OMG I CANNOT believe Obama did this

[pmulcahy11b]

Hollywood is planning a big budget movie on the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Sounds good; I'd pay to see it. The producer and director were given an audience with the SECNAV and the SOCOM Commander, as well as the Admiral in charge of SEAL operations; unclassified information only. Good, the movie has the support of the US Military. Should make it better.

Then...THEN...Obama took the director and producer out in his helicopter to meet with...wait for it...SEAL Team 6! WTF!!!! Virtually no one is supposed to know the identities of SEAL Team 6, and especially not some Hollywood producer and director!!!

I've been generally supportive of Obama; yes, he's done a few dumb things, but in general, he's done a decent job of pulling the country out of Bush's fireball express. But this, if substantiated, is a genuine, no holds barred, head-up-your-ass moment.

I just heard this on MSNBC, and though it was leading story, I want to believe it has no substance for now. But christ what a dummy if he did that.

[LBraden]

Let's see ....

I do not know how trustworthy MSNBC is compared to BBC, so take the following under the assumption that the story is true and these guys are as trustworthy as the BBC (which does have a bias on occasions)

I can see why some idiots in the biggest group of pirates in the world (look at the history, Hollywood is only there because of patient fights with Edison) would think that this would be a "good idea"
I doubt so much that it was the REAL team 6, or even if it's the team 6 that did the op, if it was, balaclavas everywhere
I would know what "credibility" the movie would get if it was "made from actual eye-witnesses and the real team 6", so in relation to point two, I think that was some spin put on to make the movie more "bad-ass" thus giving them the boost up in "gun-toting, batshit insane rednecks" that they are probably looking at for their target market.

Note, not all people who have guns are insane or rednecks, and not all rednecks are batshit insane or own guns, but there some select few that alas, defined the stereotype.

[headquarters]

Now we have thread that insults BOTH liberals and Obama supporters AND "batshitcrazy gun toting rednecks"



well done lads.

No seriously - the movie producer meeting Seal team 6 - I guess the movie increases in value with every grain of actual connection to US special forces that they can get.

[Raellus]

Let's not jump to conclusions. IF this story is true, we can probably assume that, at this meeting, the SEALs were not using their real names, and/or were wearing masks/disguises, and/or were not videotaped or photographed. If OPSEC wasn't followed, then yes, this would be an incredibly boneheaded move.

I'm hoping that Mark Bowden writes a book about the operation.

[95th Rifleman]

What's so bad about Director wanting to get his film right?

Sure hollywood hasallot of screwups (pearl harbour anyone?), but if this director is meeting up with the lads in question in order to get the film right, cudos to him.

[weswood]

Speaking for the gun toting batshit crazy redneck crowd, knowing Obama had anything to do with the film is a Detraction, not an Atraction.

PS, I can't believe most of the stuff Obama does.

[Raellus]

Careful with the politics, guys.

[boogiedowndonovan]

there is precedent for this. There was a recent movie that was marketed "starring active duty Navy SEALS" (also Special Warfare Combat Crewman).

anyone see Act of Valor?

wikipedia link if you want to read a plot summary

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Valor

[Webstral]

Without knowing any of the details, I can only trust that the professionals involved in putting SEAL Team 6 in front of the camera insisted on adequate protection regarding the identities of the SEALs. To believe otherwise is to believe that the folks at the top of the SEAL chain of command are bunglers who can't be bothered to a) follow procedure or b) look out for the best interests of their men and to believe that the President would willingly and for no real gain expose the members of SEAL Team 6 to retaliation for their role in killing Osama bin Laden. Not liking President Obama is one thing. Believing that he would capriciously risk the lives of the SEALs against the advice of his military professionals is to put partisan politics ahead of common sense. Psychologists call this phenomenon "demonizing", by which we justify our dislike of someone by believing unbelievable [negative] things about him. In the absence of hard evidence to the contrary, we must assume that adequate safeguards were put in place.

[Legbreaker]

How much of this movie is not going to be 100% pure and unadulterated propaganda...?

I'm extremely doubtful the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth will have much involvement in this. Remember, it's an election year. What's the odds it'll be rushed through production and air just before voting day...?

Me, a cynic? Never!

[Ironside]

A politician (of any stripe) with common sense is a contradiction in terms.

[Graebarde]

Originally Posted by Raellus

Careful with the politics, guys.

At which point I bite my tongue and withdraw before I make ANY comments.

[Webstral]

Why is bat shit any crazier than any other type of shit?

[weswood]

Originally Posted by Webstral

Why is bat shit any crazier than any other type of shit?

The smell. It's unique.

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by Webstral

Why is bat shit any crazier than any other type of shit?

Bat shit, or guano, is used in a variety of consumer products, such as cosmetics.

[Panther Al]

Originally Posted by Webstral

Why is bat shit any crazier than any other type of shit?

Because for the longest time, it was a key ingredient to high explosives?

[Snake Eyes]

Originally Posted by Webstral

Why is bat shit any crazier than any other type of shit?

