After hearing that Sony Pictures backed down and cancelled the premier of The Interview, I thought about the quote from the groundbreaking reporter, Edward R. Morrow, who during the 50's Communist scare said, "We are not descended from fearful men."
Now it seems that Americans have evolved into fearful men. I wanted to make sure that Morrow was not quoting someone else and came across another of his very apt quote:
"No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices."
More quotes below that are especially vivid because of the state of the world.
This is the point: the attack on Sony is a digital Pearl Harbor. It's an attack on US soil, that will wind up costing billions, and now exposes how easy it is to bring America to our knees.
I wanted to go out the night of the premier, to show support for freedom of speech. I can understand Sony pulling the movie from theaters, but I hope they put it out on Pay Per View. I'll sign up - and encourage others.
Here are some other delicious quotes from Edward R. Morrow:
"Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices — just recognize them."
"Difficulty is the excuse history never accepts."
"The speed of communications is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of information that we know to be untrue."
And finally - the best comes last:
"The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer."