Come on, the “war against terror” has been the tail wagging the dog now for over 30 years. Once the Commies tore down their walls, the military industrial complex, the war economy and national security state needed a new bogeyman. And thus was born “the endless war” against jihad. And then, almost miraculously, 9/11 sealed the deal. It couldn’t have been better if they had planned it themselves.
And while I don’t go that far, I have no illusions about those who pull the strings behind the curtains. Of course it helps to have a really dumb audience. Or a really ignorant one.
Already, our presidential campaigns are scripted to the point they may as well be produced in Hollywood.
IMDb
[b]After this film started production and before its release, US President Bill Clinton became involved in a sex scandal and threatened military action against Iraq.
During the filming of Wag the Dog Dustin Hoffman, his co-star Robert De Niro and director Barry Levinson had an impromptu meeting with President ‘Bill Clinton’ at a Washington hotel. “So what’s this movie about?” Clinton asked De Niro. De Niro looked over to Levinson, hoping he would answer the question. Levinson, in turn, looked over to Hoffman. Hoffman, realizing there was no one else to pass the buck to, is quoted as saying, “So I just started to tap dance. I can’t even remember what I said.”[/b]
WAG THE DOG
Directed by Barry Levinson
[b]Titlecard: Why does the dog wag its tail? Because the dog is smarter than the tail. If the tail were smarter, it would wag the dog.
…
Winifred: That’s him. That’s Mr Fix-it.
…
Connie: So, it’s not the illegal nanny thing? What is it?
Staffer: A group of Firefly Girls were here last month…The president took one of them in the office behind the Oval Office. The girl’s alleging…
[Staffer hands him the report. Connie reads it]
Connie: Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
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Connie: And it’s most certainly not about the B-3 bomber.
John: There is no B-3 bomber.
Connie: I just said that! There is no B-3 bomber. I don’t know why these rumors get started!
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Connie [repeated line]: I’m working on it.
…
Winnifred: Tell me again.
Connie: Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing new. During the Reagan adminustration, 240 Marines were killed in Beirut. 24 hours later, we invade Grenada. That’s the M.O… Change the subject, change the lead.
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Connie: What’s the thing people remember about the Gulf War? A bomb falls down a chimney and blows up a building. The building could have been made out of Legos.
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Winifred: Why Albania?
Connie: Why not?
Winifred: What have they done to us?
Connie: What have they done for us? What do you know about them?
Winifred: Nothing.
Connie: See? They keep to themselves. Shifty. Standoffish.
…
Stanley: Okay you bought yourself a day or two.
Connie: All I need is 11 till the election.
Stanley: This isn’t going to hold for 11 days. He fucked a Girl Scout.
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Connie: What do you think would hold it off, Mr. Motss?
Stanley: Nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. You’d have to have a war.
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Stanley: I’m in show business, why come to me?
Connie: War is show business, Mr. Motss, that’s why we’re here.
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Stanley: No no no no no, fuck freedom.
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Fad King: We’re locked into Albania. Why?
Johnny Dean: Albania’s hard to rhyme.
Stanley: What are you looking at me for? It’s the name of the country.
Johnny Dean [sighs resignedly, then sings]: “Albania, Albania…”
Stanley: That rhymes.
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Tracy: What would they do to me if I did tell someone about this?
Connie: They could come to your house in the middle of the night and kill you.
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Stanley [repeated line]: This is nothing.
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Stanley: They used the same process here as in the last Schwarzenegger movie. And this is only the beginning. Wait till we get to the song, image, merchandising tie-ins.
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CIA Agent Young: There are two things I know to be true. There’s no difference between good flan and bad flan, and there is no war.
Connie: Of course there’s a war. I’m watching it on TV.
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Stanley: Neal can’t end the war. He’s not producing this.
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Connie: The CIA cut them a better deal.
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Stanley: The war isn’t over until I say it’s over. This is my picture. This is not the CIA’s picture.
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Connie: If Henry Kissinger can win the Peace Prize I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that I had won the Preakness.
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Stanley: The President will be a hero. He brought peace.
Connie: But there was never a war.
Stanley: All the greater accomplishment.
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Winifred: So when we touch down tomorrow, Big Bird is going to meet Schumann at the airport, huh?
Stanley: Big mistake, big mistake. You gotta bring them in by stages. Big mistake to reveal Schumann before the election.
Winifred: How so?
Stanley: Sweetheart, Schumann is the shark. Okay? Schumann is Jaws. You have to tease them. You gotta tease them. You don’t put Jaws in the first reel of the movie. It’s the contract, sweetheart. The contract of the election, whether they know it or not, is “Vote for me Tuesday, Wednesday I’ll produce Schumann.” See, that’s what they’re paying their seven bucks for.
…
Winifred: What did he do?
Stanley: He raped a nun…
Winifred: Oh, God. Oh, God. Jes - Oh, God!
Stanley: And…
Winifred: “And”? I don’t want to know an “and”. Why is there an “and”?
Stanley: Look, look, look, look, look. He’s fine as long as he gets his medication…
Winifred: And if he doesn’t get his medications?
Stanley: He’s not fine.
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Sergeant Schumann: Who are you? Who are you sons of bitches?!
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Winifred: Oh, God. What do we do now? Huh? Huh? What do we do now, huh, boy producer? Huh? Mister win-an-Emmy, social-conscience, whale-shit, save-the-rain-forest, peacenik-commie, fuckin’-hire-a-convict-shithead? Huh? What do we do now, liberal, affirmative action, shithead, peacenik commie fuck? What do you want to do now?
Stanley: This is nothing! Piece of cake.
…
Stanley: It’s okay, he’s not dead.
[gunshot]
Stanley: Uh, strike that.
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Stanley: You think I did this for money? I did this for credit.
Connie: You always knew you couldn’t take the credit.
Stanley: But I’m not going to stand here and let two dickheads from film school take it.
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Stanley: Look at that! That is a complete fucking fraud, and it looks a hundred percent real. It’s the best work I’ve ever done in my life, because it’s so honest.
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Stanley: They told me I couldn’t remake Moby Dick from the point of view of the whale. But I did it. $450 million domestic.
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News reporter: And turning to the Hollywood page famed film producer Stanley R. Motss died suddenly of a massive heart attack while sunbathing poolside.
…
Newscaster: This just in. A group calling itself “Albania Unite” has claimed responsibility for the bombing moments ago of the village of Klos, Albania. The president was unavailable for comment but General William Scott of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says he has no doubt we’ll be sending planes and troops back in to finish the job.[/b]