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wxwalsh
Reviews
The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz (2014)
Tries to make a martyr out of Swartz....
No argument here that Aaron Swartz was a genius.
But the position this movie is putting forward is that he is some kind of Hero or Martyr, and blame the government and the prosecution for this suicide.
The ONLY person responsible for his suicide is Aaron himself.
He committed a crime for which he was being legitimately prosecuted. He committed said crime KNOWING it was a crime, and the intent of making a statement about open access. I can respect that. I disagree with his methods, but I can respect that.
But when you commit an act of criminal civic disobedience, you should do so accepting that you will most likely pay the price for that action.
Let me say that again.
Those who choose to engage in civil disobedience must be willing to face the consequences.
Swartz was offered a plea deal that would have required a prison term of only four to six months. A slap on the wrist.
I fear "documentaries" such as this that go so far to present one very very slanted view of a situation actually do a huge disservice to the public. And this one does very little to openly present the facts that show there is more to this story than a "hero" whiz kid who was being "bullied" by the big bad prosecution, until he was "forced" to take his own life.
The Newsroom (2012)
Aaron Sorkin does it again
For 7 seasons, Sorkin brought us a compelling drama called The West Wing. The show, while having a decidedly liberal slant, was a hit even with conservatives such as myself. Why? Because despite the politics, the characters he created and brought to life were the type of principled people that all of us want to believe our politicians are in real life. Compelling people of conviction, who put what's right over ideology.
In The Newsroom, he has once again brought the same dynamic into play. With characters who are every bit as compelling and believable as the ones he brought us in The West Wing, and with story lines that are engaging, torn from the headlines (quite literally), he has given us a new show where the kind of idealism and conviction to do what is right over what is expedient once again prevails.
The show is not about the political leanings, just as The West Wing was not about them. And anyone who gets caught up in the fact that Sorkin is more comfortable coming at his productions from that angle is entirely missing the point. The program is about the people, and the conflicts, and decisions they have to make, and bring to the type of work they are doing.
I am a Reagan conservative, and I have high praise for what Sorkin is doing with this program. After only 4 episodes, he has me hooked. It was his work on The West Wing that convinced me to give this program a shot, and I have not been disappointed.
To anyone of my fellow conservatives who makes their criticism of this show about the left leanings of the story line, I say you've let yourself become blinded by the same ideological fanaticism that we accuse the likes of MSNBC of being guilty of.
Jeff Daniels, Sam Waterston, Emily Mortimer, Olivia Munn, and all of this ensemble case deserve high marks for the compelling portrayals they give.
Liberal, Moderate, or Conservative, give this program a chance, and don't get caught up in the fact that its coming from any particular political slant. A propaganda piece this show is not.