US military intelligence agencies have influenced over 1,800 movies and TV shows • Hacker News Board

Re: US military intelligence agencies have influenced over 1,800 movies and TV shows

#151

Post by gumby » Wed, Jul 05, 2017, 5:37 PM UTC

Animats wrote: post #140

gumby wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know: when I was a kid I was taught that the countries that needed these ritualistic pledges of patriotism and flag worship were the totalitarian ones (USSR, GDR, Turkey, Imperial Japan, etc). It was a shock to see my kid have to learn a flag prayer in the USA. And sport is a private sector activity -- why should the government be involved?

"Flag Prayer"? The Pledge of Allegiance? Only US citizens should recite the pledge of allegiance. Non US citizens owe their loyalty to another country. But schools don't do that, because it would mean identifying US citizens.

Yes, that's what I mean. Pledging allegiance to a flag is dangerous (remember the roman legionaries swore allegiance to their standard, not to the republic, and took the sides of their generals in civil wars). Perhaps to you, steeped in it, it doesn't look like a prayer, but to an outsider it appears little different from a religious invocation.

These differences my seem subtle or even trivial, but history has shown that it is dangerous.

Note that in the US soldiers and other holders of the public trust swear to uphold the country's constitution, not its flag.

It all comes down to the order of primacy: the country, constitution, civil institutions, chain of command etc are all in service to the support of the citizenry not the other way around.

Re: US military intelligence agencies have influenced over 1,800 movies and TV shows

#152

Post by headcanon » Wed, Jul 05, 2017, 5:38 PM UTC

paganel wrote: post #3

As a movie buff this doesn't surprise me at all. I'm still waiting for THE movie about the US intervention in Iraq, the same kind of movies that Apocalypse Now, "The Deer Hunter" and even Rambo I were for the Vietnam war. I think my wait will be in vain.

Not exactly the same thing, but the new movie War Machine with Brad Pitt was quite good. Its theme was the stark irony of the US "helping" the Afghans when in reality they're causing conflict thats destroying their country.

Re: US military intelligence agencies have influenced over 1,800 movies and TV shows

#153

Post by gumby » Wed, Jul 05, 2017, 5:40 PM UTC

fudged71 wrote: post #105

gumby wrote: post #61

The money and involvement have had quite an effect. Just look at the percentage of combat films Hollywood makes and compare to 30 years ago. To go by Hollywood the country is on a war footing. And don't forget other entertainment industries like sports. The Pentagon paid millions of dollars a year just for cross promotion with NFL football (not for recruitment advertising): "honor our troops" and the like. On the oth…

I haven't watched a single current-day military movie since 9/11. I just assume it is all propaganda in some way or another.

according to the article the involvement includes such "military movies" as Meet the Parents, America’s Got Talent, Oprah and Jay Leno to Cupcake Wars.

It's like High Fructose Corn Syrup -- in everything whether you expect it or not.

Re: US military intelligence agencies have influenced over 1,800 movies and TV shows

#154

Post by _pan9 » Wed, Jul 05, 2017, 5:43 PM UTC

wil421 wrote: post #90

lotsofpulp wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The ludicrous propaganda of military jet fly overs, national anthem spectacles, huge flags, and people in the military standing on the side of the field at private for profit sports game in a stadium paid for by taxpayers for the team owner's benefit is hilarious.

Right it's outrageous the military gets to attend for profit games and for America to show its pride. It's not like they don't do the same exact things in other Countries... We should just have military parades and drive our missiles and tanks around D.C. Just look how Russia and North Korea do it.

As someone who's actually visited Russia (and is married to a Russian), you can't compare Russia and the US at all. Russians deeply respect the people who lost their lives in the past but in the present, a few years military service is mandatory for all males, so service doesn't have nearly as much glory. There's absolutely nothing like the disturbing hero worship Americans have. As for military parades, typically they only happen on Victory Day, the day that celebrates the end of WWII. Parades like that aren't uncommon throughout Europe. Here's a French one for an event of similar significance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille_Day_military_parade#/...

I think you're thinking of the Soviet Union during WWII or the Cold War era.

