Homeland 6.10: Fake News!

A scaldingly relevant episode 6.10 of Homeland tonight, with dialogue that was either prescient, overdubbed, or spoken in more recent realtime than usual for a TV series, in as much as Max point blank tells Carrie that O'Keefe is producing "fake news".  (Max's face is slightly off-screen, hence the overdub possibility.)

The fake news in question is the centerpiece of the episode.  We saw O'Keefe putting it together previously.  Its footage manipulated to look like the President-elect's son, killed in Afghanistan, was actually running away like a coward and was not a hero.   As such, this bears resemblances to what the GOP did to John Kerry with the notorious "swift boat" ads in the 2004 election, and Bowe Bergdahl's true story in Afghanistan, though the Kerry and Bergdahl stories have nothing else in common.

In Homeland, O'Keefe unleashes this caustic fake news at Dar's request, after the President-elect spurns his "advice" to appoint people to her cabinet who attacked her in the election, and tells him she intends to put his "ass in jail".   Not one to be bullied, Dar goes nuclear and launches O'Keefe.

In a sweet twist - though sweet is likely not the best word for this - Saul ends up being the only person who can help the President-elect now, courtesy of the video Max sent to Carrie, which shows O'Keefe and Dar talking.   This means Saul won't have to leave the country.

If I hadn't titled this review "Fake News," I might have gone for "The Education of the President-Elect," as she's certainly wised up now to what Dar is, and some of what's been going on.  She realizes that Dar is pulling Carrie's strings via Franny, and no doubt regrets that she didn't come to Carrie's aid when Carrie practically begged her for help.

Better late than never, and it will be fun to see Carrie, Saul, and the President-elect in an all-out war against the intelligence establishment on Homeland.  As to how this is reflected in the Trump administration - I'll leave that for another review.

See also Homeland 6.1: Madam President-Elect ... Homeland 6.2: Parallel Program ... Homeland 6.3: Potentials ... Homeland 6.4: "A Man with Painted Hair" ... Homeland 6.5: The Attack on Carrie's Brownstone ... Homeland 6.7: The Arch Villain ... Homeland 6.8: Peter's Problem ... Homeland 6.9: The Tide Begins to Turn

And see also Homeland 5.1: Moving into the Age of Snowden ... Homeland 5.2: Who Wants to Kill Carrie ... Homeland 5.3: Carrie and Kerry ... Homeland 5.5: All Quinn ... Homeland 5.6: Saul Wises Up ... Homeland 5.7: Tough to Watch ... Homeland 5.9: Finally! ... Homeland 5.10: Homeland and Homeland ... Homeland 5.11: Allison as Primo Villain ... Homeland Season 5 Finale: RIPs

And see also Homeland 4.1-2: Carrie's State of Mind ... Homeland 4.3: Quinn and Carrie ... Homeland 4.4: Carrie's Counterpart ... Homeland 4.5: Righteous Seduction ... Homeland 4.6: The Biggest Reveal ... Homeland 4.7: The Manifestation ... Homeland 4.8: Saving Someone's Life ... Homeland 4.9: Hitchcock Would've Loved It ... Homeland 4.10: The List ... Homeland 4.12: Out of this Together

And see also Homeland 3.1: Sneak Preview Review ... Homeland 3.2: Sneak Preview Review ... Homeland 3.3: Two Prisons ... Homeland 3.4: Twist! ...Homeland 3.6: Further Down the Rabbit Hole ... Homeland 3.7: Revealing What We Already Knew ... Homeland 3.8: Signs of Life ...Homeland 3.9: Perfect Timing ... Homeland 3.10: Someone Has to Die ... Homeland 3.11: The Loyalist ... Homeland Season 3 Finale: Redemption and Betrayal

And see Homeland 2.1-2: Sneak Preview Review ... Homeland 2.3-5: Sneak Preview Review ... Homeland 2.6: What Brody Knows ... Homeland 2.7: Love Me Tinder ... Homeland 2.8: The Personal and the Professional ...Homeland Season 2 Finale: The Shocker and the Reality

And see also  Homeland on Showtime ... Homeland 1.8: Surprises ... Homeland Concludes First Season: Exceptional

 

Homeland 5.3: Carrie and Kerry

Well, we now know for sure in Homeland 5.3 what we should have known for sure anyway - no way Quinn would have killed Carrie, whoever gave the encrypted order.

