bhkad

May I assume you are saying that fantasy can not and does not influence people's thought processes, affect their reality?

All of the things you've done in your life began with a thought. Something that was not real. Until you acted upon those thoughts and made them real.

It's nothing new or remarkable. It happens every day, to every living human.

Always has, since the beginning.

We all, always, and all the time get an idea of the way the world works by how things are depicted by others through words and sounds and pictures.

In the films coming out of Hollywood America is the ******* of the world. And if that corresponds to your view of America you will not notice this perspective because it just seems natural to you.

But if your view is that America is great then what you see in the films coming out of Hollywood dealing with America amounts to slander. They are lies being told in subtle ways which depict America to be something it really isn't. And people who know and love America sense these lies and stay away from most all of the anti-US war films since 2003. We know these films are telling a version of the truth as seen by the filmmaker but it isn't the same truths that most Americans see.

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But, when all is said and done, Senator McCain has not spent decades aiding and abetting people who hate America. http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell060508.php3

rivrrat

Ah yes... but of course. If I don't see this supposed anti-American sentiment in a movie based on a comic book character then it's because I hate America. Gotcha.

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Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word: equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.

jallman

That's exactly the sentiment I came away with on Saturday. He even oozed sexiness through 6 inches of super metal with his face covered by a mask. I screw him 3 times a day and 5 on Sunday and never get bored with it...with or without the iron suit on.

The fact is, the US government has supplied bad guys with weapons. They have subsequently worked to disarm those bad guys when it was in the government's best interest. This isn't a secret and that part of the plot was not particularly inventive or controversial. It was just a plot device and nothing more.

As for the whole idea that this has and will probably continue to happen: recognition of ugly facts and willingness to acknowledge them openly is the difference between a true patriot and mere blind loyalist.

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I don't care if McCain and Palin have to dine on mentally handicapped babies with the devil himself to deliver us the White House. If that's what it takes, I'll personally put in the order for a case of barbecue sauce myself.

bhkad

Thank you. That's what I thought.

Now, how many Americans are aware that the arms contractor scenario in the film is impossible? How many foreigners know this is not the way America works?

In the news today we heard about a story where Dolly Parton is offended by a Howard Stern show production where they edited parts of her audiobook to make it sound as though she was a racist.

To someone who doesn't know any better they might listen to the tape and believe this woman from Tennessee (considered part of the American South) actually was a racist.

But they'd be wrong. She is a lovely, kind, sweet hearted, fair minded woman.

But should she be concerned about how the comedy buffoons on Stern's staff portrayed her? I mean, after all, it was a COMEDY SKIT!

Yes, she should be concerned because people believe lies all the time because the truth is not heard and her career depends on people having a positive impression of her and an accurate impression of her.

America is hated around the world and the people overseas see that many Americans seem to hate America and so they reckon, if the yanks hate America then so should we. They see a film which portrays a fictional scene but without any offsetting knowledge of how America really works they could easily assume that America is corrupt because of what they see in this film and maybe others.

To those of you who already hate America, you won't see what the big deal is about.

And that is the point.

bhkad

Please stop playing dumb. You are smarter than that.

7thKeeper

This whole topic had me going . I guess this is one of those things that exist there only if you are looking and want it to be there. I will agree on one thing though. Robert Downey Jr. was bloody sexy. Loved the movie overall, was even funnier than I thought it would be.

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...we honor leaders for what they achieve, but we often prefer to close our eyes to the way they achieve it...

In the real world, politics is compromise and democracy is politics. Anyone who would be a statesman has to be a successful politician first. Also, a leader has to deal with people and nations as they are, not as they should be. As a result, the qualities required for leadership are not necessary those that we would want our children to emulate - unless we wanted them to be leaders.

jallman

I knew it. I knew that you were headed toward that same tired assertion that if one doesn't agree with your wildly editoralized assessment of a situation (this time a friggin fantasy movie of all things) that they must hate America by default. That is the most lamest of conclusions and it is sad that it is the one that almost always default to no matter what the topic.

Robert Downey Jr is still hot, though.

Hatuey

Am I the only one who thought the movie was about personal redemption and only noticed the U.S. military in the first 9-10 minutes?

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Wasilla : Population 7,000 - Alaska : Population : San Bernadino.

Arcana XV

I've never met anyone who believes that "if the yanks hate America, then so should we". Where do you get this from? It's actually the complete opposite. Right or wrong, people overseas percieve the US as an overly nationalistic and chauvinistic country, filled with people who think their country can do no wrong. This is the image you have overseas. I've never heard anyone outside the US who actually believes there is one American citizen alive who hates his country. Not once.

Also, while America is definitely "hated" in some parts of the world (i.e. the population is brainwashed daily with totally irrational anti-American sentiment), there are many parts of the world where the feeling is much more moderated. There is much dislike, especially in the last decade, but not outright hate and in a lot of places you're still quite liked. Why else would so many people try to immigrate to the US? I'm talking legal immigration here. Has the number of people looking to move to the US decreased at all in the last 10-20 years? I don't have the data, but my guess would be a definite no.

As for "Iron Man", I saw it about two weeks ago when it first opened and I happened to be in the US that weekend. While I will agree with you that this movie might reinforce the view in some parts of the world that America is corrupt, it's not going to have a very significant effect overall. After all, the "good guy" is an American, right? Maybe you should go see the movie before you make up your mind about what kind of influence it might have on foreign audiences. It really isn't as bad as you think.

Do you realize that these constant accusations of "hating America" that are being used by one half of your country on the other are extremely damaging to your nation? People like you who use this on their fellow countrymen are arbitrarily dividing the country into too extremist camps of patriots and traitors. It's frankly one of the most ridiculous things I've seen you guys do to yourselves in a long time.

Shades of grey, people. Shades of grey. There are a whole bunch of feelings between love and hate. Stop being so divisive and extremist in your way of looking at the world around you and maybe things will change for the better for once, huh?

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"Yes, but are you a Protestant atheist or a Catholic atheist?".- Northern Irish joke

Arcana XV

No, you're not the only one. I had the same impression.