Buzzflash Interview: Larry Beinhart explains the narratives of war...

[demobabe]

A BUZZFLASH INTERVIEW

The Bush-Cheney situation right now is like this: They've gone to Vegas. Their stake was $200,000. They're down $300,000. If they get up and they leave the table, everyone knows they went to Vegas, lost their shirt, plus some more. If they stay there and keep betting, one of two things is going to happen. Either a miracle is going to occur, and somehow they'll suddenly win the war, or there will be a new election and they will be magically whisked away from their seats. Somebody else will be sitting there and become responsible for the losses.

-- Larry Beinhart, Author, Fog Facts; Wag the Dog: The Novel; American Hero; The Librarian

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Larry Beinhart is a regular BuzzFlash columnist and one of our favorite analysts on the role of packaging fictional narratives into reality. We hardly ever watch a movie more than once, but we've watched "Wag the Dog" several times, including viewing it with those commentary tracks by the director, Barry Levinson, and the "producer" of a non-existent war with Albania, Dustin Hoffman. "Wag the Dog" is based on Beinhart's book, American Hero.

American Hero. however, was set in Gulf War I, while "Wag the Dog" parallels the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

What distinguishes Beinhart's writing is how perspicaciously he understands the role of turning fiction into reality in a television age. He also understands the fine art of manipulating the masses.

The Busheviks, of course, are masters at these techniques. They create artificial "narratives" that plow right through reality.

BuzzFlash enjoyed having another conversation with Beinhart, as his thoughts are as relevant as ever.

Read the interview here: http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/interviews/068

[bryant69]

1. Thats' a fairly good analysis

And of of course invading Iran would be the metaphorical equivielent of doubling down.

Bryant
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