But this raises another question - might Saul have given the order after all, knowing that Quinn would never kill Carrie, but figuring that the best way of bringing her in would be to get Quinn to go after her?   And did Quinn understand this all along?  Could be ... but if I had to bet, I'd still say someone other than Saul gave the kill command.

Meanwhile, speaking of Saul, it was good to see him in bed with the CIA woman, but this lends a little more credence to her being the source of the order.   She rummaged through Saul's notes or apps when he was sleeping, and found out how to give the command.   Maybe - I'm still not convinced that she's the one, either.

I liked how Carrie tried to use her bi-polar powers to figure out what was going on in this episode.  As always, the question is whether she really figured it out, or overshot the solution in her state.  In the past, she's usually been right.   But there's always a first time for errors.

It is notable, even in this digital day and age, how Carrie does her most inspired thinking with pictures on the wall and floor.   Hacking is supreme, everywhere, accept for Carrie, where it may be taking second place to what she can do in her mind.

And speaking of hacking and leaks, I had the pleasure of seeing Edward Snowden via Google Hangout at Bard College on Friday.   His philosophic depth and insistence that individual conscience can sometimes take precedence over law was inspiring, and highlights the clanging superficiality of John Kerry's denunciation of Snowden as a "coward" that Homeland has seen fit to work into the opening montage of every episode.  Maybe that's Homeland's way of being critical of Kerry - but just saying.

See also Homeland 5.1: Moving into the Age of Snowden ... Homeland 5.2: Who Wants to Kill Carrie

And see also Homeland 4.1-2: Carrie's State of Mind ... Homeland 4.3: Quinn and Carrie ... Homeland 4.4: Carrie's Counterpart ... Homeland 4.5: Righteous Seduction ... Homeland 4.6: The Biggest Reveal ... Homeland 4.7: The Manifestation ... Homeland 4.8: Saving Someone's Life ... Homeland 4.9: Hitchcock Would've Loved It ... Homeland 4.10: The List ... Homeland 4.12: Out of this Together

And see also Homeland 3.1: Sneak Preview Review ... Homeland 3.2: Sneak Preview Review ... Homeland 3.3: Two Prisons ... Homeland 3.4: Twist! ...Homeland 3.6: Further Down the Rabbit Hole ... Homeland 3.7: Revealing What We Already Knew ... Homeland 3.8: Signs of Life ...Homeland 3.9: Perfect Timing ... Homeland 3.10: Someone Has to Die ... Homeland 3.11: The Loyalist ... Homeland Season 3 Finale: Redemption and Betrayal

And see Homeland 2.1-2: Sneak Preview Review ... Homeland 2.3-5: Sneak Preview Review ... Homeland 2.6: What Brody Knows ... Homeland 2.7: Love Me Tinder ... Homeland 2.8: The Personal and the Professional ...Homeland Season 2 Finale: The Shocker and the Reality

And see also  Homeland on Showtime ... Homeland 1.8: Surprises ... Homeland Concludes First Season: Exceptional

#SFWApro 


  different kind of espionage

The Fraudulent Hunt for Snowden

The big story today is the hunt for Edward Snowden - and, in particular, the gall of Russia for not just turning Snowden over to the U.S.  After all, he has been charged with espionage, and that's a very serious crime.  Senator Schumer (D-NY) even sees Russia's failure to turn over Snowden as equivalent to Russia's lack of cooperation with our plans for Syria.

How, exactly, Snowden has committed espionage has never been made clear.  Did he gave valuable information to a country engaged in war with the U.S.?  No one has alleged that he did.   Apparently his "crime" was telling the American people the truth about our own government's spying upon us - a truth that our government has systematically lied about over the years in testimony to Congress.  In what warped reasoning is telling the truth about that an act of espionage?

