Indoctrination Over Entertainment

October 28, 2007

Everyone has visited a theater to be entertained by the latest offering from our favored star or starlet. Many of us grew up watching westerns, where the good guys always wore a white hat and defeated the bad guys in the black hats by movies end. Saturday mornings were a favorite of mine as in the 1950’s and 1960’s, we had Saturday matinees, open only to children and that included contests for trinkets, some cartoons, an ongoing serial where every week, the hero was left hanging in a precarious position and to see how he escaped it, you had to return the next Saturday. Following that would be the main attraction, a full-length movie western, or war film displaying the heroics of our Troops throughout World War Two or even a version of Robin Hood.

Since the matinees only cost us 25 cents to get in, our return wasn’t always that profitable for the theater, other than candy, soda and popcorn sales. But our Saturday mornings were tied up in the local movie house.

We looked up to the Movie Stars for guidance and were mesmerized by their exploits on the silver screen, often buying magazines offering articles on their private lives, or so we thought.

Gradually, movies took over for reading books, giving us a visual and audio content that books couldn’t. The message wasn’t left up to our imaginations any longer, the movies director and producers gave us it. The actors played the roles and some were given awards for their work. It never dawned on us that we were being molded one way or the other, until I was older.

I knew the stunts and actions weren’t real, no one was that superhuman, but it never occurred that our very thoughts and values were being set for us. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as we were taught to love America, to defend her and do right by others. We were taught to speak out and stand up to wrongs, to fight crime and not to steal. We learned to respect authority and obey the laws, to honor our Military and Veterans. We learned the values that made our country the great nation she is.

Somewhere along the line though, that all seems to have changed. During the 1960s we were treated to movies like Bonnie & Clyde, glorifying two of the 1930’s most cold blooded killer and robbers. Law enforcement became the bad guys, not the criminals.

Not too long after we were treated to 1970’s M*A*S*H*, a comedy set in the Korean War, but decidedly anti-Vietnam War, as it followed the cut ups and antics of three misfit Doctors drafted into the Army.

Soon we were inundated with anti-war movies, not always comedies. We saw Deer Hunter, Coming Home, Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, A Rumor of War, Casualties of War and a slew of others. All sent out the idea that defending America just wasn’t worth it. Catch 22 came along showing us the futility of World War Two, chronicling the tail of a Bomber Crew desperately trying to get out of flying bombing missions.

Not stopping at being anti-war, the movies began glorifying what we once considered deviant, such as was done in the movie Midnight Cowboy. Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid came along, once again, glorifying outlaws at the turn of the century.

Robert Redford and Barbara Streisand treated us to The Way We Were, glorifying leftist protesters during World War Two and after.

Michael Douglas gave us memorable performances in Falling Down, depicting a conservative defense worker who loses his job and who goes on a rampage and shooting spree as his life comes apart, and The American President, showing us that a President can indeed better the country if he listens to his lover and that the sexual escapades of a President isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Of course, in the movie, conservatives are shown to be at odds with that notion and out of touch with the country. Imagine that!

Thinking back I realized that movies have long been the choice tool of indoctrination of the left. Once they saw how the general public instantly believes what they saw on the silver screen without question, the indoctrination commenced. One glaring example was 1939's The Grapes of Wrath showing how evil things were during the depression, except for programs implemented by the father of modern Socialism, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Viet Nam Veterans became hapless victims, as was often portrayed in films like 1985’s, Cease Fire. New movies are currently coming out, such as Lions for Lambs and meant to sway public opinion even further away from the War on Terror.

We also have a child’s movie, The Golden Compass, due out that is based upon books written by an avowed atheist and due to be released at Christmas, teaching children that there is no God.

And on it goes. Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Danny Glover (who publicly supports Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez), Sally Field, Sean Penn, Rosie McDonnell, Michael Douglas, Barbara Streisand, Robert Redford, you name them, they all have either produced or appeared in movies designed to indoctrinate over entertain. All are decidedly leftists who would take from us to give to others while retaining their own, furthering the Socialist lefts agenda.

All have used their celebrity to lead the public down the leftist path with total impunity for any anti-American activities they may have committed. We surely haven’t forgotten “Hanoi” Jane Fonda and her visits to North Viet Nam and her advocating Communism, while she lavishes herself with unimagined wealth.

I have not gone to a movie in years now and will not in the foreseeable future because I will not add to the wealth of those who desire to take what little I have and give it away and who ridicule American conservative values.

Some of these celebrities threatened to leave America if George W. Bush were elected. Once he won the election, all recanted and denied ever making the claim. We don't call them Hollyweird for nothing.

Lew