Discovery Channel Drops Plans To Air ‘Taxi To The Dark Side’ Because It Is Too ‘Controversial’
Discovery Channel Drops Plans To Air ‘Taxi To The Dark Side’ Because It Is Too ‘Controversial’
Taxi to the Dark Side, a documentary about an innocent Afghan taxi driver tortured to death by U.S. officials at Bagram Air Base, has received wide critical acclaim since its debut in April at the Tribeca Film Festival. The New York Times’s A.O. Scott said, “If recent American history is ever going to be discussed with the necessary clarity and ethical rigor, this film will be essential.”
Director Alex Gibney agreed to sell the rights of Taxi to the Discovery Channel because executives convinced him they would “give the film a prominent broadcast.” Now, however, Discovery has dropped its plans to air the documentary because the film is too controversial. Gibney responded to the news in a press release this week:
Now, I am told that ‘it doesn’t fit into Discovery’s plans,’ and that the film’s controversial content might damage Discovery’s public offering.
Having directed ‘Enron,’ very little about this kind of corporate behavior shocks me, but I am surprised that a network that touts itself as a supporter of documentaries would be so shamelessly craven. This is a film that, in an election year, is of critical interest to the viewing public. What Discovery is doing is tantamount to political censorship.
It’s ironic that Taxi’s content is too “controversial,” considering it depicts real acts perpetrated by the current Bush administration. In an interview with the Center for American Progress, Gibney noted that Americans are excited about dramatizations of torture, such as in the show 24, but uncomfortable “with the reality of torture.” Listen to the interview here:
As Gibney added in the press release, “In refusing to air the film, Discovery is perpetuating what has become the policy of this government: it is ok to employ torture, just not to show it.”
Transcript:
GIBNEY: We know that “24″ is a very popular show, and, you know, week after week after week, Jack Bauer would brutally torture people. In fact, we have a couple of clips from “24″ in the film “Taxi to the Dark Side.” Some people seem to get off on that. It’s kind of natural, I suppose, feeling of revenge and retribution for what happened to us on 9/11. Jack Bauer in our names can go and really brutalize the enemies of America.
But I think it is true that some Americans are uncomfortable with the reality of torture, or perhaps, it’d be fair to say, too comfortable with torture without really understanding what it means. I think everyone was horrified by the pictures at Abu Gharib. But there is for some people, I think, a willingness to say, look, let them do what has to be done, so long as it protects us. But as Alberto Mora, former General Counsel for the Navy says in the film, we fight not only to defend our lives, we fight to defend our principles. So it remains to be seen.
I do think that mood is changing, and I do think there are a lot of people who are just furious at what’s been done in our name, and also when they realize how deeply ineffective it is. That’s one thing that people don’t really get. Torture, even though the Bush administration never uses that word, they say “We don’t do torture,” because they define it out of existence. But what you learn about torture — and this administration has authorized torture, there’s no question about it — is torture is deeply ineffective and unreliable.
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The propagandists got an early start in this thread.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:20 pmWe know ABC won’t air it because contains fact and reality.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:20 pmWell that’s too bad, but there’s always the even smaller market of HDNet, Mark Cuban’s company.
He’s such a Maverick!! /snark
February 8th, 2008 at 1:21 pmRemember, it’s not a sin if you don’t let anyone talk about it.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:21 pmFrank thinks that real events are “liberal propaganda”.
Well, it is true that reality has a liberal bias. So perhaps he’s correct.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:23 pmThese days, controversial = anything damaging to the Bush administration.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:23 pmComment by good_golly — February 8, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
February 8th, 2008 at 1:24 pmIn its place discovery is going to show Rambo III with chimpy’s face photoshoped over stallone,s.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:24 pmGiGi seems to think that commercial success at the box office demonstrates the worth of a film. In that case, she is indirectly touting the value of Fahrenheit 9/11, An Inconvenient Truth and Sicko.
Well done, GiGi.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:24 pmNot about liberal propaganda.
Comment by Frank M — February 8, 2008 @ 1:18 pm
Thanks for admitting that facts and reality are “liberal propaganda”.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:26 pmAmericans are (in the judgment of their masters) too emotionally soft for the truth. It de-sheeples them too much. Can’t let reality get in the way of those advertisers’ bottom lines now, can we?
