Comments Posted By Tony Lafauce
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SECOND IN A SERIES OF SHAMELESS BLEGS FOR COLD, HARD CASH (BUMPED)
Thank you for the best essays since Charles Lamb.
Comment Posted By Tony Lafauce On 5.06.2006 @ 07:29
T.L.
I cannot take exception to the fact that last night's episode of 24 was one of the best. It makes me wonder if the next season could possibly match this season.
Comment Posted By Tony Lafauce On 16.05.2006 @ 11:31
I can take exception with Mr. Orr though, The larger than life figure of Jack Bauer is the perfect superhero is so much that it evokes in us the feeling that if it were I, I could and would do the same. I could be the unrelenting patriot that would doggedly pursue the terrorists. In that regard, "24" is the perfect model of Greek Tragedy. We achieve the same cathartic effect that Sophocles intended with Oedipus Rex and leave the drama with the feeling that there but for the grace of God go I.
Mr. Orr seems to lose the thrill of the drama searching for political relevance, common in today's pedantic journalism. As Shakespeare says, "The Plays the Thing wherein I'll capture the conscience of the King." It's about the play.
If we can remember in the day's before TV and even the Movies, people went to see a play, to see life reenacted on the stage. Where we could identify with the main character and feel relief that we would have done the same. It wasn't written to make a political statement, contrary to Mr. Orr's belief we don't watch a play or a TV drama to listen to a didactic rendition of what's wrong with the government.
In this regard I fully agree with Mr. Moran in that "24" is a modern day morality play and the writers are to be complemented with their drama of Good and Evil presented within the backdrop of today's world upheaval.
Times sure are achangin! In the good ole days of national security, there was instilled in the members of the CIA (OSS, for those over 70)or NSA, a sense of comraderie, ok, maybe it was elitism, but to receive a clearance of Top Secret meant membership in an organization that prided itself in Loyalty, Honor, Integrity and Truthfulness. Loyalty to Country and President, Honor not only to the flag and the Constitution but to each other in our closely woven community of trusted patriots dedicated to national security and to each other, we were keepers of the flame and endowed with the unblinking trust of our fellow citizens. It was a sacred trust and we wore it well.
Comment Posted By Tony Lafauce On 14.05.2006 @ 12:31
Maybe it started with Daniel Elsberg and the NYT or maybe it just started recently with Valerie Plame, but the violation of the oath taken to protect the nation's intelligence is (or was) a taboo akin to canabalism or even incest. To have been released from an intelligence organization for leaking to anyone, whether in a bar or even at home however innocently it was done, was cause for immediate dismissal and ultimate disgrace before your peers.
I am shocked at today's rational for disclosing national secrets. "It's my duty," "I felt it morallly wrong," or just that "the President and his administration are wrong." All of these excuses reek of self aggrandizement and a pathological desire to draw attention to ones self. In days past, they would have been cause for immediate dismissal and a gag on the MSM. In today's market as with Joe Wilson, national celebrity is bestowed. Shame on those who risk our national security for a few seconds of limelight.
Before giving way to the probable conclusion of this years mega adventure. I would think that we as avowed listeners and for the most part silent CTUers should meet the first obstacle before giving vent to our imaginations.
Karen Hays is vieing for the recording of Pres. Logan selling out the country for whatever reason. So much so that she is sending a crack team from CTU (probably including Curtis) to the airport to escort Jack (and his recording) back to CTU. (One suspects here that she is only too willing to take down the Pres.) Meanwhile back at the WH the noose is tightening around Logan's neck. Everyone around him suspects his duplicity. Anyway he also is sending a team of WH secret service to the airport to greet Jack when he deplanes. Here will probably be the next fire fight as overly zealous Secret Service Agents tangle with also overly zealous CTUers.
It doesn't take a brain surgeon to realize that when the smoke clears, the recording isn't goint back to Logan. Sooo my guess is it goes with Jack back to CTU.
Now what does Karen do with the proof she suddenly needed so desparately.
The probable scenarios are:
1. She and Jack and Bill to the WH to confront Logan.
2. Logan panics and decides to off himself. (Not likely considering his cowardly demeanor) 3. Mr. Big in an effort not to be implicated in the scandal (bigger than we know) has Logan wacked and packs up shop and tries to escape. 4. Henderson decides that no matter how big this whole magilla is, he is just too tired to continue running and spills the beans.
5. Mike who by now has figured this thing out (with the help of Mrs. Logan,) goes to the VP and they have Logan arrested
6. Mrs. Logan calls Aaron and rats out her husband and Aaron has the Pres. taken down only to find him hanging by his necktie from the ceiling fan.