Re: US military intelligence agencies have influenced over 1,800 movies and TV shows

#155

Post by nerfhammer » Wed, Jul 05, 2017, 5:45 PM UTC

fixermark wrote: post #80

autokad wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yeah exactly. also you didn't need a freedom of information act to know this. I remember generals / DOD officials talking about it in a TV interviews (1996 independence day, 2007 transformers). directors are overly focused on realism for better or for worse, so a lot also goes to providing stock footage for inspiration, advice, and fact checking like 'is this aircraft meant for the role its portrayed in the movie'. e…

Speaking of Bay specifically: Bay is very pro-military and goes out of his way to portray the US military in a positive light. Observe the scene from Battleship where Lt. Col. Gregory Gadson, the director of the U.S. Army's Wounded Warrior Program, was cast to play a double-amputee soldier who, among other things, fist-fights an alien. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMX3v6exVf8

Michael Bay wasn't involved with Battleship, though it has been pointed out that it seems to be an imitation of his style

Re: US military intelligence agencies have influenced over 1,800 movies and TV shows

#156

Post by youdontknowtho » Wed, Jul 05, 2017, 5:49 PM UTC

I remember back when the bush administration gave the TV show JAG, a show about the navy's judge advocate general's office, detailed descriptions of the military tribunals that they came up with...before the media or congress.

Shady, man. The military and IC are the only parts of govt that get to do this weird Public Relations. They shouldn't be able to.

Re: US military intelligence agencies have influenced over 1,800 movies and TV shows

#157

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jul 05, 2017, 5:51 PM UTC

talmand wrote: post #96

michaelt wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not the person you're replying to but one thing I've seen pointed out [1] is that it portrays a largely unelected whitehouse staff where everyone is selfless, good, hard-working, quick-witted, reveres the constitution, always ultimately putting the country's interests before their own, always taking the moral choice and turning out to be right. There's nothing that makes you question the way the country is run, o…

Also the endless monologues where the speaker is just so correct that no one can dare question what they are saying and the target of the monologue is left speechless with just how wrong they were. Same thing happened with The Newsroom, it's a Sorkin trademark. Although the heavy-handedness was relaxed with season two.

[deleted]

Re: US military intelligence agencies have influenced over 1,800 movies and TV shows

#158

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jul 05, 2017, 5:53 PM UTC

talmand wrote: post #96

michaelt wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not the person you're replying to but one thing I've seen pointed out [1] is that it portrays a largely unelected whitehouse staff where everyone is selfless, good, hard-working, quick-witted, reveres the constitution, always ultimately putting the country's interests before their own, always taking the moral choice and turning out to be right. There's nothing that makes you question the way the country is run, o…

Also the endless monologues where the speaker is just so correct that no one can dare question what they are saying and the target of the monologue is left speechless with just how wrong they were. Same thing happened with The Newsroom, it's a Sorkin trademark. Although the heavy-handedness was relaxed with season two.

[deleted]

Re: US military intelligence agencies have influenced over 1,800 movies and TV shows

#159

Post by 0xfeba » Wed, Jul 05, 2017, 5:53 PM UTC

cobookman wrote: post #83

lotsofpulp wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The ludicrous propaganda of military jet fly overs, national anthem spectacles, huge flags, and people in the military standing on the side of the field at private for profit sports game in a stadium paid for by taxpayers for the team owner's benefit is hilarious.

Why is that hilarious. The alternative would be a nation that's not behind it's troops. The us would likely not be a super power. US citizens greatly benefit off the super power status. Seems like the military is acting in the citizens best interest.

I'd much rather all that money be spent improving the VA, or numerous other problems veterans face after serving. Then we can talk about football flyovers.

Re: US military intelligence agencies have influenced over 1,800 movies and TV shows

#160

Post by youdontknowtho » Wed, Jul 05, 2017, 5:55 PM UTC

cobookman wrote: post #83

lotsofpulp wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The ludicrous propaganda of military jet fly overs, national anthem spectacles, huge flags, and people in the military standing on the side of the field at private for profit sports game in a stadium paid for by taxpayers for the team owner's benefit is hilarious.

Why is that hilarious. The alternative would be a nation that's not behind it's troops. The us would likely not be a super power. US citizens greatly benefit off the super power status. Seems like the military is acting in the citizens best interest.

Just because people disagree doesn't mean they should downvote you, so I upvoted you.

That being said, I don't know how to respond. I disagree wholeheartedly. I don't think that the military acts with the best interest of most citizens.