February 8th, 2008 at 1:26 pmDoes Discovery still hold the rights to the film after not showing it?
February 8th, 2008 at 1:26 pm(2+2=4) = Liberal Propaganda, if you’re a wild-eyed incoherent Righty.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:27 pmyou really don’t deserve to live in a free country frank.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:28 pmAmerican media showing the truth, no matter how much it disagrees with the established corporate line??
That myth is totally busted!
February 8th, 2008 at 1:28 pm#15 - “The fact is that the interpretation of the events and how they are presented is going to be very anti-war and very anti-US. That’s liberal propaganda.” Comment by Frank M — February 8, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
Wow! Now the TRUTH is “liberal propoganda”!
What are conservatives going to do about the truth now? Shove their heads further into the sand?
February 8th, 2008 at 1:28 pmOops, the Discovery Channel almost “discovered” a little Bush torture and murder, but like all the major corporate media, they happily cover up Bush lies, Bush torture, Bush electronically-stolen elections, Bush fascism, Bush greed, Bush arrogance, Bush stupidity and Bush treason for the last eight years… Sieg Heils all around…
February 8th, 2008 at 1:29 pm#15: As it should be. Why do you guys have a problem with the truth?
February 8th, 2008 at 1:29 pmMedia grovels and licks Bush’s boots clean once again.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:30 pmY’all, don’t bother with Frank M, he’s an admitted Fascist.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:31 pmDuring the FISA debate Monday or Tuesday Jeff Sessions said no one died in our custody under suspicious circumstances. (Only sick or old, so he said.)
February 8th, 2008 at 1:31 pmHow about the Court Channel?
Or Bravo?
February 8th, 2008 at 1:32 pmFrank M,
February 8th, 2008 at 1:33 pmAre you okay with anything that is pro-war and conservative propaganda? Is it always right to show them on tv?
Y’all, don’t bother with Frank M, he’s an admitted Fascist.
Comment by Zooey
And a masochist too.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:33 pmAccording to the Pentagon about 95 people died in our custody.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:34 pm#7: It doesn’t matter if it depicts real events or not. The fact is that the interpretation of the events and how they are presented is going to be very anti-war and very anti-US. That’s liberal propaganda.
Comment by Frank M Jake — February 8, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
And there you go, folks. It doesn’t matter if it happened according to shakey Jake. Just sweep it under the rug, and call it anti-US, and everything will be okay.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:34 pmBut least we forget, an innocet man was tortured and murdered!
How can we be so outraged of the brutal murders of American soldiers, and so complacent over the murders of foreigners?
Don’t worry, ABC will air a remake of the movie in which the taxi driver is a terrorist working with bin Laden. In the remake, several American military officers on the ground in Afghanistan, working with leaders of the Northern Alliance, the Afghan rebel group, move in to capture the taxi driver, only to allow him to escape after the mission is canceled by Clinton officials in Washington. The taxi driver goes on to become one of the 911 hijackers.
It should be very exciting.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:35 pmso, now the Discovery Channel wants to protect the cheney/bush criminal enterprise!
i’m so fu(king disgusted by this crap!
February 8th, 2008 at 1:36 pmBy the way, shakey Jake, have you seen the documentary? Because you really shouldn’t critic a film (or book) before actually seeing it!
February 8th, 2008 at 1:36 pmThe fact is that the interpretation of the events and how they are presented is going to be very anti-war and very anti-US.
frank M
Anti war is NOT Anti US you unpatriotic scumbag. Those of us who are against this war are not anti-US. We care deeply about our country and we’r tired of you cowards questioning our patriotism everytime we exerise our first amendment rights. That’s why dems are getting record numbers of voters in the primaries.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:36 pmComment by Oval12345678 aka James K. Sayre — February 8, 2008 @ 1:29 pm
But Chimpy told us that “We do not torture.” Was he lying or is the movie a lie? What? It’s a DOCUMENTARY? Oooooooh. How inconvenient.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:36 pmHe sold ALL rights - or just the right to broadcast it a few times?
