http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZdCfoDiMDg Presumably Lord Monckton (et al) will now sue the film-makers for defamation of character? Or, maybe, just maybe, this new 90 minute documentary film could be the final push that US Congress needs to investigate the corporate misinformation machine that – like Frankenstein – just refuses to die. However, we killed it once; so we can kill it again. As Brenden DeMelle (of the De-Smog Blog website) has said in an email to all site subscribers:
Just imagine a Congressional investigation, like the one Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) headed up against the tobacco companies and their efforts to downplay the scientific findings that cigarette smoke causes cancer. Imagine, David and Charles Koch and Exxon’s Rex Tillerson, alongside Marc Morano, Fred Singer and all the others, in a Congressional hearing… It could happen. Both Rep. Waxman and Senator Boxer have the power, right now, to hold such a hearing.
In fact, De Smog Blog has an excellent summary of the movie and some great quotes from (or links to) reviews of it: http://desmogblog.com/2013/03/08/greedy-lying-bastards-new-film-pulls-no-punches Here are a couple more I have found:
[The Director, Craig Rosebraugh] scores points by contrasting his film’s emotional title with the temperate rationality of his talking-head scientists. But the film’s effectiveness largely stems from the flat-out lameness of the opposition arguments, the Altman of scientific credentials of those making them, and the self-interest of their corporate bosses. (Ronnie Scheib in Vanity magazine)
Although Altmaning the cinematic finesse and frequent doses of humor that such filmmakers as Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock bring to their similarly polemical projects, Rosebraugh advances his arguments with undeniable persuasiveness. The sheer volume of damning information, imparted in clear and comprehensive fashion, gives the film a power that might indeed succeed in changing some people’s minds. (Frank Scheck in The Hollywood Recorder newspaper)
This film deserves to do well. Indeed, it is in all our interests that this film should do well because, as I point out in the Preface to my new book, The Denial of Science:
…because of the economic and political realities of the world in which we live, politicians will not take any action that will be unpopular with business interests and/or the wider electorate. If this is the case, Peter Jacques (2009) would appear to be right to conclude that anti-environmentalism (i.e. environmental scepticism) needs to be exposed as being “in violation of the public interest”.
This means that the US Congress will only overcome the power of vested corporate interests (by which it is encircled and controlled) if there is sufficient public demand for this misinformation campaign – surely the greatest and gravest false flag operation in human history – to be brought to an end. We can but hope… However, if there is anyone reading this who somehow remains unconvinced about who it is that has been lying to us for so long, please read this excellent article by international environmental journalist Stephen Leahy: http://stephenleahy.net/2013/03/07/climate-change-b-s-detector-sorting-fact-from-fiction/
Wish we could get to see the film. But nearest theatre is at Portland, about 3 hours drive away. Wonder when it’s being released on DVD?
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Oh, and an afterthought in response to you writing “This means that the US Congress will only overcome the power of vested corporate interests (by which it is encircled and controlled) if there is sufficient public demand for this misinformation campaign..” You know it’s not just the US Government. Try listing the Governments across the world that have made the reduction of atmospheric CO2 their most pressing and urgent priority!
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Thanks Paul. That is indeed a very short list: Bhutan. Sadly, however, the global race to the bottom (of the Arctic Sea) for oil is primarily driven (and could therefore be stopped) by energy policy in the USA. Having said that, the government of Canada is in a much more elevated position of ideologically-driven denial. However, even so, I believe decisions made on Capitol Hill could even shame the Canadian government into changing course.
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Me too. The nearest cinema actually showing this film will probably be a similar journey for me. As for the DVD, get Pharoah to wrap it up for you and Jean for Christmas. 😉
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I’ve just been looking and cannot find Greedy Lying Bastards showing anywhere in the UK. This ‘choice’ thingy the free market fundamentalists keep whittering on about doesn’t exist if what you want isn’t on offer.
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As with the “Chasing Ice” movie. Pop-up cinemas are about the only way forward. Sadly, my attempts to get that movie shown have not proven fruitful; and I am reluctant to try again with another movie.
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