I recently learned about director/producer Robert Greenwald who has made several documentaries about America, its government, and big corporations like Blackwater and Wal-Mart.
After Googling Greenwald's name, I found a documentary he produced called, "Steal This Movie." It is about the life and untimely death of political activist Abbie Hoffman. Not only is it brilliant in its portrayal of the characters, but its historical accurateness shines clear and bright. After watching this film, I was prompted to Google Hoffman to learn more about his life. He wrote several books and pamphlets and produced songs and movies about the truth of American Democracy. You can learn more about him here however Wikipedia is not the most credible source.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbie_Hoffman#Suicide
This comes to me in a time when my roots have been shaken, their very foundation has been ripped apart by the devastation of such an unjustifiable, wasteful, pathetic, and no less ridiculous war.
When I think back, I wonder who, how, and when my political flame was ignited. I believe it was during the 1998 election between Dole and Clinton. I remember immediately siding with Dole because my dad liked him. But after I heard some disturbing news about him, that of which I have no recollection, I changed my mind and sided with my mom. From there, years passed until the tragedy at Columbine which prompted film maker and activist Michael Moore to write, direct, and produce the documentary, "Bowling for Columbine." It was at that moment, which one specifically I can not recall, that I realized something was very wrong. Not only was something wrong with the education system, in which we're taught that America is the beautiful, the great, and is the concerned, compassionate friend next door who is just sticking up for those too weak to defend themselves. No, there is far more wrong than just that.
My step- uncle Tom has told me: "You don't want to know the truth. Because once you know it, you realize there's nothing to be done about it. And that is the worst thing of all, to know that you're being wronged and the very people who are wronging you are preventing you from stopping it. Much like the old joke, 'stop hitting yourself...'" At which point he takes my arm and makes my hand hit my face and says, "stop hitting yourself". Although he may appear to be fucked up in the head, which is what my mom says, there is a lot of honesty and fact behind his words. And there is also a father in that man, one who prevents me from finding out what he has found. And perhaps that truth is what has driven him to insanity. Much like the great mathematicians of our time.
All in all I believe that knowledge is power and that no matter what the truth may hold, no matter how disgusting or repulsive, how painful or hurtful, it is still the truth. What that truth is I still don't know... I know bits and pieces, thanks to bros like Noam Chomsky, Robert Greenwald, and Michael Moore. There is a blanket of fiction that covers the U.S. which was realized most recently and importantly by those who grew up in the late 60s and participated in riots and rallies against the Vietnam War and against the government who tried so hard to keep them quite and out of sight. Us liberals, us "leftists" are the red- headed step children, the black sheep, the skeletons in the closet, we are the United States of America's dirty little secret. Or puchina. LOL. So I ask myself, where are these peeps from the 60s? They must have vanished or been brain washed or don't speak or vote because I am certain, I am convinced, that if they are still the same people now they were then, or if even just a thread of that person remains in who they are today, we would be in a better spot. We wouldn't be in this war and we wouldn't have this administration... or would we? Because as people grow up, their motivations and responsibilities change and with that, so do their political views. What disturbs me, something that brought me back to reality was this: "... Jerry Rubin, Hoffman's co-founder of the Yippies, by then a businessman. As The New York Times reported: "Indeed, most of the mourners who attended the formal memorial at Temple Emanuel here were more yuppie than yippie and there were more rep ties than ripped jeans among the crowd…."
They're all gone. They've been taken over by droids. They're zombies. No wait, they're our parents and grandparents. They've given up. What a fucking devastating realization that is.
To watch the movie about Hoffman:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5858962939917432628&q=ROBERT+GREENWALD&ei=THcXSM2nMJ784AL_j8zuBg&hl=en
Robert Greenwald:
http://www.robertgreenwald.org/
Unconstitutional- The War on Our Civil Liberties: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3105519703637733227&q=ROBERT+GREENWALD&ei=rK0YSJSAAZ-w4QLQ5-jvBg&hl=en
Iraq For Sale: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6621486727392146155&q=ROBERT+GREENWALD&ei=xa0YSJr8J56m4QLAv7ntBg&hl=en
He addresses Congress: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8706830704103212226&q=ROBERT+GREENWALD&ei=xa0YSJr8J56m4QLAv7ntBg&hl=en
Michael Moore:
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
Noam Chomsky:
http://www.chomsky.info/articles.htm
