[Dilmah G]

Do we have an Argo thread?

If not, here we go. Personally I was really impressed with this movie, but agree with the Washington Times' criticism of it having too many characters it doesn't develop to their full potential. That said, I think it had an amazing atmosphere and top-notch acting, especially by Affleck.

[Thaeris]

...And more let's-hate-the-Middle-East-at-a-convenient-time-propaganda...

[General Battuta]

...And more let's-hate-the-Middle-East-at-a-convenient-time-propaganda...

You are a ****ing idiot. I was going to explain why but I realize it makes no difference. There is literally no way to connect the conspiracy nut's mind to the real world.

This movie looks awesome.

e: It's kind of weird that all mention of Lord of Light was removed from the film. I can understand it probably helped the story, but damn, Lord of Light was a cool book and it would've been neat to have that historical authenticity.

[The E]

Yo, batman, that's not necessary.

[General Battuta]

I look forward to a thread about how the Obama administration funded a multi-year effort to turn a 2007 Wired Magazine article discussing the 1970s Canadian Caper, an obscure side story of the Iran hostage crisis, into a decisive masterstroke perfectly timed to get Obama re-elected and justify sending more drones to blow up weddings in Pakistan. Obama himself will hand out the Oscar for Best Picture. The conspiracy is only strengthened by the fact that this movie deals with a historical event in which the USA caused enormous trouble for itself by ****ing around in a foreign country's affair. It's a perverse kind of genius

e: This movie was in development before Obama was even elected, the conspiracy runs deep. So deep

[MP-Ryan]

Looked like a great movie, right up until you realize that it's pretty much fiction.  The role of the CIA has been vastly over-stated, and the role the Canadian ambassador and his staff played minimized to a laughable degree.

I had every intention of seeing it until I read the reviews (from historians) and then said "Nah."  Maybe I'll rent it, but it burns me to no end that yet another American intrigue movie downplays the significant roles of their allies.  It is no wonder that so many Americans know next to nothing about the world at large when your media and art seem to conspire to make everything seem like the US does all this **** on its own.

It's also hilarious that Affleck claims he had no idea, when a large number of Canadian high school students could tell you - in basic terms, anyway - the role Canada played in the Iran hostage crisis.

[General Battuta]

The British ambassadorial staff also gets shafted, iirc

[MP-Ryan]

Can't say I'm surprised.

[StarSlayer]

'murrica glazes over failures in our history in public school.

**** Yeah

[Scotty]

It's also hilarious that Affleck claims he had no idea, when a large number of Canadian high school students could tell you - in basic terms, anyway - the role Canada played in the Iran hostage crisis.

Well, naturally they'd be taught the role their own country played in the event.  Not sure why this is hilarious.

[MP-Ryan]

It's also hilarious that Affleck claims he had no idea, when a large number of Canadian high school students could tell you - in basic terms, anyway - the role Canada played in the Iran hostage crisis.

Well, naturally they'd be taught the role their own country played in the event.  Not sure why this is hilarious.

It's hilarious that a grown man who attended the University of Vermont and studied Middle-Eastern affairs can be shown up on knowledge in his field by high-school aged children.

[Luis Dias]

It's called propaganda, MP. Even high-school canadians may be themselves victims of it.

However, the high point remains. Even if Affleck didn't remember his lessons, he ought to have some update on his readings, since he's oh so political and oh so opinionated in Maher's show.

[Dilmah G]

It's also hilarious that Affleck claims he had no idea, when a large number of Canadian high school students could tell you - in basic terms, anyway - the role Canada played in the Iran hostage crisis.

Well, naturally they'd be taught the role their own country played in the event.  Not sure why this is hilarious.

It's hilarious that a grown man who attended the University of Vermont and studied Middle-Eastern affairs can be shown up on knowledge in his field by high-school aged children.

Did he really claim he had no idea? I thought it was a conscious decision on his part.

[karajorma]

I look forward to a thread about how the Obama administration funded a multi-year effort to turn a 2007 Wired Magazine article discussing the 1970s Canadian Caper, an obscure side story of the Iran hostage crisis, into a decisive masterstroke perfectly timed to get Obama re-elected and justify sending more drones to blow up weddings in Pakistan. Obama himself will hand out the Oscar for Best Picture. The conspiracy is only strengthened by the fact that this movie deals with a historical event in which the USA caused enormous trouble for itself by ****ing around in a foreign country's affair. It's a perverse kind of genius

e: This movie was in development before Obama was even elected, the conspiracy runs deep. So deep

It wasn't in development before the US started posturing over a possible attack on Iran though, was it?

It's perfectly possible that Thaeris was referring to that and therefore that your rant is completely off the mark.

Seriously though, tone down the ad hominems. I've been somewhat relaxed about banning people for them recently and I don't particularly want to have to start again.

[General Battuta]

It's perfectly possible that Thaeris was referring to that and therefore that your rant is completely off the mark.

Nah, he's been banging this particular drum about the 2012 election for a while. IIRC he even suggested the US government had its own employees in Benghazi killed.