But our government needs that charge brought against Snowden, so we can pressure foreign governments to turn him over to us.   And if a government sees through that, and decides not to give us Snowden - because he's a whistle blower not a traitor - then that government gets criticized not only by Schumer, with his absurd analogy between Snowden and Syria, but by Jay Carney, John Kerry, and the whole weight of the elected and appointed American government.

And this of course is exactly what the government most wants.  Redirect everyone's attention to the flight of a whistle blower labelled traitor, and the countries who might object to that label, rather than the illegal activity that the whistle was blown upon: the US government's illegal collection of communication information from the American people, and its repeated lying about that every chance it got.

See also: David Gregory vs. Glenn Greenwald: Lessons about So-Called Progressives

Thoughts on the Speeches at Ted Kennedy's Wake

The memorial service for Ted Kennedy at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston earlier tonight was extraordinary. Almost all of the tributes were superb. Here are the ones that struck the deepest chords in me ...

Joseph Kennedy, II, former Congressman, son of Robert Kennedy, set the tone with captivating anecdotes and restatement of Ted's political ideals. I hope he runs for Ted's Senate seat.

Chris Dodd spoke of what it was like to have Ted Kennedy as a close political ally and friend. I was impressed with Dodd during the 2008 Democratic primary. He has a crispness of vision, and should play a crucial role in the battle ahead this September for health care.

John Kerry's speech at the Democratic convention in Denver last year wasn't carried live by the networks and all-news cable. But it was one of the best at the convention, and his speech at the JFK Library tonight was the most politically powerful. (I saw Kerry briefly this June, as he was boarding a boat in Hyannis. I was too far away to tell him how much I appreciate his continued fight for a better America.)

Orrin Hatch's speech was also impressive, especially given that he, too, was a close friend but also a staunch political foe of Ted Kennedy. I wonder - will Hatch search his soul and find room in there to do the right thing and help all Americans get good, affordable health care? Maybe.

Joe Biden gave another very moving tribute, as only someone who has had such close personal tragedy in his own life could provide. I don't know what the Vice President has been doing behind the scenes in the health care legislation discussions, but I'd like to see him set loose to ply his unique political skills with recalcitrant Senators.

John Culver, former Senator and Ted's Harvard classmate, provided comic relief, in the best sense of the phrase at a time like this. His story of how he wound up on a small boat with Ted, inveighed to go sailing, brought tears of pure laughter to my eyes.

In contrast, Caroline Kennedy's concluding tribute brought tears of something else. As did Joe, she brought home what it meant to have Ted as an uncle. I still can't forgive Gov. Patterson in New York for not appointing her to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. Our state and our nation would have benefited greatly.

Tomorrow Barack Obama gives the eulogy at Ted Kennedy's funeral.

And then the full business of governance resumes in September. There are two possible paths to universal health care. One comes from a few Republicans and recalcitrant Democrats truly taking a chance on reform and the American people. The other comes from Obama leading a take-no-prisoners charge, and getting the needed legislation with no Republican help. I'll take whichever works.

Superb Speeches by Bill Clinton and John Kerry - Mindless Networks Carry Only Clinton's

Bill Clinton and John Kerry just gave two outstanding speeches at the Democratic National Convention. The arrogant cable networks carried only Bill Clinton's. Once again, CSPAN comes through as the true American herald.

Bill Clinton received minute after minute of thunderous applause when he walked out on stage - he deserved every bit of it. His speech was masterfully on target, explaining what Americans have lost under Bush, and why Obama and Biden are what's needed to get it back and move forward. Clinton's praise of Biden was especially meaningful, given that, on the basis of Bill's irrefutable logic, Hillary might well have been chosen as VP candidate. It was pleasure to see Bill Clinton address a crowd again. As always, his intelligence and commitment shone brightly.