February 8th, 2008 at 1:37 pmAccording to the Pentagon about 95 people died in our custody.
Comment by Keith — February 8, 2008 @ 1:34 pm
Do they use the same math they use for the Iraq battlefield deaths and casualty lists? If so, its probably 5 - 10 times that.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:37 pm#15, Frank M is the kind of guy who’d cover up child sexual abuse in his family rather than report it.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:38 pmthere are other cable outlets. one of them should pick it up.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:38 pmThe preznit completely flopped in the White House as well. Complete failure.
Comment by goon_goony — February 8, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
There. Fixed it for you.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:39 pmbtw, and OT - the Dow’s tanking again today, because THAT’s what happens when republican’ts are in charge. THAT is the “success” of the cheerleader prince’s ongoing criminal enterprise.
congratulations righties. you’ve made it to 100% failure, and it only took 30 years of outright lying and cheating to accomplish it. man, you guys are good.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:39 pm#15, Frank M is the kind of guy who’d cover up child sexual abuse in his family rather than report it.
Comment by PeterW
If he exposed it, he’d go to jail.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:39 pmWhat are conservatives going to do about the truth now? Shove their heads further into the sand?
Comment by Democrat Soldier — February 8, 2008 @ 1:28 pm
it’s not sand they’re shoving their heads into.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:39 pmThe Pentagon says that over 90% of the thousands of people we had in custody in Iraq were innocent and later released.
They were probably radicalized after the treatment they went through in places such as Abu Ghraib.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:40 pmDamn, anyone have the address or phone number to contact the Bozos at Discovery?
February 8th, 2008 at 1:40 pmDiscovery didn’t have a time slot for it, they’re too busy recycling shark shows and blowing up manikens.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:45 pmGibney’s fault. Discovery is run by Billy Campbell, A HUGE moneyman for the right wing. They bought it to bury it
February 8th, 2008 at 1:46 pmDamn, anyone have the address or phone number to contact the Bozos at Discovery?
Comment by ronlawhouston — February 8, 2008 @ 1:40 pm
Here’s a start.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:47 pmTaxi to the Dark Side…was it going to pick up Frank?
February 8th, 2008 at 1:47 pmDiscovery Channel?
This doc seems a much more natural choice for HBO or Showtime.
But I assume that whatever Discovery does, it doesn’t change when and how the film comes out on DVD where it’s more likely to be seen anyway.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:47 pmThis doc seems a much more natural choice for HBO or Showtime.
Comment by Viking
I was thinking maybe the Travel Channel.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:49 pmHBO is now running ‘Baghdad Hospital - Inside the Red Zone’
This doesn’t involve just one taxi driver, it shows young & old coming in to Baghdad Hospital for wound & trauma treatment.
Not pretty. But then, Bush’s invasion isn’t pretty to anyone but stuffed Rightards chomping cigars & blowing it out their ass.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:50 pmWhy do reich-wingers hate the truth?
February 8th, 2008 at 1:51 pmSome contact info and comments section:
http://www.mediaowners.com/company/discovery.html
Web Site: http://www.discovery.com/corporate/
Telephone: 240.662.2000
Fax: 240.662.1868
Address: 1 Discovery Place
February 8th, 2008 at 1:51 pmSilver Spring MD 20910
USA
In an interview with the Center for American Progress, Gibney noted that Americans are excited about dramatizations of torture, such as in the show 24, but uncomfortable “with the reality of torture.â€
Let’s rephrase that statement so it’s more accurate:
In an interview with the Center for American Progress, Gibney noted that cowardly right-wing, war-loving, draft-dodging chickenhawk Americans are sexually excited about dramatizations of torture, such as in the show 24, and are therefore quite comfortable “with the reality of torture.â€
Just saying . . .
February 8th, 2008 at 1:52 pm#54, because they’re pathogens, and sunlight is the best disinfectant.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:52 pmAnti war is NOT Anti US
Comment by Bobwurst — February 8, 2008 @ 1:36 pm
It is, if you’re a warmongering fascist who needs violence to feed an undernourished sense of self-worth.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:53 pmMore truth the right can’t handle:
Iraqi women must cover hair, skip blush — or else
This is NOT progress.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:54 pm#15 - “The fact is that the interpretation of the events and how they are presented is going to be very anti-war and very anti-US. That’s liberal propaganda.†Comment by Frank M — February 8, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
Being “anti-war” is now “anti-American”?????
