Two New Movies

[Lemuel]

Two new movies are going to be hitting real soon, both of which seem to be riding the coattails of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. (Links go to pages with trailers.)

An Inconvenient Truth is a film about former Vice President Al Gore, which allegedly presents "just the facts" about global warming. Caroline Libresco provides the Sundance Film Festival website synopsis:

Extreme poverty, intractable wars, virulent disease, hatred of all stripes–these are a few of the scourges we live with today. And yet global climate change trumps them all; for if it's not addressed, all life on the planet will be devastated, regardless of geography, class, race, or creed. The Inconvenient Truth is the gripping story of former Vice President Al Gore, who became interested in this startling issue while at college 30 years ago, and now devotes his life to reversing global warming. Traveling the world, he has built a visually mesmerizing presentation designed to disabuse doubters of the notion that climate change is debatable. The heart of Davis Guggenheim's film is this elegant multimedia lecture itself, where Gore indisputably correlates CO2 emissions with exponentially rising temperatures, already responsible for dramatic climactic shifts like ice-cap melting, drought, and rising sea levels. Interwoven with this riveting public address are intimate moments revealing the poetic, searching side of Gore as he struggles to define his purpose in the aftermath of the 2000 election. This is activist cinema at its very best, for it serves to popularize and demythologize a problem long obscured by those most threatened by the solution. With humor and searing intelligence, Gore outlines crucial steps we must take to avert impending disaster and proves that inaction is no longer an option–in fact, it's immoral.

(emphasis mine)

Libertarian activist and former Presidential candidate Aaron Russo self-produced America: From Freedom to Fascism, a documentary covering the validity of Federal Income Tax and the nature of the Federal Reserve. From the movie's website review page:

I went to see the prescreening of Aaron Russo's latest movie, America: From Freedom to Fascism, at the Hilton Phoenix Airport last night. It was a powerful and engaging film that received a well-deserved standing ovation from the group of about 120 adults in attendance, most of who were over 30.

The two major topics were the federal income tax and the Federal Reserve. Minor topics were the New World Order, vote fraud, education, government lies, and the police state. The ending contained a call to action that Russo promised will be significantly enhanced in the final edition.

A couple of members of the audience mentioned in the subsequent Q&A session that they were not aware of most of what was presented. An Arizona State University teacher said her students were largely unaware also.

The good news is that everyone in the room was apparently persuaded by the testimony given by the members of the Tax Honesty Movement and good folks like G Edward Griffin. The scenes with Irwin Schiff, Joe Banister, John Turner, Sherry Jackson Peel, Larken Rose, Charlie Beale, Bob Schulz , Dave Champion, Vernie Kuglin, and others were particularly powerful and persuasive.

Bottom line: Aaron Russo has earned his place in the preferred section of Heaven with this film, and the nation owes him a large debt of gratitude for having produced it. Eliciting cheers and tears from the audience, America: From Freedom to Fascism is incredibly moving and effective

We should expect to find America: From Freedom to Fascism in theaters this summer. For anyone over the age of reason, including the 67 million Americans who no longer file federal income tax returns, missing this movie will be a costly mistake.

I have seen neither of these films, but will be seeing them both. While I have neither the scientific or legal training to fully verify or refute any of the information presented in these films, I don't think I'll need it. It will be interesting to see how long I can go without giving into my "BULL----!" reflex, too often triggered while watching the news.

An Inconvenient Truth is set to open in limited run in May, and is scheduled for a screening at the Cannes Film Festival, where it is sure to illicit a strong response from the viewers. Russo's America: From Freedom to Fascism is in final editing, however major studios have refused to distribute the film; Russo is currently drumming up donations so he can at least get the film screened in theaters across the nation.

While I've disavowed my former libertarian leanings, and am certainly no fan of Al Gore, I'm fascinated in both these films. I believe there will be a hail of praise and publicity surrounding Truth, and a deafening silence for Freedom.

Edited April 21, 2006 by synthlord

[Hal]

That sounds fantastic, the global warming debate is definitely in need of more populist media to help blur the distinction between science and partisan politics!

Edited April 21, 2006 by Hal

[Lemuel]

At least Exxon's fighting back: Put a Tiger in Your Think Tank

ExxonMobil has pumped more than $8 million into more than 40 think tanks; media outlets; and consumer, religious, and even civil rights groups that preach skepticism about the oncoming climate catastrophe. Herewith, a representative overview.

Regarding the source:

About Mother Jones

Mother Jones is an independent nonprofit whose roots lie in a commitment to social justice implemented through first rate investigative reporting.

I haven't gone through the links they provide, but am very interested in the "skepticism" Exxon's benefactors "preach". In my discussions in non-O'ist political forums, it's fascinating how people demand acceptance of global warming based on faith. I mean, if Moby says so, it has to be true!

[softwareNerd]

From what I remember, the "Mother Jones" magazine was affiliated with the American Communist Party.

[Yes]

I saw "An Inconvenient Truth."

Though well-crafted, it has many philosophical and scientific flaws.

For example, in order to develop a valid scientific argument regarding the increase in carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere one must identify and sample the atmosphere in a variety of locations to determine where the most and least carbon dioxide accumulations are- then try to come up with an average figure.

And I didn't know that temperature readings were actually kept for thousands of years. Such evidence was presented to support the argument that there indeed is global warming.

And if one were to even consider that global climate changes that drastic have taken place, the solution is NOT going to happen by our consuming less fuel. Serious human intervention is going to have to occur, and such intervention will have to be by modern science and the best man's mind has to offer. Such human intervention would possibly focus on how man is to survive such global climate changes.

Edited July 5, 2006 by Yes

[D'kian]

And I didn't know that temperature readings were actually kept for thousands of years. Such evidence was presented to support the argument that there indeed is global warming.

Not records as such, no. None could be kept before the invention of a reliable thermometer.

But there are indirect ways of measuring temperatures in other eras. These are varied and contain their own particular amrgins of error. For example, mollusks grow their shells in gradual layers. The thickness of each layer depends to some degree on the water's temperature. So measuring the thickness of seashells whose age you can estimate fairly (there's a margin of error there too), will tell you how warm the water was at that place at that time.

The atmosphere's composition can be measured by bubbles trapped in ice at the poles.

I'm not saying we're responsible for global warming. Only that there are means to determine historical temperatures and levels of carbon dioxide. How the data get used is another matter entirely.

[DamnGirl]

Instead of spewing propaganda, I wish Exxon would reimburse the government for the $92 million that it cost to clean up after the Valdez oil spill.