In any event it doesn't take much gray matter to see Logan go down for the count. Except we must protect the office of the President so an elaborate plan is hatched to conseal the affair. The only remaining enigma is what in Judas Priest's name was the whole plot? My guess is (insert drum roll here) A master plot by the Internationalists is subvert the Presidency and thereby weaken the government causing panic in the streets and pandemonium is foreign affairs. A one world government would then prevail.
The final results would be thus:
Jack is reinstated at CTU, and awaits the next international crisis.
Chloe is reinstated at CTU. and awaits the next international crisis.
Bill Buchanan is reinstated at CTU. and awaits the next international crisis.
Audrey and Jack go off into the sunset happy to have found each other again.
Everyone lives happily ever after. Fin.
P.S. As our host has often said, "Anyone left alive at the end of this year will most likely be back next year."Its been a great season full of action, romance and intrigue. I especially liked watching it in HD with dynamic sound. And it was free.
Comment Posted By Tony Lafauce On 2.05.2006 @ 19:41
Maybe I didn't make myself clear, I repeat this is not a left or right issue. This is merely an issue of trust, (I think I used the word honor)I didn't mean to upset the blogosphere, what I believe is that no matter which party is in power and what the issue, I have lost trust in their capacity to do what's right. Since E. Markey broke up the Bell system (God knows why)we have had pedagogic elected officials tampering with the system for personal gain. That I mentioned Exxon. or Global Crossing or even Enron, must not be misconstrued as the only foxes in the henhouse. There are others I'm sure. For example: Tyson Foods; but make no mistake gentlemen and ladies, no matter what party is in power, they are all privy to corporate largesse. A modified spoils system.
Comment Posted By Tony Lafauce On 27.04.2006 @ 18:24
As far as the telecom companies wanting to control the internet, so too did the UN and understandably so,its a great source of revenue. I wouldn't mind a piece myself. To quote a somewhat hackneyed commercial message, "Try to think outside the box"
Aside To CosmoReaxer: "This is what you're shreiking like an anti-capitalist street protester about." If this had any merit at all, you would be the anti-capitalist. Can't you see that invoking members of the government in a free market grab would inhibit competition and un- level the playing field? In Pol Sci class we called it Fascism. The proof is in the pudding, with government controls, can we expect the cable industry to stop raking in those obscene profits and reduce prices to the consumer? The answer is emphatically no. Why should they? They have a metaphoric human shield. So too would the internet providers (if protected by congress)grab all they could for as long as they could.
Says the CosmoReaxer: "Oh No! They want to make money. How Dare they"
Comment Posted By Tony Lafauce On 27.04.2006 @ 08:54
First off. I am what many of my peers call, an extreme right winger. Just to the right of Atilla and just left of King Solomon. (I don't cut babies in half.) However there is a limit to what I call making money. A bank robber makes money. Those officials involved in the BCI scandal made money. Marc Rich made money. Lee Raymond of Exxon made money.
So just justifying inequity by scoffing "Making Money" is perjorative. It doesn't make picking the pockets of American wage earners right. However: Methinks you missed the point. It matters not to me who makes money and who doesn't, my red wagon is complicit elected officials. Those wolves in sheep's clothing that make a pretense of guarding the nation are themselves the ones we should be watching. If you see a right or left issue in this argument, you're shortsighted and not a little bit sophomoric.
Just as the leaking of CIA secrets is not about the data leaked, it is about honor and integrity and the violation of an oath. Just as Ex-President Clinton took an oath to protect the Country from outside evil. The giving of one's word is inviolable. That's what I'm talking about. Our members of Congress have a sacred duty to do what's right by the populace and not to side with the lobbies lining their pockets so that they remain in power.
Rick:
Comment Posted By Tony Lafauce On 27.04.2006 @ 07:20
Much of your column is way over my head, and I'm no techno idiot, I've tried to keep up with the technology explosion but changes in the art have wizzed by me at break neck speed. Consequently I have not so much fallen asleep as I have scrambled to keep up. When the race began it's uphill leg, I had to let it go. Thus my point, I've had to trust my elected officials to stand guard for me. It's America for God's sake, since when in this Represented Democracy have we had to stand vigilant day and night to protect ourselves from them.
As for the corporate side of the equation, we should have learned by now, that we have a market driven economy, that means the rich get richer and the poor suffer the consequences. Hence Enron, Exon-Mobil, Global Crossing,Viacom and the list goes on have impunity because they make their shareholders money. They can lobby and succeed because the office holders want to stay in office. Sometimes I think the fact that the world is tending toward socialism is the result of excesses in our market driven economy. People may be asleep but they are not that stupid.
