The article is well-written, but it seems to contain a serious flaw in its argument: what if the Stone documentary ends up being a factual, balanced account? No one is denying that the political dealings of these men were fraught with pure evil: the death tolls and ruined lives speak for themselves. However, I'm not sure what Stone is planning to tell us, but I'll suspend my disbelief and allow for the possibility that Joe McCarthy was a good father, or that Mao had a soft spot for orphaned puppies. What's the danger in showing that side?
According to Cooper, the danger is that it undermines what, by his own description, is a benevolent propaganda machine. Cooper is basically saying that people are too stupid to be granted a balanced and complete account of anything, and must be spoon-fed the correct opinions.
Let's put out a little survey. Let's test the average american's knowledge of the story of moses and compare what they believe to be the truth, to information presented in The Prince of Egypt.
ReplyDeletePeople ARE stupid.