Oh, how I long for the days when this country was populated by sane, rational human beings that understood three little words: War. Is. Bad.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:54 pmPS: the movie is/will be playing in 14 states. Not bad for an indie documentary.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:56 pmPersonally, I think that Frank M was a beaten and cowered little boy.
He’s merely making up for confidence lost, at the expense of braver and more motivated Americans in his stead.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:59 pmBut least we forget, an innocent man was tortured and murdered!
How can we be so outraged of the brutal murders of American soldiers, and so complicet over the murders of foreigners?
Comment by DRxJ — February 8, 2008 @ 1:34 pm
But Frank M is the same mindset that applauded when innocent Pagans were burned at the stake, innocent people accused of being Commies were electrocuted, Students protesting in Ohio were shot, Mi Lai Villagers were shot, Innocent Panamanians were burned alive, innocent Arabs were raped and tortured, Palestinians simply going to work are shot, and innocent African-Americans were hung for looking at a white girl.
With all of these mass shootings in the last week, I think our society has reached a saturation point. The Militarization of our culture has such dire consequences. Lies, War, Corruption, Outsourced jobs, crumbling economy, horrible music and art, and the false illusion of Left vs Right.
Same mindset, different times, same reaction, same excuses.
Frank M….People like yourself make me ashamed of belonging to the same species.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:01 pmFrank M : Refusing to face the consequences of your mistakes indicates a profound lack of maturity.
Progressives want a mature America that recognizes when we make a bad decision, and learns to avoid repeating it.
You want a child-like fantasy America where your daddy is your perfect shining hero and can do no wrong.
I grant you that reality isn’t always pleasant, but the alternative is far more dangerous.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:03 pmNothing wrong with fascism. Hitler only gave it a bad name.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:04 pmComment by Frank M — February 2, 2008 @ 12:48 pm
‘Taxi To The Dark Side’ dvd available through Netflix. It’s in my “saved” queue. Release date unknown.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:05 pmYou’re a Nazi, Frank. What you say means shit.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:06 pmNothing wrong with fascism. Hitler only gave it a bad name.
Comment by Frank M — February 2, 2008 @ 12:48 pm
What kinda name did Mussolini and Franco give it?
February 8th, 2008 at 2:06 pmI see that our right wing correspondents here continue to equate “liberal propaganda” with truth. Fine by me.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:10 pmThe good thing is that God has SEEN the EVIL acts of TORTURE and GENOCIDE by the Bush WAR CRIMINALS. And HEARS their LIES.
And he will judge them accordingly.
When TRAITOR Bush DROPS DEAD and goes home to hell with his MASTER Satan, Saddam and TRAITOR Ronnie Reagan.
the WORLD will CELEBRATE the demise of this EVIL gone HOME.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:11 pmjust the same as NO Tv stations in America have played Farenheit 911
just shows that Bush is controlling the entire media in the US
February 8th, 2008 at 2:14 pmBush’s MASTER Satan is gonna TORTURE him for ETERNITY.
SMASH the little punk’s face every SECOND for EVER and EVER.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
February 8th, 2008 at 2:18 pmWas it Genocide, did we kill thousands of Taliban that had Surrendered
8000 Taliban killed by the US in Trucks with NO AIR
MURDERED
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=699_1198279617
February 8th, 2008 at 2:21 pmI am rather disapponted with Discovery Channel over this one. Is the media so terrified of “controversy” that they have abandoned their mission?
If it were a pro-Bush, pro-war, pro-torture documentary, would there be the same concern about “controversy”? Sounds like they’re only worried about offending conservatives and care nothing about anyone else.
Hey, Discovery…. do you really think that you would lose viewers by broadcasting this documentary? If so, remember that Republicans don’t believe in evolution either and think that it is “controversial”. So are you gonna pull all those dinosaur shows and other science shows that are “biased” towards evolution?
