Some thoughts on the "United 93" movie...and it's potential impact.

[CoffeeCat]

We may disagree on whether or not this movie should have been made--or whether people should see it.

However, the fact remains that many WILL see it.

I saw "United 93" last night, and I think the IMPACT this film will have on the public--is very important to discuss.

There's no doubt that "Flight 93" will spark discussion/emotions, which could impact general political attitudes in this country.

I exited the theater thinking..."What in THE HELL are we doing in Iraq? These bastards committed these unimaginable terrorist acts on Americans--and we're creating and fighting a civil war in Iraq--which has nothing to do with 9/11."

I would hope that many would emerge from the theater thinking along those lines--that Iraq is a sickening waste because it drains untold resources on a debacle that has nothing to do with terrorism or what happened on 9/11.

For me--"United 93" further solidified the the fact that Iraq is not about "the war on terrorism."

Unfortunately, many will enter the theater with their own political agenda. The movie is so incredibly powerful, and I'm concerned that the strong emotion that it cultivates--will be misdirected. I left the theater will hives on my neck. I felt as if I had experienced the highjacking--as if I was on that plane. Incredibly. Powerful.

"United 93" really stokes a great deal of disdain, contempt and rage for the hijackers. Conversely, your heart breaks a thousands time over, for the passengers. This is exactly what we should feel. However, I'm concerned that the movie will stoke so much hate for all Muslims, that people will be further blinded from the truth: That Iraq has nothing to do with 9/11--and we are involved in an evil diversion masterminded by liars and thugs who used 9/11 to further their warmongering agenda.

I'm concerned that the horror depicted in this film will not illuminate, and instead, will further blur the distinction between "Iraq" and the "war on terror."

I hope I'm wrong.

[Ready4Change]

1. Did the movie draw any connections to Iraq? n/t

[CoffeeCat]

9. No, there was no mention of Iraq...

...at all.

I'm sure the producers/directors hyper focused on this aspect of 9/11--to show us precisely what "the war on terror" is about--and what it's not about.

Iraq was nowhere to be found in this movie. It's exclusion said so much.

"United 93" hyper focused on the events that happened to those passengers--before and after they boarded the plane. It was intense. The "93" story moved in and out of the plane--with scenes of the air-traffic controllers and the military personnel at Norad. Those scenes served to further intensify what was happening on the flight.

This movie really drilled down. I think this was done for a reason--to remind people what the facts are--and what the lies are.

That's what I took away, anyway.

[priller]

10. No, in fact it's not really political at all

It's just a straight retelling of the events. I thought it was very well done, and I couldn't detect any bias in it. It really focused mostly on the air traffic controllers and how confused they were, and how unprepared they were for what happened. And the military was a hopeless mess. It focused on the passengers, of course, but it didn't glorify or turn them into exaggerated heros -- it was about as un-Rambo as you can get. The passengers, for the most part, were scared shitless, as were the hijackers.

[mtnsnake]

2. I think you're right

Good post, recommended

[calmblueocean]

3. Iraq has made people forget 9/11. Hopefully this will remind them.

I think now might be a good time to start reposting that Bush clip where he says of Osama, "I'm really not that concerned about him."

[madrchsod]

4. nor will it get any where close to the real reason

that we were attacked. bin boy has been very clear over the years why he`s attacked us and the media has refused to published the speeches in their entirety. if people really understood what he was saying they would begin to understand why 9/11 happened. but this will never happen because it is easier to live indenial of the truth and warm fuzzy feeling that we are always right.

[mdmc]

6. kick their ass, take their gas

:shrug:

[madrchsod]

21. one of his messages

seemed to be aimed at the bush family/cia who had various business dealings with the bin`s family for years. everything was fine until poppy fired saddam and based troops in saudi arabia which pissed off bin and his buddies. he was "scorned lover" who felt betrayed and took revenge. this dozen`t absolve him of his crimes but it does show the role of the bush criminal organization in the melodrama. i wonder why bush never wanted to capture him?

[mdmc]

23. i think that he is worth more "at large" to w.

:shrug:

[mmonk]

5. You are correct.

This movie is a danger for our future.

