Smokin' Mirrors: Hollywood in LA LA Land

In a joint statement made in an advertisement in the LA Times this week, some of Hollywood's most powerful actors, producers, directors, studio bosses and media moguls condemned terrorism. Why don't we call terrorism what it is - the new red menace - and then we'll all know we're back in the throws of McCarthyism and be done.

The ad stated:
"We the undersigned are pained and devastated by the civilian casualties in Israel and Lebanon caused by terrorist actions initiated by terrorist organisations such as Hezbollah and Hamas...If we do not succeed in stopping terrorism around the world, chaos will rule and innocent people will continue to die.

"We need to support democratic societies and stop terrorism at all costs."

Nicole Kidman, who has been used by co-signatory Rupert Murdoch to publicise the ad in almost every one of his newspapers and broadcasting outlets, has not only signed the statement, but has also agreed to an official visit of Israel. Murdoch's Australian newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, reported that Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres had persuaded Kidman to visit Israel when they met at a conference held by Murdoch in California last month. "We will be happy to have you," the paper quotes Peres telling Kidman. "Maybe you can be tourism ambassador to the Galilee."

The 'conference', was attended by some of the world's most powerful - and wealthy - figures in the world today, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair, rock star and 'activist' Bono, Bill Clinton (who waived his normal US$100,000 speaking fee), and was anything but your average team building exercise, reported the LA Times. Opened by Murdoch, followed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the mic was then turned over to Blair. Included on the program was Peres, appearing on a panel called "Islam and the West" (some would say that's just asking for trouble right then and there) and News Corp.'s Roger Ailes, who built Fox News, introduced four high-ranking U.S. military officers who have served in Iraq.

"It's not your standard cookie-cutter management conference where you only talk about business," News Corp. spokesman Andrew Butcher told the LA Times. "The businesses we run give our people unique social responsibilities in their communities. The retreat is meant to provoke and broaden their perspectives so they return home more curious and informed about the world."

"What's in it for the politicians?" asked the LA Times. "That's simple, Jamieson said: "Media influence and the potential for political contributions."

One has to wonder at this point as to whether 'our Nic', as Australians love to call her, is just as much a national embarrassment at this time as her old mate Rupert.

Another signatory, Haim Saban, is a billionaire media mogul and Democrat supporter. He donated so much money to the Dems, they awarded him a position as Trade Advisor during the Clinton administration. He also used to own half of Fox Family Worldwide, so no wonder he and Rupert know each other so well. In 2005, Saban was number 78 on the list of the America's top 400 richest people. Forbes wrote:

"Self-described "cartoon schlepper" made first fortune with popular kids show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Scored again with Fox Family Network, joint venture with Rupert Murdoch's Fox television: netted $1.7 billion after sale to Disney in 2001. Latest coup: bought big stake in German broadcaster from bankrupt Kirch Media; will triple investment if $5.2 billion sale to German publisher Axel Springer is approved. Now making a run at Bezeq, Israeli telecom."

Israeli Telecom. The plot thickens...

I doubt very much whether any one of those signatories give a flying cahoot about anyone who died in Lebanon, if they did, they would have put out a full page ad four weeks ago calling on an immediate Israeli ceasefire. They undoubtedly know that the real cause of the conflict is not rooted in the last month of turmoil, nor is it rooted in the kidnapping of the Israeli soldiers. It has far deeper roots than that, and UK Minister George Galloway told Rupert Murdoch's Sky News In England just exactly what he thought of their brand of propaganda:

"Isreal has been invading and occupying Lebanon all of my 24 year old daughter's life. Hezbollah are a part of the Lebanese National Resistance, who are trying to drive, who have successfully driven, most Israelis from their land in 2000, Israel from the rest of their land, and to get back those Lebanese prisoners who were kidnapped, by Israel, under the terms of their illegal occupation of Lebanon. It's Israel that's invading Lebanon. It's Israel that's attacking Lebanon, not Lebanon that's attacking Israel. You've just been carrying a report of ten Israeli soldiers, on the border, getting ready to invade Lebanon, and you ask us to mourn that operation as if it were some kind of war crime. Israel is invading Lebanon, and has killed thirty times more Lebanese civilians than have died in Israel. So it's you who should be justifying the evident bias which is written on every line on your face, and is in every nuance in your voice, and is loaded in every question that you ask."

For more on the George Galloway interview, go to this site.

For additional reading, Aljazeera has just reported on the environmental devastation left behind in Lebanon:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/CDEC3AE1-3F24-4B6B-8592-60E70C5E36A2.htm

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