If I remember my economics correctly the definition of Capitalism is allowing business to govern itself and let no government intervene. That would be our gatekeeper, competition. It would cause businesses to be vigilant so that their goods would outsell the other guy. And as a result, we wouldn't have to sleep with one eye open to watch them, they would naturally have to watch each other. Unfortunately that is not the case. The sad but true reality is that we not only have to watch the mega-corporations, we have to watch our own government. Is it any wonder that most of us have gone to sleep? If Congress wants to pass a bill they can do it in the wee hours just as they do when they pass on their compensation packages.
Regardless of what the talk show people say, calling our elected officials does little or nothing to sway their opinions.
I for one find some modicum of consolation in staying off the caffein and dozing whenever I get the chance, if just to avoid going mad.
As the blood begins the return trip to my brain having been drained by the last night's excitement and the impending conclusion. I have only to repeat what I said to my wife. (Who incidently is more critical of the show and Jack's antics than even Rick) (if that's possible) anyway what I keep repeating is, "It's only an adventure series, we can't keep second guessing the action and alternating from "Let's Roll" to I can't believe this." Thus we have to cut the author some literary slack. There is such a thing as literary license, taken to further the action and in the interest of time cut to the chase (no pun intended). As we adicts of "24" have come to expect, another bewildering twist is introduced, Mr. Big, some call it oil interests, but I think a little bigger in my conspiracy conjecture. The Union Jack on the limo fender reminded me immediately of international intrigue. My guess is that a society bent on world domination is behind the entire season. Of course President Logan is instrumental, 1. He is used because he is too taken with his role as President, 2. He is too stupid to realize he is being used. 3. Vanity and Pride on the order of Oedipus Rex will be his downfall as well.
Comment Posted By Tony Lafauce On 25.04.2006 @ 09:11
As for the conspiracy, my guess is the Masons or Opus Dei or even the Bilderbergers. Oil is only a means to an end, world domination is power.
J'ACCUSE: BERNSTEIN MAKES A SERIOUS CASE FOR IMPEACHMENT
There was a made for TV movie once called "My Hundred Yard Run" it was a story of a college second stringer football player who was put into the game when all hope for a win was lost. The young player quite by accident in the last minutes of what was to be a defeat, picked up a fumble in his own endzone, instinctively he ran the fumble past bewildered classmates as well as opposing players. Well needless to say our hero ran the ball in for the winning touchdown, and consequently became the home town hero, subsequent to his dubious success, he married the boss's daughter and became very successful.
Comment Posted By Tony Lafauce On 19.04.2006 @ 09:58
Well, the Watergate expose became Mr. Bernstein's "Hundred Yard Run" he became a successful reporter running on the coattails of his partner (Bob Woodward)-who picked up a fumble on his own - in the Nixon debacle only he never married the boss's daughter and has been forever looking for another fumble to recover. Pity that the antagonists of the Nixon era scandal continue to look under the bed for whatever has even the slightest hint of impropriety in government (as long as its Republican) not only to relive their fame but to resurrect it. One has to wonder just what makes a great reporter, or for that matter anything, is is talent and a quest for a greater good or is it plain luck as in a recovered fumble.
Rick: A very attractive peroration even though it reeks of the end justifying the means. The "Oil for the Lamps of China" scenario I think is a bit overworked. Is oil ever worth going to war over? Consider this; The U.S. (abiding by the left's wishes to abandon Iraq) pulls its troops. Iran then overruns Iraq and armed with WMD threatens not only Israel but Saudi Arabia as well. What then would be the world's alternative, with a rogue Jihadist state controlling 3/4 of the worlds energy? Paraphrasing Kenneth Pollack, in "Threatening Storm" If Iran (or any Islamic state) would control that much of the world's oil, we would have a nuclear winter the likes of which the world has never seen. Governments would crumble and industrialized nations would decay yielding to the demands of maniacs, with little or no value for human life. The question now is not whether or not to go to war, but when.
Comment Posted By Tony Lafauce On 18.04.2006 @ 11:17
As for President Logan seeing this far into the future to orchestrate this elaborate scheme is far fetched. My take is that his meglomanical lust for power is more the motivation for all this deceit, his spineless trait make him a pawn in an ever expanding plot to take down the government. In plain terms Pres. Logan doesn't have the cajones or the political acumen to go to war over anything. Although I believe someone else in the government does. I don't believe the entire cast of bad guys has yet to be revealed. (The other shoe?)