[gassed]

8. I appreciate a good....

myth like anyone else. However, I plan on saving my meager entertainment dollars for a for story steeped in reality...Oliver Stone's WORLD TRADE CENTER.

[mmonk]

12. Emotion isn't rational thought.

Emotion and political lies, not rational thought had the people thinking invading a country that posed no threat and had not attacked us nor had the real capability to (their leaders couldn't even fly to parts of their own country without being shot down) has got us where we are. More emotion results in more of the same and more risk to all of us in a future unstable world.

[Toots]

7. Does it make you want to agree with Bush* that Dubai should take over

nine military contractors? Let's make War and everyone can make huge Profits.....and we can even bring in our Arab friends that provided some of those very terrorists on that plane...Yippee we're all gunna die..

[itzamirakul]

14. What percentage of Halliburton or its subsidiaries does the Saudi

Royal family own? Little if any profit will "trickle down" to the average Saudi citizens. The Royal family will get it all.

[CoffeeCat]

16. No...I think the movie drills down to the truth...

...and makes Bush's actions look sickening.

Junior is using 9/11 to open the doors to all kinds of illegal, unconstitutional, criminal behavior--on the part of his administration.

For example, when you see what these hijackers did--and you want true justice--it's very hard to understand how wiretapping average citizens achieves that justice. Junior's lies are magified by this movie.

By hyper focusing on this one aspect of 9/11--we see the event in a pure form. Thus, we are better able to see that most of what Junior has done post-9/11 is a scam and a ploy--using 9/11 to further a sick, un American agenda that has nothing to do with "freedom" or "security."

Every day that Junior gets up and "governs"--he exploits every person who died on Sept 11th.

Many have said that the producers of "Flight 93" exploit the victims depicted in the movie. I think the producers eloquently use this terrorist event to illustrate how far off track we are, from what REALLY happened to our nation on that day.

When our pResident uses "National Security" and "the war on terror" to justify reading our email, tapping our phones and searching our homes without warrant---the lies seem more glaring, offensive and sickening after seeing this movie.

[priller]

11. I left the movie thinking

that the Russians were probably going, "Damn, all this time, we could have invaded the Americans so easily!"

[Puglover]

13. A freeper in my office told me this morning

that the movie was important because people are forgetting about 9/11 and forgetting why we are where we are right now. I asked "and where is that?" She answered "In Iraq fighting the terrorists." I said "If the 9/11 Commission and your Idiot President say Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 why on earth are you still holding onto this lie?"

She told me that she didn't want to bicker and that was that.

I think your assessment is spot on.

[Olney Blue]

15. These are interesting points, TwoSparkles.

I haven't seen the movie yet, but just the exposure to trailers, movie reviews,
family interviews, etc. have been enough to be upsetting. I was against the war
in Iraq before it began (I took my portable TV into work on the day that Shrub's "ultimatum" to
Hussein was ending- hoping and praying that the bombing would NOT start). I am not
an expert on the Middle East, but even I knew that the war would unleash a Pandora's box
of extremism and anger. I am so worried about what the U.S. has done in "revenge" for
the 9/11 attacks and its illogical attempt to use Iraq as part of its "war on terror."
And now, what has been accomplished? Terrorist attacks have increased in the world,
more innocent people (including Muslims) have died- and what do we have now?
"Mission accomplished?"

[mrcheerful]

17. Your not, the sad thing is most of those that go and see this movie will

come out Saying what they would have done. You forget how your fellow americans react to these type of movies. Remember people are seeing the ads and trailers for the movie and are already talking about how heroic these people were for trying to stop the terrorists. Yet that is only speculation based on cell phone calls ( which I have heard effect instruments in the cock pit, if my information is correct, airlines wanted to ban cell phone use on flights because of that ) and even with those your still dealing with a few calls that said they were going to do something to stop the terrorists. The cell phones could have had that effect which could have made the terrorists mis-read the instruments. We will never know what really went on up there and based on the fact we now have the most secretive government in power how do we know that the information given to the media is everything that was transmitted from that air craft. I'm afraid all this movie will amount to is more cheerleading for the pukes in power and make hero's out of the passengers. Here are the facts of flight 93, we know it was hi-jacked, we know it was off its course, we know terrorists were on board and we know it crashed in PA. Now tell me how this movie was made with most of the pieces missing from the puzzle? Even with the black box, the experts don't know why flight 93 went into the ground or they are not telling us everything that was on the black box.

