Strike The Root Blog

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: HBO drama concerning the extermination of the American Indian, beginning after the Sioux victory at Little Big Horn. Notice the similarities of these state-sponsored crimes with those now occurring in Iraq- Yankee arrogance, ethnic and cultural cleansing, central planning, and forcing individuals to be subservient to the American state. A choice and timely bit of casting has Fred Thompson playing the part of the murderous Ulysses S. Grant.

Black Book: German produced drama that takes place in The Hague near the end of World War II. The story centers around a Jewish woman who emerges from hiding and joins the resistance by penetrating the local Gestapo. People who seem evil turn out to be good; people who seem good turn out to be evil. In war you can’t trust anyone.

Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride: Documentary explores the life of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson. Includes interviews with many who knew him well. Thompson was not only a unique writer but a true individualist who distrusted all social institutions.

On Native Soil: Still another documentary about 9/11. This one follows families of victims who lobby the US Government to investigate what happened. What follows is the investigation that results in the 9/11 Commission Report. The report outlines much of the criminal incompetence exhibited by federal agencies that day. But the author’s recommendations are merely calls for the expansion of federal oversight and an increase in bureaucratic positions. It’s distressing to see the families accept this conclusion that giving more power and funding to the state that miserably failed to protect them will prevent the same incompetence in the future.

The Ground Truth: Veterans of the Iraq War discuss their combat-related physical and psychological injuries, as well as their opposition to the war and the lying, callous state that created it.

White Light, Black Rain: HBO documentary that looks at the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Lots of graphic film footage and survivor interviews.

Jesus: The Great Debate: Scholars, both believers and non-believers, debate whether Jesus Christ was the son of God. Much archeological, historical, and scientific evidence has been discovered and evaluated since the days of Thomas Paine.

The Hoax: Richard Gere stars as Clifford Irving, author of a controversial autobiography of Howard Hughes that turned out to be a hoax. Very entertaining. Clifford was a good writer, but an even better actor and con man.

American Pastime: Drama centers around a Japanese-American family incarcerated in an American gulag (detention camp) during World War II. They use the tools of baseball and jazz to resist their confinement (and state-inspired bigotry) with dignity.

Into the Arms of Strangers- Stories of the Kindertransport: Documentary describes the underground railroad that moved more than 10,000 children from Nazi Germany in the late 1930’s to the relative security of England. Their they lived with strangers until they could be reunited with their families- if they survived the war and holocaust. Lots of interviews with those who participated. Very interesting.

The Panama Deception: 1992 documentary that explores Bush’s illegal 1989 invasion of Panama. His son must have paid close attention to daddy’s methods of war making, as he followed the script perfectly with his invasion of Iraq- demonize a dictator that spent years on the CIA payroll, convince the public of that dictator’s threat to US national security, use overwhelming force in the invasion, mass killing of innocent civilians, refusal to count those civilian casualties, a brutal, very un-democratic occupation, and a cooperative media. This film is worth seeing if only to learn the atrocities that occurred after the invasion, which was ignored by the media..

Live From Baghdad: HBO drama set in Baghdad during the opening weeks of the First Iraq war, following Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The film stars Michael Keaton as the CNN producer who wrote the book from which the movie is based. CNN scooped the rest of the electronic media with a first-hand account of the US’s initial bombing.

…is that you get to be expelled from the government indoctrination camp! Hooray!!!

A group of high school students in Berwyn, Illinois held an anti-war protest on the school’s campus last Thursday, Nov. 1st:

“Over 70 students participated in a sit-in against the Iraq War on All Saint’s Day, Thursday, November 1st. It began third hour when dozens of students gathered quietly in the lunchroom at Morton West High School and refused to leave. The administrators and police became involved immediately and locked down the school for a half hour after class ended. Students report that they were promised that there would be no charges besides cutting classes if they took their protest outside so as not to disturb the school day. The students complied, and were led to a corner outside the cafeteria where they sang songs and held signs while classes resumed.

“Despite a police line set up between the protestors and the student body, many other students joined the demonstration. Organizers say they chose November first because it is the Christian holy day called the feast of All Saints and a national day of peace. They wrote a letter and delivered it to Superintendent, Dr. Ben Nowakowski who was present at the time, stating the reason for their protest.

“Deans, counselors and even the Superintendent tried to change the minds of a few, mainly those students with higher GPA scores to abandon the protest. The school called the homes of many of the protestors. Those whose parents arrived before the end of school and took their students home, or left before the protest ended at the final bell, received 3-5 days suspension. All others, an estimated 37 received 10 days suspension and expulsion papers. Parents report that Nowakowski stated those who are seventeen will also face police charges.”

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Venezuelans don’t like the idea of an imperial president. Why do Americans put up with it?

Come on, give him a break. This global warming is tough on a guy:

“I’m, SO sorry. Don’t tase me, bro.” A Gator with a backbone wimps out:

All is well in fiery California. Arnie’s got the Emperor’s back:

Time to reconsider enlisting:

There is something bothersome about unrepentant politicians speaking at churches:

Paul Tibbets dies. He directly helped kill 80,000 people but, “I never lost a night’s sleep over it.”

Another surviving sacrifice to the deity of war:

Profiles of two Benitos:

“Sure, officer, I got my ID right here:

Queen Hillary aims to leave no child behind: