# From the Ministry of Truth: 9/11: The Movie! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 5, 2006, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572 "2006-09-05T23:58:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2006, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/1 "2006-09-05T23:58:35Z")
In a nutshell, here it is. ABC has produced and will air a movie centered around the events of 9/11. All indications (which follow) are that the movie takes a decidedly pro-Republican view. Whether it qualifies as actual propaganda depends on definition, viewpoint, and degree of shitheadedness. Some notes: Rush Limbaugh loves it. Loves the screenwriter, Cyrus Nowrasteh, whom he describes as a personal friend. (His other friend is not involved). We no doubt will have more to say about Mr. Nowrasteh. He is also noted for appearing on a panel “Rebels With a Cause: How Conservatives Can Lead Hollywood’s Next Paradigm Shift.” You may read an interview with Mr. N. at FrontPage magazine, [http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=23865](http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=23865) Shields Up! The film has been widely released to a selected audience of conservative pundits, who are, so far, warmly receptive. The movie has been offered for free downloads, and for schools and librarys, to encourage America’s youth to share in the moment. And the message, of course. In a stirring burst of civic virtue, ABC has decided to run the mini-series without commerical interruption. Please note: the class of human beings, American businessmen, whose reputation for greed and rapine makes the Mongol Horde seem like the Amish… these self-same greedfreaks have eschewed any profit. Motivated by the aforementioned civic virtue. Mmmmm, yes. This will leave a considerable segment of time open for some other excercise in Civic Virtue. There is speculation that perhaps some major political figure might be pressed to commemorate this solemn occassion. From _ThinkProgress_: > [@](#): > > "Here’s some of the objectivity you can expect: Nowrasteh says the film shows how Clinton had “frequent opportunities…in the 90s to stop Bin Laden in his tracks — but lacked the will to do so.” He has referenced Clinton’s “lack of response” to Al Qaeda “and how this emboldened Bin Laden to keep attacking American interests.” A review today in [Salon.com](http://Salon.com) says the film paints Clinton “as a buffoon more interested in blow jobs than terrorists.” In particular, it depicts a “failed attempt” to get ObL that has drawn direct contradiction from Richard Clarke, who headed counterterrorism efforts for three presidents, including Clinton, and Sandy Berger, National Security Adviser for Clinton. Both of these men are on record as describing the incident in the movie as being …well, a lie. Front to back fabrication, fiction, made up stuff. I must pause, I am overcome with emotion at the thought of those noble public servants at ABC, who have selflessly sacrificed profit and advantage for a higher purpose - ensuring that the Republic remains in the hands of those wise and solemn men who guided us oh! so well! so far. I will return when I have regained my composure. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/2 "2006-09-06T00:14:17Z")
Fucking Liberal media. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/3 "2006-09-06T00:17:00Z")
**niblet\_head** beat me to it. I can only deduce that the Republican Brain Trust must be _really_ sweatin’ an impending beatdown at the November elections to help massage such a ham-fisted effort at scaring the masses this Fall. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/4 "2006-09-06T00:20:08Z")
Gosh, the Clinton presidency failed to capture Bin Laden? I guess it must have been the extra motivation and will after the 9/11 attacks that allowed the U.S. to track him down and capture him. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/5 "2006-09-06T00:28:05Z")
Christ, that sounds terrible. I have to say I’m liking(bad term as most of it’s quite depressing) the stuff on this side of the pond. Ch4 showed the 9/11 docu made by the two French guys with a 5 year later update and last night they showed a docu about the ‘Miracle of Stairwell B’ . I’ve just watched a very moving study of the life and death of FDNY’s highest decorated man Paddy Brown on Irish TV and there are many more interesting things coming up including a big budget BBC docu about the attack on the two towers with lots of cgi showing the events that weren’t captured on camera. Haven’t seen anything of that level of shite coming up but I’m sure the yoke will be shown over here at some stage. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/6 "2006-09-06T00:28:54Z")
Any references to _My Pet Goat_? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/7 "2006-09-06T00:46:12Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Any references to _My Pet Goat_? [/QUOTE] The kids in that class are teens now, and recently released a video. I’ve not seen it yet, but it’s around on the internets. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/8 "2006-09-06T00:55:29Z")