[mmonk]

18. As long as people believe in the lie

that we are in Iraq to fight terrorism over there, this movie does not serve a good nor decent purpose no matter what the intent of the directors are.

[stray cat]

19. If nothing else the movie fall under free speech - a progressive value?

My impression is it is non-political and will probably not change anyones established pre-conceptions. People who insisted on tying 9-11 to Iraq will leave the movie feeling the same way. People who know Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11 won't emerge from the movie with a different opinion.

[Nashyra]

20. As a flight attendant

I still do not understand how the cell phones worked? I know that the GTE phones in the seat back worked, but at that time I never knew of a cell phone that worked. Also I think for the * administration it shows how seriously underprepared they were. Never fail to remind people that nothing happened over the millineum under Clinton/Gore, but look at 911 and Katrina proves it was the administrations failure to be prepared and not the previous administration.

[The Straight Story]

22. The previous administration feared saddam and wanted him out as well

Gore even said 'saddam must go'. Now as this relates to the thread:


The terrorists echoed sentiments that saddam was throwing out - and folks (dems and repugs alike) saw him as a terrorist enabler and financer. So even though 9/11 was not his gig, folks see him as one in the same.

[Olney Blue]

24. It would be interesting to know if the passengers had used the GTE phones.

There should be records of the origin of the phone calls that were made from
the airplane. Could the altitude have been low enough for the cell phones to work?
I don't know enough about the technology, but maybe someone else here does.

[neebob]

25. I have a conservative-leaning friend with whom I do lots of things

Last night over dinner, we were discussing which movie to see after our Saturday afternoon workout. We live in a small town with only seven screens, and with so few choice there isn't usually much question. I suggested Friends With Money or Thank You for Smoking. My friend didn't seem too interested in either of those, so I said I could do The Sentinel, and of course there's Flight 93 but I'm not in the mood for that.

"I'm not, either," she said.

Then I chose to bend the sort of unspoken rule we have of not discussing politics or religion and added I'm not convinced Flight 93 wasn't shot down and either way, it's fiction. My friend gave me a look that was kind of disapproving and quizzical at the same time, and said, "Interesting."

After that I changed the subject. This is, after all, someone who once said she voted for Bush and would do it again. That's how I found out she isn't a liberal, and my other friend who wasn't too dumbfounded to speak asked her why, and she said she appreciated how he handled things after 9/11. And I had a hard time with that, so I just didn't want to go there again - but I can't help wondering where the conversation might have gone.

[mrcheerful]

26. You already know where it was going to go

Shrub keeps me safe and he's all for my freedom. Everythings the fault of liberals and Dem's who pick on poor Shrub. People like that can't understand basic principles, shrub is not the boy wonder nor the great statesman they think he is. I bet she also doesn't think shrub had anything to do with oil prices either. I know a few ex friends like that and they can't admit they made the wrong choice but then they are never wrong.

[neebob]

28. Not quite like that

My friend's more thoughtful and respectful than that. The day I was stupidly counting the conservatives I knew, and she said, "And me," I just about keeled over. I think I actually said, "No you're not."

Then she said she was more conservative than liberal and had voted for Bush and would do it again, and then the line about how he handled things after 9/11, and I just withdrew from the conversation - ran away, almost, feeling embarrassed and stupid for starting the conversation as well as shocked that my friend could be so dumb. It bothered me for weeks. We've never talked about it since.

Anyway it was The Sentinel that we saw on Saturday. On the way out of the theater, we passed a poster for American Dreamz, which says something like, "What if the President never read the papers and went to war for all the wrong reasons ...." I noticed her reading it and wondered what she was thinking.

I was thinking, "There's that elephant under the rug again." And it really is an elephant.

[Blackdog4241]

27. I went to see this movie today and....

all I got from it was really pissed off.
I don't know how factual it is but it just left me with more questions.
Maybe that's a good thing if people come out of this movie with more questions.

It seemed to me that the bulk of this movie was the air traffic controllers and FAA trying there
best to get NORAD and this incompetent administration to do something but the President and Vice-President weren't taking calls that day.
Hmmmmmm