I NEVER thought I'd see this: http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/story/0,1259,---13851,00.html HOLLYWOOD (Zap2it.com) – Let's just call it a difference of opinion. While their English colleagues are protesting President Bush’s plans to attack Iraq, Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise have gone on the record in support of a war. The two Hollywood forces made their opinions known during a press conference in Rome where the filmmaker and star were promoting the release of “Minority Report.” Spielberg told reporters, "If Bush, as I believe, has reliable information on the fact that Saddam Hussein is making weapons of mass destruction, I cannot but support the policies of his government," according to BBC News. Cruise echoed his director’s words by adding, "Personally, I don't have all the information President Bush has… But I believe Saddam has committed many crimes against humanity and his own people." Meanwhile, more than 100 UK actors, writers, musicians and playwrights sent an open letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair protesting the potential war. The letter, signed by celebrities Harold Pinter, Jemma Redgrave, Ken Loach, Brian Eno, Mark Lamar and Catherine McCormack, indicated that attacks on Iraq could be "unjustifiable" and have "potentially horrific ramifications" and that "it would open a Pandora's box which may be impossible to close."
I understand that they have the right to an opinion, and that they have cameras shoved in their faces asking them these questions... But the fact that these people have a smidgen of political influence because they make movies is obsurd
They have political influence because they have MILLIONS of dollars. If you and I did, we'd have influence too.
Who cares? I certainly don't get excited when the Baldwin brothers start spouting liberal propaganda (or those more credible than the Baldwin bros ). Incidentally, are you going to post in the future concerning Spielburg's generally liberally views? I would hope so, if you strive for consistency.
Question...why did you think you'd 'never' see this? Am I the only person left in the world that forms his opinions without trying to live his life under political labels???
bravo for Refman for finding a viewpoint supporting something that he already knew. As haven has so eloquently pointed out, we all look forward to Refman appealing to Spielberg and Cruise's viewpoints for guidance in the future. Meanwhile, when Cruise isn't looking for a pr stint to prove he's a patriot, and someone of Jewish descent doesn't support the overthrow of Sadaam, I'll be intrigued. 'till then... I am amused by Refman's comandeering of Batman's template. lol hey, hey guys... person x agrees with me, shouldn't you? ROTFL.
For the record...Tom Cruise was a Roman Catholic prior to joing the church of Scientology. He was never of the Jewish faith. I posted this merely because I found it very interesting. I really don't care whether you or anybody else agrees with me. I do find it very funny how you take these two individuals publicly supporting the President and basically say that they are biased and disingenuous. Whatever buddy.
Spielberg and Cruises' opinions on war are irrelevant. The american people as a whole is what matters.
I wasn't surprised. There are plenty of liberal Jewish Americans who support the war because of Israel. It shouldn't be shocking to anyone.
haven -- i think refman posted this because it was so surprising...not because he believes spielberg to be a registered republican or federalist society member...and not because he believes either he or cruise is so wise that we ought to listen to them, or else...i can tell you i was quite surprised when i heard this too...it is of little importance...but i don't think it's uninteresting given these guys' politics to this point.
MadMax, Refman, what many of us were curious about, and as Jeff explained... why would it be shocking that Spielberg would support a war against Iraq? Or Woody Allen? Or Joseph Lieberman? Or anyone else that has emotional and even familial ties to a certain area that Sadaam wouldn't mind bombing? If Sadaam all of a sudden said that he wanted to blow up the US, or specifically Charleston, SC, would you be amazed to find out that I would support war too?
What made this so surprising to me is that Spielberg, to the best of my recollection, has NEVER publicly supported ANYTHING a Republican has had to say. While Spielberg is Jewish, I still find it surprising that he would say these things because the Iraq issue is tangentially related to the Israeli conflict at best. Not to mention that he made these comments in Germany (who is ardently against the notion of war with Iraq)...and he was drumming up support in Germany for one of his films...this isn't likely to make the average German citizen rush right out and buy tickets.
Achebe and Jeff, Admittedly, many Jewish-Americans support Israel, but does it follow that their opinions should be totally discounted on this topic? So when a liberal speaks about helping the environment, I should just ignore it...after all, 'they're just a liberal, what would you expect'. Is it possible that many Jewish-Americans follow events in the middle east and understand the threat to the US better than your average American, or Democrat? No, must just be their emotional or irrational support of Israel...ignore'm. Thanks guys. I guess if I decide that war with Iraq is a good thing, I should keep that opinion to myself since it's basis will simply be 'Israel'. BTW, please tell me your ethnic background so I can apply these new-found teachings. Nevermind, please don't.
tangentially? I'm confused. I see the great obsession with Israel and the pending war with Iraq as completely intertwined (i'd explain more but i'm being queried by the wife about my plans for the day). Cohen, I don't disagree with your critique. My opinion is not that Jewish opinions are invalid on Iraq, merely that ethnicity may be a way in which to understand one's opinions or concerns (though the image of Lieberman on the edge of his seat, prepared to fight, makes me wonder about the backroom wars that would be going on in a Gore/Lieberman administration). -wife jumped in the shower- Take for example the concerns of African Americans. I don't argue that they vote predominantly as a group and that their concerns can be disregarded (sheez obviously, if there's one underlying psychological reason for me being a democrat, it's probably b/c every republican I encountered as a child told me racist jokes). Instead, I think many individuals in a group can share the same concerns (ie familial ties in Israel) and that those concerns can be observed in statistics. My basic intuition "how many people of Jewish descent are not hawks when it comes to Iraq" is analogous to the typical conservative rant: "what would you do if you walk in and your wife is dead and her killer is standing over her". It's an appeal to emotion... an appeal to that tinge of 'common sense' that conservatives always appeal to in pragmatism. I would become 'chimpanzee politics' incarnate were my wife to be injured in the slightest.
Oh yeah, and most liberals support the environment because they're smarter than everyone else. You can discount the emotion of the emotional/religious environmentalists (like Gore). kidding
I didn't dismiss his opinion. I said it should not be surprising. Speilberg may be liberal but his Jewish heritige is extremely important to him. His wife converted for him. He produced Shindler's List, one of the most important films about the Holocaust ever made. He has openly and actively supported many Jewish causes including Holocaust museums and support of Israel. Speilberg is expressing a view not unlike other Jews in America. I didn't say it was an incorrect viewpoint, just that his support shouldn't be all that surprising. Just because you might expect a liberal person to support the environment doesn't mean they are wrong. Man, your antennae are up today, huh? EVERYONE's viewpoints should be regarded when you are talking about sacrificing the lives of Americans for ANY cause. That includes people from every political background. I respect Spielberg's viewpoints as much as any individual American. But, since we are on the topic of being dismissive, isn't it POSSIBLE that liberals follow the events in the middle east and understand that there may be ramifications beyond what we can see in the short term if we decide to invade Iraq without the backing of the international community? No, must just be their emotional or irrational support of peace...ignore 'm. See how easy that can be turned around?
Cohen, suppose I gave a statement from a prominent Arab American, say the head of the Arab Defamation League,saying he was against Bush/Cheney's war plans. Wouldn't you think that he couldpossibly be biased ? Would your first reaction be "you know he probably knows more than other Americans about whether Iraq has these weapons and is an imminent danger since his parents, say, have are from the Middle East and he has relatives there." I doubt it.
