Scooter's Platoon

[H2O Man]

Among the letters of support for I. Liar "Scooter" Libby that Judge Walton has made public is one that describes his office in terms similar to what Vine Deloria Jr called the "All-American Platoon." Let's take a look:

"By way of background, I am the son of Filipino-American immigrants. My father was an enlisted man in the U.S. Navy .... What struck me at the time was that (Scooter) focused on not only hiring the most qualified people, but also providing opportunities for women and minorities as well. Our domestic policy staff included me, an Asian American, ... An African American, ... an Iranian American (and) a Japanese-American." (from Cesar Conda)

Immediately upon reading this, I thought of Deloria's description: "This era was the hey-day of the 'All-American Platoon.' It was the ultimate conception of intergroup relations. The 'All-American Platoon' was a 'one each': one black, one Mexican, one Indian, one farm boy from Iowa, one Southerner who hated blacks, one boy from Brooklyn, one Polish boy from the urban slums of the Midwest, one Jewish intellectual, and one college boy. Every possible stereotype was included and it resulted in a portrayal of Indians as another species of human beings for the first time in moving pictures.

"The platoon was always commanded by a veteran of grizzled countenance who had been at every battle in which the United States had ever engaged. The whole story consisted in killing off the members until only the veteran and the college boy were left. The Southerner and the black would die in each other's arms singing 'Dixie.' The Jewish intellectual and the Indian formed some kind of attachment and were curiously the last ones killed. When the smoke cleared, the college boy, with a prestige wound in the shoulder, returned to his girl, and the veteran reconciled with his wife and checked out another platoon in anticipation of taking the same hill in the next movie." (We Talk, You Listen; pages 35-36)

This concept for a major motion picture has reel potential. I think we all see Tom Cruise playing Sgt. Scooter, who has made a decision to follow the heroic General Cheney in this war of civilizations. VP Cheney's experiences in the jungles of Vietnam, set to the Door's "The End," could be a wonderul opening scene. The ending of the flick is still in question, though; there were some who thought having Bush prance about under a "Mission Accomplished" banner would work. But I don't think Cruise stars in "Mission Accomplished" movies.

[annabanana]

1. As usual, the administration has to be viewed through the filter

of fiction to understand how they see themselves.

[bryant69]

2. I'm not sure of your exact point

The type of movie you are talking about was very much of it's time, World War II, when Hollywood wanted to stress that we are one nation, despite our differences. Our differences were held up in contrast to the Nazis Aryan ideals (and later to Communisms similar uniform identity (at least in our popular culture image)). Do you see that as a negative or a positive image for America? or having elements of both?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[H2O Man]

3. Actually,

according to the author (Vine Deloria Jr.)these movies were from the Korean War era (We Talk, You Listen; page 35). If we were to move the movie up to today's cultural context, with the Cheney-Libby war on Islamic radicals and the Constitution of the United States, would the movie be negative or positive?

[bryant69]

4. Hmmmmm. Tricky question

But there's a dual message in that movie, isn't there? One is that we are all in this together, and we should tolerate and accept our diversity, which is usually a good message. One is that this war is justified and we have to win it, which, in this context, would be a bad message.

Bryant

[H2O Man]

5. Do you mean

in "Scooter's Platoon"? Those are the types of questions I see the college boy asking, though it is hard to say if he asks them in the beginning, if he'll have an answer at the end.

The plot thickens.

[bryant69]

7. It's an interesting progression

I understand the article you site concentrates on movies in the Korean era, but I think those patterns get set in World War II, for obvious reasons. The studio heads were often Jewish, and in a war with Nazism, stressing that American tolerance for different cultures and ideals was one of our strength was a message that resonated with them. Once you get to Korea, the template for a war movie was set. And at that point our view of Communists (and Asians, I suppose) made our diversity seem even more important.

Unfortunately I think the Vietnam movies have pretty much broken that thread, or frayed it quite a bit. When you have Slim Pickens making fun (seemingly unaware) of those sorts of movies in Dr. Strangelove, or when you see the existential horror of war in Apocolypse Now, the war movie has become something else. Most movies made about Vietnam are, at best, ambivelant about the value of that war. And the movies made about the Gulf War didn't really change the template (I'm thinking about Three Kings). War makes people do bad things, and yeah, people are diverse, but they are all messed up together.

For a while it seemed like we would see some pro war movies in the wake of 9/11. Certainly the 4th season of 24 or the Unit could be seen as this (one could also add in the rediscovery of WW2 as a "good war" I suppose (Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Pearl Harbor). But I don't see that translating into a "Scooters Platoon" type of movie, except, perhaps, as a dark comedy. Which actually could be very amusing.

Bryant

[H2O Man]

11. When one considers

the true implications of Vine Deloria's comments on these movies, one can only hope that Patrick Buchanan adds the Indians to the list of immigrants we need to screen more carefully. Clearly, there will be no "sub-titles" in this movie, should Mr. Buchanan agree to direct it.

Or maybe Spike Lee, for as John Hannah wrote: "Scooter lived by one motto: Do the right thing."

[TahitiNut]

26. You're missing an ingredient in the recipe you view. The Hays Code.

It required that wrong-doers be punished and never prosper and that portraying our involvement in war as somehow wrong was 'anti-Americanism.' The Korean War was contemporary with HUAC and McCarthy.

[bryant69]

27. Fair point

It'd be interesting to know if contemporary film makers would have made more critical movies had they been let off the leash.

Bryant

[myrna minx]

20. I just found out that Vine Deloria passed away in 2005.

His work was an invaluable resource when I wrote a short research paper on "New World" archaeology and the clash between Native Americans and Archaeologists/Anthropologists. His work was very eye opening for me.

