Jeremy Scahill's "Dirty Wars: The World is a Battlefield"

A film about the undeclared ongoing wars which we are unlikely to have any reliable information about. This won the Sundance Cinematography Award for U.S. Documentary 2013.

Here is one of the stories which stuck out (the clip is from an interview):

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/seBS_G35YZo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Looking forward to watching it, can't seem to find a way to do that right now. I guess this could go in the hangout, but it will probably end up here.

Anyone seen it yet?

 

Trailer:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9cC98O6HMZk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Never. Book and movie probably will be banned once they become aware of it.

EDIT: in the UAE and the rest of the gulf countries. In other parts of the Middle East like Iran and Egypt, it will probably be ok.

 

Hmmm. I wouldn't say there's more censorship in gcc countries unless we're speaking particularly about the one topic: American foreign policy in the ME.

For example, maoist, communist, marxist and leninist books are banned as well (not biographies though). Books which unvocer the brutal colonialist practices of the British. Anything pro-Israel or too harshly anti-Israel. Books which uncover details of mujahiddeen in Afghanistan pre-9/11. Books which highlight the colonial nature of the Islamic empire. Books promoting the MB are banned. Books promoting other religions/sects/atheism - if they are considered proselytizing - are banned. Books about the occupy movement would be banned. Books about drone warfare - I haven't seen one yet. Books about labor unions, or unions of any kind in fact - except the unions which formed each of the countries.

Of course when I say banned, I'm guesstimating because there is no actual up to date list anyone can access for all books/media to determine where the line is (as far as I'm aware). Also each country is slightly different so what I'm saying doesn't apply perfectly to every single country. It depends on the level of vigilance to control it. Obviously they don't review every book and are not capable of making sure every book which comes through meets the goals. You will find some media that they didn't know or can't figure out are contrary to the goals of the rules. Sometimes you will have no idea whether what you're buying is ok to buy - which is a scary thing to deal with, so you have to be careful.

But based on public libraries and private book stores, I'm very confident in my guesstimation. I would have no trouble finding a book in those places which even Americans would consider too pro-American - and I mean pro-American, not pro-democracy or pro-freedom. I haven't found any of those. Saudi Arabia is the exception there - it's dangerous to the stability of their state since pro-American talk is deeply hated by extreme conservatives and a non-ban of those books/media would piss those extreme conservatives off.

I know that's not the direct answer you were hoping for, but you get the idea.

 

Was able to watch this. Excellent from a cinematography perspective. Hate him or love him, you have to admire him for being in literally the most dangerous places in the world to get information that no news organization would give us.