Cut to the talking heads on MSNBC, CNN, and Fox. But on the small inset screen on our TV, who do my wife and I see but John Kerry. He was never a mesmerizing speaker, but, hey, he gave it a close run four years ago, and we wanted to hear what he had to say.

John Kerry probably gave the best speech of his career tonight. I actually liked it even better than Bill's. Kerry took apart the Republicans and John McCain in a way no one at the convention has done so far, in a step-by-step presentation of logic and evidence. I'm looking forward to more of this from Joe Biden.

But kudos to John Kerry for stepping up and delivering a powerhouse punch. And boos to networks for ignoring him. Cable news, here's a clue: a Presidential candidate from just four years ago is always likely to be more of value than your best talking heads.

And I'll be back after Joe Biden's speech...




See also: America Moves Up - Obama Nominated!

Infinite Regress Democratic Convention Coverage from Day Two: Patrick Buchanan on MSNBC: Hillary Will Campaign Hard for Obama, But Won't Shed Tears If He Loses ... Hillary Speaks Powerfully at Democratic Convention, in a Scene for the Ages

Infinite Regress Democratic Convention Coverage from Day One: Olbermann to Scarborough on MSNBC: "Jesus, Joe, Get a Shovel!" ... Ted Kennedy at 2008 Democratic Convention: JFK Would Be Smiling ... Michelle Obama's Speech: Bringing Home America

Obama, JFK, and the Future of Politics

I wrote on the day before Christmas about my decision to vote for Barack Obama in the New York State Democratic primary in February. My main reason was the good I think election of an African-American as our President would do for America and the world.

I also mentioned that Obama reminded me of JFK. In the aftermath of Obama's victory in Iowa, and his extraordinary speech, the JFK connection seems even more real, prominent, and important.

I was all of 13 when John F. Kennedy became President in 1960, but I remember clear as day how good that felt. Because, well, JFK - though he was in his 40s - looked and sounded as if he was part of my generation.

It's clear that Obama has that inspiring effect on people in their teens and twenties today. As many media commentators have noted, candidates have called upon and expected big turnouts from college-age voters lots of times in recent history, and were disappointed. They didn't come out for Dean in the 2004 primaries, nor for Kerry in the general election.

They are coming out for Obama.

And I think that's a wonderful sign of hope for Obama's election, and for the future.

It means that Obama's talk about change is far more than rhetoric. It is galvanizing the future of our nation, and I expect it will propel Obama to the Democratic nomination and beyond.

YouTube As A Check on Police Brutality

How many of you have seen the tasering of University of Florida student Andrew Meyer? He was tasered by police after he was pulled away from the microphone by the same police, in the middle of asking John Kerry a series of questions about why he did not contest the election results of 2004.

If you haven’t seen the video of the incident, you can see it here -



Now, I’ve actually wondered about the same thing myself - about why Kerry didn’t contest the counts in Ohio, and several other states. Given the closeness of the election, and the stakes involved with a war going on, John Kerry should have erred on the side of leaving no stone unturned or possibility at large that either deliberate or accidental miscounting cost him the election.

But that’s not the point of this post - which is, bravo to YouTube for making videos of police brutality, such as occurred with Andrew Meyer in Florida, more accessible than ever to the general public.

Video allowed the public to see the Rodney King beating - nothing the police said in its aftermath could contradict what the public was able to see with its own eyes. YouTube has taken this once step further - allowing us to see such videos without having to wait for television to show them to us. The iPhone is helping as well, by allowing people to see such videos when they are away from their desktops and laptops. All of this is by no means stopping police from trampling on First Amendment rights - but it is making it harder than ever for them to get away with it.

On the one side, we have retrograde forces like the commissioners of the FCC, and incompetent out-of-control police, who each in their ways threaten our freedom. On the other hand, we have miracles of technology, which speed us news of the FCC's misdoings, which provide immediate, irrefutable images of policy brutality and misconduct.

Perhaps for the first time in American history, these technologies have made freedom-loving people more equal to the task of combating these totalitarian thugs. At very least, they can't pretend it never happened...