February 8th, 2008 at 2:24 pmThe fact is that the interpretation of the events and how they are presented is going to be very anti-war and very anti-US. That’s liberal propaganda.
Comment by Frank M — February 8, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
I see. And how would you spin the beating to death of an innocent man by American soldiers to be “pro-U.S.”?
February 8th, 2008 at 2:25 pmIs the media so terrified of “controversyâ€
Bush controls all the media in America
still no commercial TV channel has ever played Michaels Moores Farenheit 911 in America , every country in Europe has seen his film on TV at least 3 times
February 8th, 2008 at 2:27 pmWhen a film like this present a narrow and limited one sided view and context it becomes propoganda just like Redacted….another miserable failure BTW.
Comment by Tracy2 — February 8, 2008 @ 2:19 pm
Why is it that whenever somebody does a documentary on facts embarrassing to the neocons, it’s labeled “propaganda”?
OK — in the interest of being fair, please present your side. First, tell YOUR side of the story of Diliwar, the Afghan taxi driver, being beaten to death by American soldiers while in custody at the Bagram military detention center.
Next, tell YOUR side of the Mahmudiyah killings, which were depicted in “Redacted”.
I will be interested to see which tack you take when doing this. It will probably be one of these:
1) Claim that the information in both movies consists of nothing but blatant lies.
2) Concede that the information in both movies consists of the truth, but play down the magnitude of it — saying “it wasn’t as bad as it’s made out to be”.
3) Concede that the information is both movies consists of the truth, but claim that the taxi driver and the Iraqi family deserved what they got, because they are “the enemy” (either that, or just dismiss them as “collateral damage”).
4) Claim that “Clinton did it, too!” or the equivalent.
I’ll wait. I suspect that you haven’t seen either picture, so you probably have to consult a few wingnut sites to get the proper soundbites for your response.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:39 pmWhen a film like this present a narrow and limited one sided view and context it becomes propoganda just like Redacted….another miserable failure BTW.
Comment by Tracy2(because 1 Tracy wasn’t enough) — February 8, 2008 @ 2:19 pm
Have you seen the film?
February 8th, 2008 at 2:40 pmFarenheit 911 was on regular Canadian broadcast tv.
Hey Discovery channel, better not show anything about the earth revolving around the sun—or the earth being 4.5 billion years old—or the universe being 13.5 billion years old–or there being 100 billion other planets—might upset some conservatives.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:41 pmAs Michael Moore pointed out on Larry King the other night, Fahrenheit 911 has never been shown on any commercial television network in the United States while it has been shown in every other industrial nation.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:42 pm“It doesn’t matter if it depicts real events or not. The fact is that the interpretation of the events and how they are presented is going to be very anti-war and very anti-US. That’s liberal propaganda”
What is the non-liberal “interpretation” and “presentation” of the real torture of an innocent? I know its hard for you sorts, but try to remember 24 is not real, its a fictional tv show.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:44 pmFrank M.: “how they are presented is going to be very anti-war…”
70% of the American public today describe themselves as “anti-war.” Therefore the corporate media flouts the will of the people. Since they enjoy natural monopolies on cable and free public airwaves on broadcast bands, I’m hoping Dems will take a long look at media re-regulation after they take supermajorities in congress this year.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:45 pmNothing wrong with fascism. Hitler only gave it a bad name.
Comment by Frank M — February 2, 2008 @ 12:48 pm
Comment by marlow — February 8, 2008 @ 2:04 pm
Thanks, marlow — I’d forgotten about this little gem Frank M posted a few days ago. Does anybody know if Frank ever gave us an example of somebody who gave fascism a “good name”?
February 8th, 2008 at 2:45 pmToo controversial?!?!
What’s the controversy? Did it happen or not?
February 8th, 2008 at 2:47 pmNothing wrong with fascism. Hitler only gave it a bad name.
Comment by Frank M — February 2, 2008 @ 12:48 pm
What kinda name did Mussolini and Franco give it?
Comment by Keith
Mussolini gave it the name fascism. Jonah Goldberg is currently trying to give fascism the name socialism, but I don’t think it is going to stick.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:48 pmWhat’s the controversy?
