The Post

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrXlY6gzTTM

Since I was a child, I have always liked to watch the movies produced by Director Steven Spielberg (SS). 'The Jaws' series had me peering at the screen from behind a thick blanket. His 'Extra-Terrestrial' (E.T.) has prepped me to watch 'Aliens' series directed by James Cameron. In turn, 'Aliens' had inspired me to dream of becoming the next Ellen Ripley (played by towering Sigourney Weaver), all trained and fit to slay/detonate some alien-demons, albeit they were just some imaginary creatures in my diminutive mind back then. As I grew older, I learnt to contemplate and agonize while watching iconic historical dramas, 'Schindler's List', 'Saving Private Ryan', 'Empire of the Sun' and 'Munich'. Along the way, I also enjoyed the thrills and frills of more movies by SS such as 'Minority Report' and his whimsical ones such as 'An American Tail' and 'The BFG'.

Picture from https://www.rte.ie/news/special-reports/2015/0122/674866-auschwitz/

But I think SS's biggest achievement is the founding of USC Shoah Foundation and the production of various documentaries such as "Broken Silence" and 'The Last Days'. As a Jew, he is giving back to his community through such massive project.

SS produced the documentary movie 'Auschwitz' in commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the annual Jewish Holocaust Remembrance Day in January 2015. As time passes, the last generation of Holocaust survivors is passing on. His documentary project has made it its mission to encapsulate the searing memories of that horrific human catastrophe in moving visuals, that stand collectively as a solemn reminder for the younger generations to come: Never Again.

"Never again" is the statement of commitment on every Holocaust Remembrance Day. As long as there is a Jew walking on earth, he stands as a perpetual reminder to the world: the day when the world had chosen to turn its back on the Jewish people as the Anti-Semitic Nazi Genocidal Machinery rolled over European soil. They hope it would never happen again.

'The Post' is SS's latest historical political drama based on Vietnam War. I haven't watched it yet. Even before it hit the big screen, the initial ban proposed by the Lebanese was enough to generate much publicity for it. For the record, I welcome the reversal of the ban by the Lebanese PM.

SS is unabashed to admit that 'The Post' is a movie with political agenda--directed to and against and for the DJT administration. See http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/entertainment/steven-spielberg-rushed-to-make-the-post-in-9-months

As much as I admire and respect SS and his works, I do have to beg to differ from his comments, at least for the sake of teaching 'Critical Reading' for my GP students.

I think journalists are a rare breed of people who would spend their every breathing moment, trying to document and analyse events in this world to the best of their knowledge and ability. They seek to be objective in their reporting and analysis. Or so they say.

Facts are facts, but they cannot be the foundation on which we build truth. No scientist, historian, doctor or theologian worth his salt would dare to make a statement such as 'the facts are the foundation of the truth'.

Why?

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Moreover, the media is chock-full of opinions, biases, different interpretations of facts and, of course, different allegiances. And this is not something new. As long as there are thinking human beings around (and not The Walking Dead), there are zillions of opinions and loyalties played out in various arenas -- government, politics, business, schools, social media, the arts and the pulpits, just to name a few.

I mean, even God has his own opinions. The Bible is full of His Opinions. And He is not about to wait for every human being on earth to agree with Him before He executes His judgement.

When one reads the above interview report about SS, one might think he is all against DJT. Maybe he is. I don't know. But do you know what's the irony?

About the state of Israel, both larger-than-life, powerful and influential men are pretty much on the same page.

Evidence (1): Remember the UN Resolution on Jerusalem? Almost the entire UN General Assembly went into a frenzy overdrive back in December 2017 when DJT made his declaration on the status of Jerusalem as wholly (east and west included) Israel's.

Evidence (2): The Arab League went into a higher vitriolic octave recently, in order to push the UN to recognise East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

Evidence (3): SS has been always been on the Arab League's blacklist of sanctioned individuals who are pro-Israel. Trust me, 'Wonder Woman' Gal Gadot is also on that list.

Evidence (4): Lebanon's top censorship board issued a ban on 'The Post' several days ago, based on the links between SS and Israel, a country with which Lebanon is still officially at war. This has been reversed by the Lebanese PM and his Interior Ministry in the last 24 hours before this writing. Why? Well, their reason: this film is about Vietnam War, which has got nothing to do with the affairs in the Middle East. (Perhaps all insinuation is lost on them. Never mind. )

So, there you have it. The two media titans may lock horns when it comes to American politics. But when it is about Israel, they are, perhaps, the best partners made in heaven and on earth. One has been meticulously producing historical movies to document the 'Holocaust'. That pretty much silences (pun not intended here) the critics who have been repudiating Holocaust as just a figment of Jewish imagination. The other one has staked his international political standing on delivering on his presidential election campaign promises, ie. to recognise Jerusalem wholly as Israel's capital.

Two different approaches, but both yield the same outcome: both SS and DJT have invited more flak, rejections and personal attacks from other naysayers and elite stakeholders as a result of their links to Israel.

Therefore, when it comes to journalism and the media I think it would do us--the ordinary consumers of news--more good if we learn to read the news and interpret the facts, yes, critically, but with a heavier dosage of humility as the days go by.

Having said all that, I encourage all to please go watch "The Post". It's about the Vietnam War, after all. :)