[H2O Man]

21. "Mythical

Pleistocene Hit Men," from his 1997 "Red Earth, White Lies," is outstanding.

[myrna minx]

22. If I recall correctly, his argument is that the Native Americans of the Pleistocene

were not "super hunters/killers" who overkilled the animals in North America, and are not responsible for the extinction of many species in North America, despite the common scientific acceptance of the "hit man" theory. It's been awhile since I've read his work.

[H2O Man]

23. Right.

He made his points with humor, though not everyone found him to be funny.

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

6. You crack me up, Waterman!

Actually, "Scooter's all-American platoon" serves the purposes of "Perception Management" quite well. Who among us can look at that lineup without reflecting on how much it resembles our population, and the comparison to the old Korean War-era movies is quite apt. The stereotype is the "massage" designed to lull an observer into unconsciousness - in this case, unconsciousness of the true nature of the OVP and its multiple unAmerican activities.

Those mild mannered neocons can't be bad guys! They rub shoulders with colored folks and even hire some of them! Scooter has such a mellifluous voice, and Wolfowitz simply oozes charm in his own inimitable way, neither can be imagined as architects of sheer mayhem and blackhearted schemes!

Confucius says that, if you know the true nature of a man, the truth emerges without effort.

[H2O Man]

8. One of the Foot Soldiers

quoted another great thinker: "As you are no doubt aware, Mr. Libby is a fine author. As I have watched his indictment and trial proceed, a brief passage from his novel, The Apprentice, has frequently come to mind, 'For the storm had reached the point beyond the strength of men'." (Robert Loonrod)

Perhaps if we want to keep this a "family movie," we should stick with lines from Scooter's novel approach to family values, rather than Confusion, which can only confuse people. Proof that this is a family movie is found in these two quotes:

{1} "I recently had my 64th birthday. I am married, have three children, and three grandchildren." (Barry Simon)

{2} "I am the father of two perfect young women. I have attached a bio." (James Denton; Executive Director/Publisher; heldref publications)

[blogslut]

9. What I want to know is...

...if Lewis Liar Libby was such an awesome guy, how come his own boss didn't speak up for him? Where is Cheney's letter? Where is Lynne's or Elizabeth's or even Mary's? Why didn't Cheney do more?

PS: I know the answer. I'm just really fond of the question :)

[H2O Man]

12. "A conspiracy of silence

speaks louder than words." -- Dr. Winston O'Boogie

[Hubert Flottz]

10. "Scooter's Platoon" =

The DIRTY Rat Patrol.

[H2O Man]

14. The Dirty Rat Patrol:

"Scooter showed a personal interest in protecting the freedoms and rights of all Americans .... with respect for individual rights and a love of the Constitution." -- Doug Feith

Greater love has no man than he who exposes a CIA NOC, in order to protect her freedoms and rights with special attention being paid for her individual rights. And that "love of the Constitution" is self-evident in his convictions for perjury and obstruction.

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

15. The irony is mind-numbing...n/t

[troubleinwinter]

28. What can I say, but

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

13. We need some good music!

We need some stirring, quasi-martial music to help drive the message home, swelling in the background as Scootie and his Band of Brothers From Another Planet take the beach (Mai-Tais in hand). The crescendo would be missing something without copious quantities of red, white, and blue bunting, and a few flags thrown into the mix.

We'll have to recruit some really dark black, glowering and threatening actor to portray the unfeeling Judge Walton, preferably flanked by a phalanx of jackbooted faxcist thugs, so as to draw a sharp distinction between our hero and the villain...

[Me.]

16. Paris & Scooter

Both did the crime and neither wants to do the time. Do you think the American people will get the idea there are two sets of laws?

If I can find it, I'll do the link to the Blumenthal article which talks about how Wolfowitz has messed up again. In his letter where he describes the lengths Scooter went to to protect the identity of an agent.


Link: www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=286597

[H2O Man]

17. Paul Wolfowitz

wrote to the judge: "I know of many examples of Mr. Libby's service to individuals. ... One involves his efforts to persuade a newspaper not to publish information that would have endangered the life of a covert CIA agent .... Mr. Libby worked to collect information needed to convince the editor not to run the story. ...

"In one case, he helped a public official defend himself successfully against libelous accusations, something that is extremely difficult to do for anyone in public office. The official in question was Richard Armitage ...."

Touching.

[Me.]

18. Interesting

Now, do we know for sure Armitage was the first to blab? Yes I know the dates say so and he says so ...and so forth. But could it be a put up job, Dickie trying to help out Scootie and the dick?

[H2O Man]

19. A coordinated effort.

Everyone did it/no one did it.

[myrna minx]

24. Murder on the Orient Express. n/t

[Me.]

29. Nightmare On Pennsylvania Ave.

Might be a contender, 'Silence of the Neo-cons' ....

[Patsy Stone]

25. While a movie is a great idea,

I was looking forward to the audio book of the letters. Imagine how ridiculous these would sound if they were read by the authors.

Joseph Bottum of First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Life:

"But I beg you, Your Honor, to think of the damage done to the political health of the republic -- to the willingness of the talented and serious to participate in public life -- by further punishment of Scooter Libby. The moral of his tale is already that political life can easily end in financial bankruptcy, legal disbarment, and utter destruction of reputation. It need not -- it should not -- reach to additional judicial sentences.

"Judge Walton -- I, who make my living with words, find words failing me here. All I can do is ask: Please, Your Honor, see beneath this man's conviction to the potential that remains with him. And, please, Your Honor, see beyond this man's conviction to the dangers further punishment would mean to our shared lives in this country."

The italics are his. Bringing this man to justice was a bad thing, and holding him accountable will damage the lives of Americans? Oh, brother.

:eyes: