even Greene's quiet American (gung ho and dangerous). Throughout the documentary, Rushing gives a dedicated, passionate defense of the invasion, but he's also willing to listen to the other side. He admits at one point that he learned a greater appreciation for how Middle Easterners see Iraq and the occupied territories as intertwined problems, and how little Americans see the connection. He's clearly willing to continue the dialogue--which is THE dialogue the United States must have, at every level, if we're going to make any ground against terrorists. We have to behave like Rushing, willing to listen as much as we talk. The Pentagon has silenced Rushing, and he is now planning on leaving the Marines.

See the movie this week, if you can. It's likely to disappear from theaters altogether, and I'm not sure when the DVD will be available.

Comments

[ff14rmt]

rmtなどがそうだ。rmt リネージュ2これらMMORPGといわれるオンラインゲームは、リネージュ2 rmt1つのサーバーに数千人のプレイヤーが同時にログインしゲームを行なっている。ここでいうサーバーとは、物理的なサーバーではない。MMORPGでは、rmt とはサーバーやワールドと呼ばれる単位で複数の同じ世界が存在する。アトランティカ RMT3万人が同時に1つのサーバへアクセスすると処理が重くなってしまうrmt aion

[ipad 4 accessories]

There are three reel, five reel, seven reel, and are even higher than simply that. This is why it is crucial to take this game to a great extent even if you will not deposit any money from the very first. Brg cards are similar regarding poker cards but only smaller. ipad 4 accessories Ipad 3 keyboard - Http://grizzlygadgets.com/ipad-3-accessory, samsung galaxy s3 accessories keyboard for ipad (http://grizzlygadgets.com/) iphone 5 headphones Cute iphone 5 Cases new Ipad Cases iphone 4 cases; grizzlygadgets.com, case for galaxy s3 ipad 3 cover galaxy s3 phone cases iphone 4 cases - http://grizzlygadgets.com - mini ipad case (http://grizzlygadgets.com/ipad-mini) Ipad Cases zagg ipad keyboard best ipad case iphone 5 headphones best iphone 4 case (grizzlygadgets.com) michael Kors iphone case - http://grizzlygadgets.Com/, ipad 3 case case for samsung galaxy s2 [grizzlygadgets.com] best iphone 5 cases samsung galaxy s2 accessories best iphone 5 cases case for iphone 5 custom Iphone 5 cases ipad mini covers best iphone 4 case metal iphone 5 case ipad 3 accessories (http://grizzlygadgets.com/new-ipad-3-cases) ipad 3 accessories iphone 4 cases best ipad accessories ipad case reviews iphone 4 cases samsung galaxy s3 cases Galaxy s3 charging case best ipad 4 cases, http://grizzlygadgets.com/best-ipad-case, ipad 3 cover - grizzlygadgets.com - iphone 4 aluminum case apple ipad 2 case (http://grizzlygadgets.com) cases for samsung galaxy s2 ipad mini accessories best ipad 4 cases iphone 4s cases iphone 4 case best iphone 4 cases ipad 3 covers best case for iphone 4 (Grizzlygadgets.com) Accessories For Galaxy S3 - Grizzlygadgets.Com - ipad keyboard case best iphone 5 cases best ipad case ipad mini covers ipad cases iphone 5 covers ipad 3 covers - Dorothy - cheap iphone 4 cases best ipad mini case ipad keyboard case, http://grizzlygadgets.com/, iphone 5 cable iphone 5 lifeproof case Iphone Accessories ipad mini keyboard case; grizzlygadgets.com, galaxy s3 charging case; grizzlygadgets.com, samsung galaxy s2 cases (grizzlygadgets.Com) kate spade iphone 4 case ipad accessories ipad 2 cover ipad mini case best iphone 5 cases ipad mini keyboard case (grizzlygadgets.com) ipad cases best iphone 4 case ipad cover with keyboard samsung galaxy s3 case aluminum iphone 5 cases Ipad 3 Covers (Grizzlygadgets.Com) ipad 3 cases with keyboard (grizzlygadgets.com) s3 cases best iphone cases speck iphone 5 case (http://grizzlygadgets.com/iphone-5-case) galaxy s3 accessories Ipad Keyboard michael kors iphone case iphone 5 cases best iphone 4 cases iphone 5 accessories, http://grizzlygadgets.com/iphone-accessory, iphone case (grizzlygadgets.com) ipad 2 case review leather iphone 5 Case i pad covers iphone 4 cases ipad case with keyboard best case for Iphone 5 ipad cover with keyboard; http://grizzlygadgets.com/, Keyboard for ipad kate spade iphone 4 case ipad cover Ipad Mini Cases Ipad Mini Keyboard Case; Grizzlygadgets.Com, cases for galaxy s3 covers for ipad 3 accessories for iphone 4 iphone 5 wallet case [grizzlygadgets.com] best iphone 5 cases phone cases for galaxy s2