Comment by ArtZ
It shows the Bush administration for the monsters they are.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:49 pmDoes anybody know if Frank ever gave us an example of somebody who gave fascism a “good name�
Comment by missmolly
Certainly not Bush or Cheney.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:53 pmcomments@discovery.ca
February 8th, 2008 at 2:53 pmcomments@discovery.com
Nothing wrong with fascism. Hitler only gave it a bad name.
Comment by Frank M — February 2, 2008 @ 12:48 pm
What kinda name did Mussolini and Franco give it?
Comment by Keith
Mussolini gave it the name fascism. Jonah Goldberg is currently trying to give fascism the name socialism, but I don’t think it is going to stick.
Comment by shoeless — February 8, 2008 @ 2:48 pm
The point is, Fascism is about as un-American as you can get. The moral imperative in fascism is for the strong to victimize the weak. In a Fascist “Magnificent Seven”, Yul Brenner would be raping the women while the other six were burning and plundering.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:56 pmDon’t really care what Franco called it, but hehobbled and impoverished Spain for all the years he governed it.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:58 pmPerhaps we can piggyback on this protest against the Discovery Channel, happening from February 15-23:
http://www.savetheplanetprotest.com/protest.htm
February 8th, 2008 at 2:59 pmInconvenient TRUTHs are always controversial….and Disney is a conservative corporate purveyor of innocuous fluff. The stuff that doesn’t really inform the voting populace to insure that we don’t vote for the wrong person.
Keep them ignorant and too poor to have time and energy for anything but work, propaganda and pap.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:59 pmAlso, can’t Gibney sue the network for breach of contract?
February 8th, 2008 at 3:00 pmGod SEES the EVIL you have done, TRAITORS Bush and Cheney.
Bush did a “prayer breakfast” the other day.
He better PRAY that his MASTER Satan is not too CRUEL to him, as he has been to others here.
TRAITOR Ronnie Reagan is now DEAD and BURNING for ETERNITY for his LIES and GENOCIDE.
You aszlicking supporters of this MURDERER better REPENT
February 8th, 2008 at 3:03 pmThanks, marlow — I’d forgotten about this little gem Frank M posted a few days ago. Does anybody know if Frank ever gave us an example of somebody who gave fascism a “good name�
Comment by missmolly — February 8, 2008 @ 2:45 pm
February 8th, 2008 at 3:13 pmBy God, you’re right! He never did! Herr Kapitan Frank? Ya out there?
I think PeterW’s child-molester analogy with respect to Frank is dead on. The approach taken by conservatives toward the Bush Administration’s actions (torture, illegally spying on American citizens, etc.) is identical to the Catholic Church’s approach regarding child-molesting priests.
February 8th, 2008 at 3:26 pmDamn, anyone have the address or phone number to contact the Bozos at Discovery?
Comment by ronlawhouston — February 8, 2008 @ 1:40 pm
Discovery Communications
0ne Discovery Place, Silver Spring, MD 20910
(240) 662-2000
http://corporate.discovery.com/executives/executives.html
February 8th, 2008 at 3:38 pmPeople should call their cable operator and demand Discovery be dropped from their package and let them know why. Don’t threaten to leave or anything just tell them you don’t think Discovery is worthy of being offered in the basic package.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:12 pmComment by missmolly — February 8, 2008 @ 2:45 pm
By God, you’re right! He never did! Herr Kapitan Frank? Ya out there?
Comment by marlow — February 8, 2008 @ 3:13 pm
frank loves hitler and mussolini, thought they got a raw deal.
February 8th, 2008 at 4:42 pmI’ve got a plug for it here.
Money quote (frm a review in the S.F. Cronk):
“If it weren’t bad enough to be reminded that this crew of government officials found the Geneva Conventions “quaint” and “vague,” Gibney presents rounds of interviews with conservative Republicans and intelligence officers who conclude that not only did the United States commit war crimes in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, it did so without gleaning much intelligence. The film notes that of the hundreds of prisoners detained since September 2006 by U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, only 1 percent have been convicted. Meanwhile, of the more than 100 deaths in U.S. custody, 37 have been officially declared homicides by the U.S. military.”
