Monday, December 22, 2014

Did SONY hackers stopped us from starting to "really think," as RAND wanted us to?

One of the politically most salient points of the hacking of SONY got almost lost in the heap: according to RAND (DoD) consultants for the movie, one of the key objectives through the movie was to promote the idea of an assassination of the head of North Korea as the "most likely" form of regime change that would lead to a new government in the hands "at least [of] the elites." And by vividly suggesting this idea to the minds of the many, RAND was hoping together with the State Department that the Hollywood movie would thus "start START SOME REAL THINKING." See, Hollywood really wants us to start some "real thinking" at last. And "someone very senior in State agreed."
From a thorough and very detailed article by Patrick Henningsen of 21st Century Wire:
"The Interview has the dirty paw prints of the US defense establishment all over it ... Award-winning writer Ann Hornaday from Washington Post confirmed as much today (via the Daily Beast), with this exchange between DoD contractors and Sony’s Michael Lynton:
'In a June e-mail, Rand defense analyst Bruce Bennett wrote to Lynton [head of Sony Pictures]: “I have been clear that the assassination of Kim Jong Un is the most likely path to a collapse of the North Korean government. Thus while toning down the ending may reduce the North Korean response, I believe that a story that talks about the removal of the Kim family regime and the creation of a new government by the North Korean people (well, at least the elites) will start some real thinking in South Korea and, I believe, in the North once the DVD leaks into the North (which it almost certainly will).' Lynton subsequently wrote back: “Bruce — Spoke to someone very senior in State (confidentially). He agreed with everything you have been saying. Everything. I will fill you in when we speak.'"
Lesson? If you want to change the world, make a Hollywood movie about it first. Even if it were to be a comedy. And have RAND corporation write or at least edit the script.

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