So…somebody made a movie with some fictional scenes and a political point, and they’re showing it on the teevee. What’s your fucking damage? ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/9 "2006-09-06T00:57:18Z")
Right. Because conservatives control the media, all businessmen are evil (and decide programming issues for ABC), and the word of a liberal internet pundit is objective truth. Welcome to the world of the American left. ---
**Author:** ![Ensign\_Edison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ab992/32.png) [@Ensign\_Edison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ensign_Edison)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/10 "2006-09-06T00:58:52Z")
I try to read threads like this, but all I see is static. Jesus, you people really fucking believe in this two-party shit, don’tcha? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/11 "2006-09-06T01:03:56Z")
Well, I’ve got a question. If we all agree that capturing or killing ObL was so important prior to 9/11, what held our current Prez back from going right after him as soon as the ink on the inaguration papers was dry? I’m just askin’. I say run it. Fortunately, it’s nowhere near the only documentary look at 9/11, and if I happen to see the thing, I’m sure I’ll be able to figure out where the propagandistic bits are. Lord knows I’ve had enough practice over the years. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/12 "2006-09-06T01:23:20Z")
[QUOTE=athelas] Right. Because conservatives control the media, all businessmen are evil (and decide programming issues for ABC), and the word of a liberal internet pundit is objective truth. Welcome to the world of the American left. [/QUOTE] Well, if you read the link the OP-- which is an interview with the writer, not just some opinion piece-- the guy does seem to be sympathetic to the Republican position on how to deal with terrorism. He sure doesn’t seem to be an objective observer. Whether that leads one to the strawman position of your post is another matter. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/13 "2006-09-06T01:58:38Z")
[QUOTE=athelas] …all businessmen are evil (and decide programming issues for ABC).. [/QUOTE] You may rest with my assurance that businessmen do, indeed, decide programming issues for ABC. You could look it up. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/14 "2006-09-06T02:23:02Z")
It’s “The Pet Goat,” not “My.” Just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/15 "2006-09-06T02:30:04Z")
Heck, if Walt were still alive, not only would the movie be pro-Republican, Jews would’ve been behind it. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/16 "2006-09-06T03:24:31Z")
In ABC’s defense: –The black box transcripts from the hijacked jetliners are understandably garbled and fragmentary at the moment of impact, so there’s no direct evidence to falsify ABC’s reconstruction of the terrorists’ final words: _“I die for the glory of Allah, and also for Iraqi Dictator Saddam Hussein who masterminded this plan with minimal input from the unimportant Osama bin Laden!” \* Keep in mind that fanatics can speak_ very \* quickly when they need to. –The film helps to untangle some of the lingering questions about Bush’s actions during the crisis, especially regarding his direct personal investigation of the deeply entrenched nuclear terrorist ring at Emma T. Booker Elementary School in Florida. Unfortunately, while ultimately successful, his crafty interrogation of the students to uncover the disguised Death Dwarves of Xan (thus single-handedly saving Florida and its large Hispanic voting bloc from atomic annihilation) prevented him from addressing the lesser threat posed by the hijackers. But the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, and a strong leader must place the millions ahead of the thousands. –Similarly, if not for ABC we would never know that Bush’s frequent and extensive vacations both before and after the 9/11 attacks were actually a cover for his secret visits to Third World countries, where he would heal crippled children by directly channeling the will of Jesus. It’s understandable that he would wish to keep these visits secret, since The Liberals would hold up their pointless insistence on church/state separation to ensure that the children continue to suffer. –ABC helpfully clarifies the Administration’s assertions that no one could have predicted the hijackings, citing the Indeterminacy Principle to illustrate the fundamental unpredictability of nature on a quantum level. The “many worlds” interpretation of quantum physics also suggests that there are a potentially infinite number of parallel universes in which Bush did, in fact, prevent the 9/11 attacks. Similarly, the intelligence information about potential Al-Qaeda hijackings may have been physically impossible for Bush to observe, provided that light were being bent around the documents by a miniature black hole or some other exceptionally dense object in the White House. –Like many traitors, former Vice-Clinton al-Gore spent time in Vietnam offering comfort to the Viet Cong, and it’s entirely possible that during this time he picked up