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Activist tries to expose ‘free’ press
’•» . *... .
Film cautions
of diversion
“Manufacturing
Consent: Noam
Chomsky and
the Media”
A dictatorship uses violence to
control the masses, but a democra
cy, must use more subtle means—
such as media propaganda — to
control its people.
That is the main theory of Noam
Chomsky, renowned linguist and
political activist. Chomsky’s theo
ry is explored in a three-hour doc
umentary showing this week at the
Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater.
The film was produced by the
National Film Board of Canada
and Canadian film makers Mark
Achbar and Peter Wintonick. It
discusses Chomsky’s theory that a
small number of elite individuals
own and control the media.
The award-winning film is alive
and witty. It features Chomsky de
bating his ideas with everyone from
wmiam r. tsuciciey 10 nouanu s
Minister of Defense.
Chomsky emerged in the late
1950s as the preeminent figure in
modem linguistics. His theories of
language inspired a “Chomskyan”
revolution in the linguistics field.
In 1964, Chomsky became po
litically active, speaking out against
American involvement in Victnam.
He now makes hundreds of
speeches a year, urging people to
be more conscious of the world
around them.
“The people need to challenge
the legitimacy of authority,” he’s
been quoted as saying. The govern
ment’s use of coercion and control
must be justified.
According to Chomsky, the
media pushes a perception of the
world into the minds of educated
professionals that is favorable to
the government. At the same time,
the media diverts the attention of
the common people with trivial
matters, such as sports.
One of Chomsky’s strongest ar
guments for his theory is the horri
ble acts of violence committed in
EastTimorfrom 1975 to 1979. The
violence was barely mentioned in
the U.S. media.
Meanwhile, the atrocities of Pol
Pot in Cambodia received exten
sive U.S. media coverage.
Courtesy Zeitgeist Films
Noam Chomsky and his theories are the subject of a documentary film currently
playing at the Mary Riepma Ross Film Theater.
The Indonesian invasion of East
Timor was more horrific than Cam
bodia — with tens of thousands of
men, women, and children slaugh
tered or starved to death.
However, Chomsky argues, the
United States was involved in East
Timor, providing 90 percent of In
donesian arms for the genocidal
atrocities. U.S. involvement meant
limited press coverage.
Chomsky says the general pop
ulation needs to seize control of
their destiny, or there will be no
destiny to control.
“Democracy and freedom are
either values to be treasured (by the
people) or threats to be avoided (by
the government).”
Don’t let the length scare you
away, this documentary is very
entertaining and thought provok
ing and shouldn’t be missed.
‘‘Manufacturing Consent” plays
at the theater Thursday through
Saturday.
— Joel Strauch
Novel offers
well-drawn
cyberpunk
characters
William C. Dietz
“Legion of the Damned”
Ace Science Fiction
“Legion of the Damned” is a grand
space opera in the tradi tion of John W.
Campbell and Rocky Balboa. No
matter how hard humanity gets
punched, it keeps getting back up and
eventually wins, because we have that
certain indefinable quality that sets us
apart from the universe.
William C. Dietz has written more
than a dozen novels, most of them in
the military science fiction genre, a
difficult genre in which to do well. It
can too easily degenerate into a mere
body count. Fortunately, “Legion of
the Damned” flies above this.
Dietz carries the French Foreign
Legion a thousand years into the fu
ture, building on its military tradition.
- The legion of the future is manned
largely by cyborgs, with brains taken
from executed criminals and other
terminal eases. They are commanded
by an emperor that is half-mad and
incompetent and a general staff that
hates them.
So when the alien Hudatha attack
human worlds and obliterate them,
the legion is the first line of defense.
The empire, though, through sheer
stupidity, begins pulling back and
orders the legion to withdraw from its
bases and be absorbed into the Impe
rial Navy. Faced with the end ofa long
tradition, the legion mutinies and at
tempts to overthrow the emperor.
Dietz fills his book with a multi
tude of well-drawn characters, be
lievable political intrigue and some
first-rate, slam-bang action. He also
knows his hardware, better than most
cyberpunk writers do. The pages fly
by as huge battles rage in space, and
firefights erupt on desert planets a
thousand light-years from Earth.
“Legion of the Damned” is a first
rate read, not much on thought, but
high on entertainment.
— Sam Kepfield
Bad Brains to splatter sound
all across stage at The Edge
preview
By Glenn Antonucci
Staff Reporter
Washington D.C. speed-punk mas
ters Bad Brains will appear at The
Edge Wednesday night.
The band is touring in support of its
newest album, “Rise,” which contin
ues a 17-year tradition of the Bad
Brains being the tightest hard-core
outfit around.
“Rise” is the ninth Bad Brains al
bum, following critically hailed al
bums like “I Against I,” “Rock For
Light” and “Quickness.”
The album is the band’s first re
lease on Epic Records and the first
without long-time singer and activist
H.R.— who has moved on to a solo
career.
Israel Joseph takes the reins as lead
singer, backed by guitarist Dr. Know,
bassist Darryl and drummer Earl
Hudson.
Fellow Epic thrash-metal record
ing artists Prong join Bad Brains on its
national tour, and will open the show
along with local band Chronic. Chronic
will take the stage at 9 p.m.
Wednesday’s performance will
mark the first time in almost three
years that Bad Brains has played in
Nebraska. Their last visit nearly end
cd in tragedy when a make-shift stage
at Omaha’s Radial Social Hall col
lapsed during the show.
Ernie Poulos, public relations and
promotions director for The Edge,.,
said Wednesday night’s show should
run more smoothly.
“We’re pretty well set up for big
shows,” he said.
Wednesday’s performance will be
a 16-and-over show, which is now a
permanent policy at the bar.
Poulos said the drop in age restric
tion is meant to “draw in more peo
ple” and to recombine what he called
Lincoln’s “divided scene”: those 21
and older and those under age.
Tickets are $ 12 in advance and $ 15
at the door. Doors open at 8 p.m.
Courtesy Epic
Bad Brains will play Wednesday night at The Edge.