ABC throws 9/11 into the gutter

ABCs upcoming miniseries The Path to 9/11 offers an interesting study in the cross-section of politics and entertainment. Corporatist propaganda is alive and well in the USA. We all know that. From product placement in movies and TV shows to the naming of public spaces, we live in a culture of propaganda. This is the era of "Truthiness." If the whole truth will tarnish a reputation or turn the tide of public opinion, why, then a little bit of the truth will do.

One would think that some subjects would be inviolate from spin. One would think that some subjects would be so sensitive and precious that they would be raised on a pedastal of facts and objectively affirmed by all for the benefit of future generations. For Germany and Jews, the Holocaust might be one such subject. For Americans of the early 21st century, I think 9/11 deserves that status.

That's why the mounting evidence that ABC's upcoming Path to 9/11 advances right wing myths is so very sickening. It isn't the fact that a conservative wrote it that bothers me. The point is that 9/11 doesn't have a single thing to do with a partisan outlook - or ought not to. Unfortunately, we do not live in those times.

We live in a time when a major media outlet can promise an objective dramatization of one of the greatest national tragedies in American History, promise to base it on the most extensive factual review that we have available (The 9/11 Commission's Report), and then shamelessly edit or create the record where necessary to support the author's and director's point of view. In this case, they seek to advance the notion that the Clinton administration had "... frequent opportunities ... in the 90s to stop Bin Laden in his tracks -- but lacked the will to do so." Really? Evidence please. Oh. You don't have any? Never mind, we'll just make stuff up. Can you imagine the size of the ego that would do such a thing? Surely, they know what they are doing. Clinton's lawyers sure think so.

In a doubly sickening move, ABC partnered with Scholastic Books to produce and distribute over 100,000 Path to 9/11 companion study guides. These study guides, by definition, are designed to reinforce the patchwork of lies carefully woven in the program. Again, they know what they are doing. This is the art of high propaganda. This study-guide is the syringe that inserts the docutainmentporn as actual history in the minds of America's children. And they care more about the point of view than they do about the child's mind, or the child, or the truth.

But ABC didn't stop there. They exclusively screened the show with conservative audiences, refusing those who may think differently (sounABC sent a letter to right wing media types reassuring them that
The message of the Clinton Admin failures remains fully intact.

Folks-- right, left, middle, red, blue purple -- can we agree? It's wrong to turn our greatest national tragedy into agenda-laden propaganda and distribute it as education. It is shameful, and disgusting, and un-american. If our mothers have raised us right, we know the difference between fact and fiction, right?

By allowing ABC to slime the nation with lies then distribute it as fact, they abuse their power and cheapen us all. Please, I beg you for the sake of our kids, just say no to documtainmentporn.

You can do so here.