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| Fifth Column |
| Star attacks US culture of fear |
| 2003-09-06 |
| EFL.Yes, they’re beginning to crawl back out from under the rocks. As usual, in Europe... The American actor Tim Robbins broke his silence yesterday after being attacked for putting US troops "in danger" by speaking out against the invasion of Iraq. Robbins, whose partner and fellow actor, Susan Sarandon, has also been criticised for her anti-war stance, said the cold shouldering they received had been "a gift" which had rallied liberals to the cause of free speech. But, please. Don’t give us the gift of "empty wallets". Thanks a lot. "It’s sparked a lot of people in Hollywood who would have spoken out and felt intimidated to say something," Robbins said at the Venice Film Festival. "Too often people abdicate their freedom in their minds and choose not to speak. But once you abdicate that freedom you may as well not have it." ...and make sure you agree with me and Sooze when you do speak out. If you don’t, keep your "hate speech" to youselves. Robbins stars with the British actor Samantha Morton in Michael Winterbottom’s film Code 46, which was warmly received when it premiered yesterday at the festival. The science fiction love story is set in the near future, when large swaths of humanity are excluded from the global megalopolises by an omnipotent organisation called The Sphinx. OOOOOOOOOOh! The Sphinx? Any chance a GWB lookalike will be head of The Sphinx? Place your bets! Manchester-born Winterbottom, who won the Golden Bear for best film at Berlin earlier this year for In This World, based on the experience of refugees, said he was inspired to make Code 46 after meeting the dispossessed in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey. Dispossessed? Like Binny, Mullah Omar, and that crew? Robbins was persuaded to hire a bodyguard during filming for the first time in his career. But he said his anxiety had "no basis in reality". Then why hire one? "People in the Middle East make a distinction between governments and individuals. They say they disagree with my government but not with me. I live now in a lot less fear, now I have turned off my TV," he said. ...and stuffed my head up my ass. It’s nice and quiet up there. The actor, who is a supporter of liberal causes, said he was worried about the atmosphere in the US. "I think we are being fed a lot of fear by people who would rather we were afraid than aware," he said. Must be why he shut off his TV. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #6 Stole my rant,G! |
| Posted by: raptor 2003-9-7 8:33:42 AM |
| #5 "People in the Middle East make a distinction between governments and individuals. They say they disagree with my government but not with me." Tell that to Daniel Pearl. And the Israeli boys bludgeoned to death while hiking. And the children shot to death in their bed while their mother died trying to protect them. And the riders of Jerusalem's public transit. And the three thousand or so non-governments whom a bunch "people" from the Middle East apparently "disagreed" with enough to slaughter without warning. Mr. Robbins is being deliberately obtuse. Maybe his point is everything would be fine if we all agreed never to disagree with anyone in the Middle East ever again about anything. In the immortal words of Bugs Bunny, "What a maroon!" |
| Posted by: GKarp 2003-9-6 11:38:10 PM |
| #4 I call for them to lead as large a group of human shields as they can muster to take up residence in Seoul. With their presence in Seoul, we can then remove our 30,000 troops and use the troops as reliefs for our tired boys in Iraq. I intend to hold my breath until this happens. 10..9..8... |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-9-6 8:05:35 PM |
| #3 I wasn't even aware they were still working on films.... |
| Posted by: Charles 2003-9-6 7:35:01 PM |
| #2 Tim and Susan - the only reason you're employed is because you are actors! I like many of the characters you've portrayed (Shawshank Redemption, Bull Durham, young Susan in Rocky Horror....yum), but thepoint is, when you play yourselves, in real life, without somebody else's words and emotions written out for you? I find you tedious, small-minded, idiots. Stick to emoting other people's thoughts and we'll do fine. I'll pay to watch the movies when I choose, and you can do whatever stupidity you want otherwise, so long as we understand each other....same to you Johnnie... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-9-6 4:18:17 PM |
| #1 Apparently, Robbins is still peeved at being denied a chance to politicize an event that had nothing to do with Iraq whatsovever. Tough. Oh, and about that little issue of free speech, nobody is trying to squelch Robbin's right to say what he wants. Rather, it's that no one is obligated to provide a forum for such against their wishes. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2003-9-6 3:57:58 PM |