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4. This article and the podcast gives us an example of how a journalist can change the words of a speaker from a verbatim quote to make the meaning clearer or to subtly change the meaning, and yet still call it a quote.
Read my transcription and compare it to the excerpt from the article and see if there is any significant difference in the meaning.
My transcription:
Quote:
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"We've been raised on a theory of Super Heroes. We all want to be like Luke Skywalker. This a Japanese, maybe, terrorist, who'd been imprisoned saying Luke Skywalker was their role model. When we are put into a context where we're involved in mundane, everyday kinds of things, we tend to lose track of our ambitions. But when someone comes along, like Asahara, the head of the cult and presents himself as a Messiah and gives us a picture of a progress that's ordained by heaven and even if we die we go to heaven, and that we are carrying out a saintly mission on earth, that is, for us, extraordinarily evocative. And we wind up being attracted to it and indeed, and I would say, galvanized by it. And you will see the obvious analogy to al Qaeda and other groups."
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And now here is the writers' synthesis of Danzig's meaning, which includes "quotes":
Quote:
In a briefing which will inform Mr Obama’s understanding of terrorists, Mr Danzig said he learnt much from recent interviews with jailed Aum Shinrikyo terrorists who released sarin nerve gas on the Tokyo underground in 1995.
He said that even people who are relatively well off and successful can feel like failures and become alientated from their societies. He said one terrorist told him: “We have been raised on a theory of superheroes. We all want to be like Luke Skywalker.
"When we’re doing mundane things, we lose track of our ambition but when someone comes along, like Asahara, the head of the cult, and presents himself as a messiah and gives us a picture of progress that is ordained by heaven and that we are carrying out a saintly mission on earth that is for us extraordinarily evocative.”
Mr Danzig added: “The parallels with al Qaeda are obvious.”
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5. And finally, Danzig echoes a theory I have espoused here several times.
I have long asserted and maintain to this day that because we are all the products of Sci-Fi movies from the 1980's and onward.
http://www.debatepolitics.com/Death-...rous-show.html http://www.debatepolitics.com/polls/...tor-films.html (How Many Times Have You Viewed Any "Terminator" Films?)
The plots of these films demonized the government and glorified the valiant, plucky, brave, iconoclastic young maverick who rebels against the corrupt political 'machine.' And the hero perseveres in the struggle against the evil empire until he prevails and gets the girl with the cinnamon buns on the sides of her head.
Well, a frightening number of people in the newest generation of adults have become little zombies, who, like little Manchurian Candidate sleeper agents, are ready to defy and defeat the big bad evil government. But they really have no good reason for doing so other than because they were programmed so. And when asked why they hate Bush Co. so much they will over exaggerate the reasons, real and imagined. But when it comes down to it, by all rights and means, they should be able to see past the perceived faults of the government to recognize the good that it does. But they can't.
Instead, they act as though they are Luke Skywalker, Kyle Reese or Sarah or John Connor.
Quote:
“We have been raised on a theory of superheroes. We all want to be like Luke Skywalker.
"When we’re doing mundane things, we lose track of our ambition but when someone comes along, like Asahara, the head of the cult, and presents himself as a messiah and gives us a picture of progress that is ordained by heaven and that we are carrying out a saintly mission on earth that is for us extraordinarily evocative.”
Mr Danzig added: “The parallels with al Qaeda are obvious.”
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I was heartened to see that this phenomenon was noted by Danzig in his speech.
I know I see things others can't and I see them before many others do. I am used to it. But it is always nice to get a reminder that my perception is still reliable.
Ordinarily I make little mention of these things but I think it helps sometimes to let those around you have a glimpse of the quality of your contributions, especially when there are times when some of my posts are misunderestimated.
Ok. One article. Five angles.
Oh, and let's not overlook the Winnie the Pooh angle!