Cheers,
February 8th, 2008 at 5:23 pmGood. Discovery channel should be about education and information. Not about liberal propaganda.
Comment by Frank M — February 8, 2008 @ 1:18 pm
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I’m guessing you haven’t seen this film. I saw it on broadcast TV in the UK. It is a straightforward documentary. It is not “liberal propaganda”. It makes the US look very bad simply because it is honest about what is going on.
The really annoying thing here is that Discovery has bought the rights to the film and that will make it harder for the film to be viewed elsewhere.
It’s too bad that media corporations prefer peddling lies over “controversial” truth. In a just world, this attitude would lead to a massive legal retaliation.
February 8th, 2008 at 6:18 pmZappatero: During the FISA debate Monday or Tuesday Jeff Sessions said no one died in our custody under suspicious circumstances. (Only sick or old, so he said.)
And after all, who are you going to believe, Jeff Sessions or your own lying eyes?
February 8th, 2008 at 6:48 pmIt was naive to think Discovery Channel would ever air this documentary. They are a spin-off of Liberty Media. The chair of Liberty Media is the CEO of Discovery Holding Corp. Liberty Media is the largest shareholder in Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. They bought the rights to Taxi in order to bury it.
February 8th, 2008 at 9:00 pmHere’s the place to leave a comment. Keep it clean.
http://www.mediaowners.com/company/discovery.html
February 8th, 2008 at 11:31 pmAmy Goodman interviewed filmmaker Alex Gibney on February 1st of this year. You can view the interview and some clips taken from Taxi to the Dark Side at http://www.democracynow.org/ 2008/ 2/ 1/ taxi_to_the_dark_side_oscar
February 9th, 2008 at 7:03 am“Considering you seem to have seen these films, do you think that they accuately give both sides of the story?”
Thanks for your tacit admission that you HAVEN’T seen the movies you criticize as propaganda. Too bad you still felt it necessary to criticize them because the comments on this thread led you to believe that the films depict events that don’t fit easily into your worldview. Here’s a thought - how about keeping your mouth shut about a topic when you know nothing about it? I know that’s anathema to most right-wingers, but you’d come out looking less a tool if you practiced it every now and again.
February 9th, 2008 at 11:32 amI have actually seen this film, unlike, apparently, the wingnuts posting here that love fascism. Much of the film is interviews with American soldiers. Why do wingnuts hate American soldiers so?
That rather answers itself. It is because wingnuts are chickenhawks. They just like to see other people get killed, or in this case, imprisoned for carrying out orders, as long as they never get near the front lines.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:00 pmI am disturbed that some Americans think that torturing innocent people to death is acceptable and ok. Amazing how they dont see the hypocrisy. We think people who kill innocent people are evil, unless its us doing the killing..then its wonderful. There are some really sick people in America. Innocent is innocent. And MURDER is MURDER. I wonder how they would feel if the US TORTURED and MURDERED their children.
February 9th, 2008 at 2:08 pmPeople who support this torture stuff are no different than the average German civilian of world war 2…..totally accepting any and all war crimes and crimes against humanity.”They hate us because we are free” is nonsense . America is hated because all the evil things that she destroys other Nations for, she does herself.
Remember in the 80’s when the Islamic radicals were trained, armed and financed by the US? They were killing Russians with terrorism..but they were the “Good Guys”. Obviously terrorism against Russians is “good” and terrorism against Americans is “bad” . If you really had a war against terrorism..then all terrorism should be bad.
Now the facts are called liberal propaganda. That has to be from a dittohead.
It amazes me that rightwing posters like to talk about Jack Bauer. He is everything that you are not.
February 10th, 2008 at 9:09 amFacts as Liberal Propaganda? You know I consider myself somewhat intelligent. I’ve watched plenty of “political” documentaries and I’m smart enough to know when I’m shown something out of context in films such as these, that it’s done to illicit certain emotions or reactions. Both Left and Right biased documetaries do this. However, you can’t really bias the facts. The facts don’t have emotion. It’s like someone elses comment above. Did we detain, torture and kill this taxi driver or didn’t we? Was he innocent or wasn’t he? Is torture legal or illegal? The answers to those questions are the facts and it doesn’t matter if you sit left, right or in the center.
