Confucius says no to ”subversive’ blockbuster Avatar Jane Macartney in Beijing Timesonline.com January 23 2010 actually offers two reasons:
”Reportedly, the authorities have two reasons for this check on Avatar: first, it has taken in too much money and has seized market share from domestic films, and second, it may lead audiences to think about forced removal, and may possibly incite violence.”
If the former reason has any weight, then it is blatantly protectionist and the State Department should be going berserk. That would be interesting because it would pit two top Obama contributors against each other — Hollywood and Wall Street. The latter has been a Chinese hireling since the days of Robert Rubin as Treasury Secretary.
But the money involved seems too trivial for the Chinese to have taken this embarrassing step. Far more likely, what is probably worrying the Chinese authorities is the obvious parallel with the crushing the many rural disturbances which have been occurring in their country. Farmers have been protesting their land being seized for building as China’s breakneck boom goes on. Beyond that there is the brutal repression of ethnic minorities such as the Uyghers and the Tibetans in China’s western hinterland — and even, perhaps, memories of Tiananmen Square.
Meanwhile, the Neocons continue to fear Avatar will have Americans seeing the Palestinians through elongating blue glasses. Steve Sailer has noted David Brooks reporting for duty (The Messiah Complex The New York Times January 7th 2010) and more recently Debbie Schlussel’s fast-on-the-draw review has attracted notice. She said:
Sure, it was cool to see floating mountains and different animals and plants in bright colors. But ten minutes of that was enough. I didn’t need a full-course meal of three hours of America-hatred to go with it.
Don’t Believe the Hype: ”Avatar” Stinks (Long, Boring, Unoriginal, Uber-Left) December 17, 2009
What these Neocons have to say about Avatar is generally accurate and often incisive. But all avoid the issue which should concern Americans the most: the movie’s poisonous anti white theme.
(Brooks in fact, with comic facility, tries to smear Avatar as white nationalist:
the whole White Messiah fable, especially as Cameron applies it, is kind of offensive…It rests on the assumption that nonwhites need the White Messiah to lead their crusades… Natives can either have their history shaped by cruel imperialists or benevolent ones, but either way, they are going to be supporting actors in our journey to self-admiration.
Any stick to beat a dog, I guess.)
Besides this crowd of Neoconservatives anxious to forestall any ethical questions about the high-tech slaughter of Muslims, a solitary voice is raised for whites: Joe Webb's at the Occidental Observer.
In the battle, the chief Bad Guy is a jarhead (Marines) colonel who wants to kill all the Good Natives. Blue eyes and a very White Marine…As he is about to kill our pseudo-native hero, who has of course betrayed the mission of The Company, the colonel yells, ”How does it feel to be a race traitor?” With that, two arrows from the love-interest native female sink into his chest.
It’s a good question - even if it does attract arrows.
