Fox network's 24 may or may not be wingnut propaganda, but if it is Kiefer Sutherland's grandfather is not happy about it.
Seriously, is the Pope Catholic?
Olberman did a piece this evening about how some folks, like tonight's interviewee, Robert Greenwald, think there may be a didactic component to the Fox throat grabber. Raw Story was good enough to capture the video. View and decide.
I am in no position to analyze, criticize, praise or condemn 24 because I have only watched one or two episodes of the series, and these were in the early, pre 911 days. It seemed like propaganda to me then, but of a very broad type. It was promoting an attitude to law and order and defense that I have no trouble characterizng as right wing. But what they have been up to lately, je ne sais quoi.
There is a certain irony about the show. How many of my bazillions of American readers know that Kiefer Sutherland is the grandson of Canadian politician and Baptist preacher, Tommy Douglas, the first socialist leader of a government in North America. His father of course is Canadian born actor Donald Sutherland, and his mother is Tommy Douglas' daughter, Shirley Douglas, herself an accomplished actor who was married to Donald from 1966 to 1970.
Here is some of what Kiefer's grand dad accomplpished during his two decades as premier of Saskatchewan:
- the creation of the publicly owned Saskatchewan Power Corp., successor to the Saskatchewan Electrical Power Commission, which began a long program of extending electrical service to isolated farms and villages;
- the creation of Canada's first publicly owned automobile insurance service, the Saskatchewan Government Insurance Office;
- the creation of a large number of Crown Corporations, many of which competed with existing private sector interests;
- legislation that allowed the unionization of the public service;
- a program to offer free hospital care to all citizens—the first in Canada.
- passage of the Saskatchewan Bill of Rights, legislation that broke new ground as it protected both fundamental freedoms and equality rights against abuse not only by government actors but also on the part of powerful private institutions and persons. (The Saskatchewan Bill of Rights preceded the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations by 18 months).
In 1964, Tommy Douglas became leader of Canada's socialist/social democratic/centre left New Democratic Party (NDP). He never came close to federal power, but universal health insurance eventually was adopted by the Canadian fedreal government.
One of Tommy Douglas' most challenging moments came in 1970, when he and the NDP opposed the imposition of the War Measures Act in response to the October Crisis. This lost votes for the NDP in English Canada with no discernible reward gained in Quebec.
So Kiefer has a genuine left wing heritage, and not just from Tommy. His mother, Shirley Douglas, has a long history of activism. With Kiefer and her two other children she and Donald Sutherland moved to California in the 60's. They divorced in 1970. Shirley became active in the civil rights and anti war movements and was part of a group called Friends of the Black Panthers. On one occasion, she and other members of that group were arrested on weapons charges that were later dismissed. Despite her innocence, Shirley Douglas was denied a work permit and returned to Canada with her children.
Apparently things have been smoothed over because Shirley got to play Madeleine Albright in last year's ABC propaganda flick, The Path to 911(!!!).
Also on Countdown tonight, a story about Lehrer's interview today with W.
As I have said many times, it's great for his opponents whenever Bush tries to sell anything (howz that Social Security provatization coming, anyway?). So if I want the troops to come home, it's a good thing when Bush tries to promote the surge/escalation/augmentation.
Among the President's goofy utterances this day, he was asked whether he had called upn the American people to support the war effort. He said in response (and I am paraphrasing) taxes are bad, mmkay? So he is oppoesed to raising taxes to pay for the war. He also said that people sacrifice when they have to watch all that icky war violence on teevee. Don't believe me? Roll the video and see for yourself.