February 10th, 2008 at 2:31 pmIt is amazing that when a Gang Of Pirates commit war crimes (to say nothing of the whole list of other crimes) that anyone would accuse the person noting the war crimes, of hating the folks who were the first victims of those pirates. Talking about the monsters, is not an attack on the nation or populace they are controlling.
The GOP is not America, just as Saddam was never Iraq, or Hitler Germany. For the criminal (or his apologist) to wrap themselves in the Flag, like a bully who hides behind his mother’s skirts, as a means of deflecting justified outrage, is itself not only another outrage, but so cravenly cowardly as is beyond pathetic.
Americans do NOT torture, but some criminals, be they Mafia, rogue cops, or other sorts of monsters who happen to be Americans do. We cannot always bring such criminals to justice, but the vast majority of Americans wold want it to be so, if they knew about it and were able to do so. As long as such Americans are alive and the criminals also, it is not over.
For anyone to equate outing criminals with attacking America, they hoist themselves on their own petard as they are declaring themselves with the criminals and against anything actually American.
February 10th, 2008 at 3:30 pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=in5OhVNCokc
Also does that
February 10th, 2008 at 4:28 pmThe pulitzer prize winning “Looming Tower” describes how one of the Al Queada team that blew up the USS Cole was “broken” during interrogation: an arabic-speaking agent came in with graphic photos of 9/11 and argued, for three days, that the WTC attack violated Islamic prohibitions against murdering civilians.
Eventually, the deeply religious suspect started cooperating.
Was some coercion involved? Sure, same as goes on in any precinct house in the US. But the naked power of the moral argument had an impact — same as the US used to great effect against the Bolsheviks in the cold war.
Torture is the method of a failed government.
February 11th, 2008 at 5:04 amcontact info / phone number for Discovery
as stated above, their telephone number is 240.662.2000
even once you call, it’s hard to know where to go, especially if you call after hours.
INSTRUCTIONS to reach Discovery CEO David Zaslav: PUSH 9 to get to directory; push 9275 to get David Zaslav
February 13th, 2008 at 12:46 amI’ve just e-mailed the company and suggested they change their name, since “discovery” hardly fits if they buy a documentary only because they want to suppress it. I suggested they re-brand as The Censorship Network. Can anyone think of something better?
February 14th, 2008 at 1:08 amWhere did this guy Frank come from….so all of the sudden caring for innocent people is liberal…..Discovery needs to have anyone who disagrees with this decision call them
February 14th, 2008 at 6:09 pmdoes anyone have an e-mail for them…I have looked everywhere for this on their site and I am not successful.
Mir
February 14th, 2008 at 6:12 pmTo state that this documentary is liberal propaganda is to not understand what propaganda is in the first place. Propaganda is state controlled media. This documentary was not created or funded by the government, but it is being controlled by the corporate media from airing. Therefore it can not be propaganda. I don’t understand why any conservative would object to airing a documentary about torture. If you think you’re in the right you have nothing to worry about.
February 15th, 2008 at 5:24 amHere’s the response that I got from Discovery Communications after leaving a message regarding the film.
“Hello, this message is for ____. ____ my name is ___ and I’m calling from Discovery Communications. Your relations and your response to your inquiry about ‘Taxi to the Dark Side.’ Um, Discovery has every intent of airing ‘Taxi to the Dark Side,’ but we have a multitude of sister networks and we have not yet decided which network that will air on so we do not have an air date.
Um, We…have…we do have the rights to that film. We have a great affection for that film. We have several networks under, um, Discovery networks. There was an error in advertising when it said Discovery would air it. We are not trying to withhold information or censoring anything. We just have not chosen a date or network for that program to be aired. Thank you for your concern and for calling us. Have a great day. Bye.”
This issue seems like a moot point now that Discovery has sold the rights to HBO, except that their response sounds dishonest. HBO is not a “sister network” of Discovery as far as I can tell. Does anyone know otherwise? If the allegations are true — that Discovery dropped the film because it was too controversial — I’d like to know from where and from whom the pressure was coming.
February 25th, 2008 at 5:57 pm