the necessary stealth and demolitions skills to personally install the explosives that collapsed the World Trade Center after the planes failed to finish the job. Admittedly, ABC’s depiction of him using his brain powers to teleport back to Washington DC in time to blow up the Pentagon is probably an unnecessary interpolation, since there were plenty of other Democrats who could have handled that part of the conspiracy. –Some may find ABC’s depiction of the thousands of dead 9/11 victims cursing Clinton from beyond the grave, and prophesying certain doom for America should even one Congressional seat be lost to the Democrats in November, as skirting the boundaries of good taste. However, such objections are based on the premise that it is impossible to know what opinions disembodied souls of the dead would have, which is clearly contrary to Scripture (1 Samuel 28:13-20). Or, in the words of the great political commentator, Criswell: _“My friend, you have seen this incident, based on sworn testimony. Can you prove that it didn’t happen?”_ ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/17 "2006-09-06T04:38:44Z")
> [@](#): > > **elucidator** : Whether it qualifies as actual propaganda depends on definition, viewpoint, and degree of shitheadedness. And the use of these devices: [Propaganda Techniques](http://mason.gmu.edu/~amcdonal/Propaganda%20Techniques.html) I predict card stacking and blatant lies – a new technique added during at the turn of the 21st Century. > [@](#): > > Card Stacking: Propagandist uses this technique to make the best case possible for his side and the worst for the opposing viewpoint by carefully using only those facts that support his or her side of the argument while attempting to lead the audience into accepting the facts as a conclusion. In other words, the propagandist stacks the cards against the truth. Card stacking is the most difficult technique to detect because it does not provide all of the information necessary for the audience to make an informed decision. I hope ABC decides to give historians equal time. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/18 "2006-09-06T04:46:59Z")
No need. Simply run _Farhenheit 9/11_ the night after. You know, fair and balanced. Maybe pre-empt the _All Star Tribute to David Hasselhoff_, or the\* Carrot Top Special\*. Did pretty good at the box office, I hear… ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/19 "2006-09-06T14:42:49Z")
Apparently, it’s primary sources are the 9/11 Commission Report.and John Miller’s “The Cell”. Maybe we should wait to see how it is before being too critical. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2006, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572/20 "2006-09-06T15:21:06Z")
> [@](#): > > it’s primary sources are the 9/11 Commission Report.and John Miller’s “The Cell” That’s sort of like saying binLaden’s primary source is the Koran. (or whatever way you spell it). [One member of the 9/11 Commission](http://public.cq.com/public/20060905_homeland.html) disputed an incident where Clinton national security advisor Samuel Berger supposedly hangs up on a CIA agent begging to plug Osama: > [@](#): > > Ben-Veniste stood to say that the Berger-bashing scene didn’t square with the research he and the other commissioners conducted. “There was no incident like that in the film that we came across. I am disturbed by that aspect of it,” Ben-Veniste, a loyal Democrat, told the panel, which included both the producer and the commission’s GOP chairman, former Gov. Thomas H. Kean of New Jersey. > > Berger, reached by phone after the screening, seconded Ben-Veniste’s criticism. “It’s a total fabrication,” he said tersely. “It did not happen.” From the [New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/06/us/06path.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin) > [@](#): > > Days before its scheduled debut, the first major television miniseries about the Sept. 11 attacks was being criticized on Tuesday as biased and inaccurate by bloggers, terrorism experts and a member of the Sept. 11 commission, whose report makes up much of the film’s source material. > … > Mr. Kean conceded that some points might have been more drama than documentary. “Some of the people shown there probably weren’t there, he said. After getting blasted by bloggers about the many inaccuracies in their piece of propaganda, [ABC pulled the plug on its blog for the show.](http://thinkprogress.org/2006/09/04/path-blog-yanked/) Without explanation, [The ABC blog is back.](http://blogs.abc.com/thepathto911/) In it, they deny that it is a documentary: > [@](#): > > It seems that people keep referring to this movie as a “documentary”. A documentary is a journalistic format that gives facts and information through interviews and news footage. This is a movie or more specifically a docudrama. If only the tightie righties would give ABC the same treatment that they gave Dan Rather. At least the facts in Rather’s document were correct, even if the veracity of the document itself could not be proven. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-the-ministry-of-truth-9-11-the-movie/371572.md?page=2)