I understood it to stem from the phrase "bats in the belfry" which, by extrapolation, insinuates a head full of bat guano. But I like the ammonium nitrate angle, too.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

How much of this movie is not going to be 100% pure and unadulterated propaganda...?

I'm extremely doubtful the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth will have much involvement in this. Remember, it's an election year. What's the odds it'll be rushed through production and air just before voting day...?

hhhmmm. American cinema has a long tradition of setting movies in our wars, and I do not see why the war on terror should be an exception. I cannot understand how any citizen of a law abiding country would refuse to celebrate the killing of the man that engineered and ordered the attacks on 9/11.

As for getting the truth all I can say is we can't have it both ways. Either you get the whole truth and give away confidential information on the identities of service members and operational procedures, or you give it the Hollywood treatment and try to make a movie that is engaging and entertaining.

Blaming the commander-in-chief seems a little disingenuous before the film is even made, especially considering the recent release of a movie with active-duty members of the Navy Seals who were photographed at the premier of Act of Duty with their dates.

[Legbreaker]

I'm probably just being cynical. It's the timing of it I'm questioning most of all - Bin Laden's bones have barely even hit the ocean floor and operations are still going on in the area! Even here the 1st anniversary was a big deal on the news and soon after this movie is announced just six months before the US election?

Coincidence?

Maybe....

[simonmark6]

Bah! You're just pissed because the director offed that boy off of Neighbours in the first five minutes of "Hurt Locker". I will not have the integrity of the director of "Point Break" impinged.

Anyone who casts Reeves and Swayze in the same film is beyond our understanding and we should not dare to judge them.

[Legbreaker]

Neighbours!? Complete drivel! Never watch it and risk my brain being melted.
It's his other work that's gained my approval.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Legbreaker

Neighbours!? Complete drivel! Never watch it and risk my brain being melted.
It's his other work that's gained my approval.

Neighbours is some horribly lowly crap.

[95th Rifleman]

Originally Posted by Targan

Neighbours is some horribly lowly crap.

Last time I watched neighbours, Kylie Minogue was still married to jason Donovan

[Targan]

Originally Posted by 95th Rifleman

Last time I watched neighbours, Kylie Minogue was still married to jason Donovan

Ah, "the Singing Budgie". Ok, so some good has come out of Neighbours.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Originally Posted by Jason

...I cannot understand how any citizen of a law abiding country would refuse to celebrate the killing of the man that engineered and ordered the attacks on 9/11...

Because I'm a secular humanist and I don't agree with celebrating the killing of anyone?

[Rainbow Six]

Originally Posted by Targan

Ah, "the Singing Budgie". Ok, so some good has come out of Neighbours.

To be fair, a few good things have come out of Neighbours...Holly Valance and Natalie Imbruglia (sp?) also spring to mind.

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Rainbow Six

To be fair, a few good things have come out of Neighbours...Holly Valance and Natalie Imbruglia (sp?) also spring to mind.

Mmm, Holly Valance. Yum.

[95th Rifleman]

Originally Posted by Jason

I cannot understand how any citizen of a law abiding country would refuse to celebrate the killing of the man that engineered and ordered the attacks on 9/11.

I can't understand how a law abiding citizen of a supposedly civilised western democracy could celebrate the death of anyone, no matter what their crimes.

The rule of law is such that execution is a required evil, it is not something to be celebrated or welcomed. To take visceral pleasure in another's death is to lower yourself to their inhuman depths.

I did not cheer and celebrate the death of Bin laden, I accepted that his death was a requirement to limit further bloodshed, a required act of evil to stop further, greater evil.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by 95th Rifleman

I can't understand how a law abiding citizen of a supposedly civilised western democracy could celebrate the death of anyone, no matter what their crimes.

The rule of law is such that execution is a required evil, it is not something to be celebrated or welcomed. To take visceral pleasure in another's death is to lower yourself to their inhuman depths.

I did not cheer and celebrate the death of Bin laden, I accepted that his death was a requirement to limit further bloodshed, a required act of evil to stop further, greater evil.

Celebrate does not mean to take visceral pleasure.

Originally Posted by dictionary.com

1. to observe (a day) or commemorate (an event) with ceremonies or festivities: to celebrate Christmas; to celebrate the success of a new play.

2. to make known publicly; proclaim: The newspaper celebrated the end of the war in red headlines.

3. to praise widely or to present to widespread and favorable public notice, as through newspapers or novels: a novel celebrating the joys of marriage; the countryside celebrated in the novels of Hardy.

4. to perform with appropriate rites and ceremonies; solemnize: to celebrate a marriage.

My intent in using the word celebrate was a reference to the second definition, and your suggestion that I have lowered myself to inhuman depths is a ridiculous exaggeration.

[headquarters]

Originally Posted by Targan

Neighbours is some horribly lowly crap.

Its one of the most true documentaries I have ever seen about Aussie life and society - except Crocodile Dundee and Romper Stomper of course. Also good documentaries.