Dictatorship has come to America through the Internet and Sony. Sony made a film about the assassination of the head of state of North Korea, a country that has been led by a series of dictators who claim supernatural sanction to their dictatorship. Now, making a film about the assassination of a living head of state should strike nerves under any circumstances, even if that head of state is a dictator. Anyone who dares makes a film about the assassination of an American head of state, for example, would be visited by the CIA, America's belief in freedom of speech notwithstanding. Thus, it is no surprise that North Korea did not take the matter lying down, especially given the fact that the film stripped its dictator of his supernatural aura.
However, given that America's belief in freedom of speech allows that a film about the assassination of a foreign head of state be made here, the film had to be shown in theaters in this country. But that does not appear to be the case. Using one of the classic tools of dictators everywhere - fear - Sony was bullied into rescinding showing the film in theaters in the United States. The story (as revised by Sony) goes that after Sony computers were hacked, movie theaters reneged on their promise to screen the film because they were afraid that something similar might happen to them. Because no movie theater was willing to screen the film, Sony had to pull it off the market. Fear, plus the threat of bankrupting a company, can actually make a people cower in the face of dictatorship.
If it is true that North Korea is behind the hacking of Sony's computers, as the FBI claims, then we can say that North Korea's dictatorship has come to America. The fear that characterizes life in a dictatorship, the paralyzing fear that stifles creativity, has come to America. Over the years, many have run away from such paralyzing fear from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, to seek in America a place where they could think freely. Judging from the Sony case and the purported reactions of movie theater owners, and perhaps movie goers, America is now living under a dictator far removed from America's shores.
Even though American governments have supported dictatorships in other places around the world, Americans themselves have often claimed to be freedom loving people. The fear that an anonymous threat, purportedly from a regime that is known for its stupendous hyperbole, has brought to America in a short period of time, seems to belie the claim that Americans love freedom. We now seem to be living under a dictatorship, albeit one that is far removed from our shores. The fear that emanates from anonymous sources, especially anonymous sources that are far away, is a classic tool that dictators have used to hold people in thrall. I hope that fear is not hear to stay.
However, given that America's belief in freedom of speech allows that a film about the assassination of a foreign head of state be made here, the film had to be shown in theaters in this country. But that does not appear to be the case. Using one of the classic tools of dictators everywhere - fear - Sony was bullied into rescinding showing the film in theaters in the United States. The story (as revised by Sony) goes that after Sony computers were hacked, movie theaters reneged on their promise to screen the film because they were afraid that something similar might happen to them. Because no movie theater was willing to screen the film, Sony had to pull it off the market. Fear, plus the threat of bankrupting a company, can actually make a people cower in the face of dictatorship.
If it is true that North Korea is behind the hacking of Sony's computers, as the FBI claims, then we can say that North Korea's dictatorship has come to America. The fear that characterizes life in a dictatorship, the paralyzing fear that stifles creativity, has come to America. Over the years, many have run away from such paralyzing fear from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, to seek in America a place where they could think freely. Judging from the Sony case and the purported reactions of movie theater owners, and perhaps movie goers, America is now living under a dictator far removed from America's shores.
Even though American governments have supported dictatorships in other places around the world, Americans themselves have often claimed to be freedom loving people. The fear that an anonymous threat, purportedly from a regime that is known for its stupendous hyperbole, has brought to America in a short period of time, seems to belie the claim that Americans love freedom. We now seem to be living under a dictatorship, albeit one that is far removed from our shores. The fear that emanates from anonymous sources, especially anonymous sources that are far away, is a classic tool that dictators have used to hold people in thrall. I hope that fear is not hear to stay.
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