Scare Tactics . . .

Boy do I have a bee in my bonnet and my knickers in a wad! 

We all know someone who has an agenda.  They want you to join their company – NO; NO it is not a multi level marketing scheme – no not us.  Or perhaps . . . they want you to buy in as a grass roots partnership level into their company . . . their dream.  Or maybe it is someone who keeps you on the hook for more and more sessions instead of saying you are good to go . . . get out there and do some good.  My favorite is the friend who wants me to change my ways . . . makes fun of my car – calls it a gas hog . . . tells me “Oh, I would never have a pool . . . that wastes so much electricity.”  There is always the “Oh that is great for you . . . I just could never do THAT.”  They all have their agenda.  They all want something from you.  AND they are ALL like a dog with a good bone . . . not willing to let go and move on!

Today my husband called from his office, it isn’t normal for him to have depo prep on a Saturday but you got to do what the client needs.  He asked me to call his folks, see if they can watch the boys and meet him at the movies for the 2:45pm showing of Promise Land.  He asked me if I want to see it, I was luke warm on it simply because I couldn’t remember anything about it.  He reminds me it is the one with Matt Damon and John Krasinski, the guy from The Office.

I drop the boys at the in-laws and head over to buy tickets, get our assigned seats and wait for him to arrive.

The synopsis of the movie according to wiki is: Corporate salesperson Steve Butler and his sales partner Sue Thomason visit a rural town to buy drilling rights from local residents who seek relief after the recent economic decline. They encounter resistance from a schoolteacher, who is supported by a grassroots campaign organized by another man who seeks to rival Butler.  It is a movie about the possibility of fracking . . . I didn't miss spell!  Look it up!

Classic hard working man verses big bad company.  AND . . . I kinda want my money back!

I like movies; in fact we have a big movie room in our home.  We do lots of movies. 

I like chick flicks like Steel Magnolias, Fools Rush In, Point of No Return, Pretty Woman, Pitch Perfect, Bridesmaids AND just about anything with Vince Vaughn in it.  When I go to the movies I want to be entertained. I want to forget about the outside world and just enjoy myself.  I want to laugh . . . walk away with a few funny lines . . . walk away happy OR . . .

 I want to be moved by the movie.  I like sad movies, movies that make you feel . . . some favorites are Philadelphia, Schindler's List, Hope Floats, Dead Poet’s Society, Step Mom and Beaches.

 What I don’t like is a movie with an agenda . . .  somewhat like our friend above.  They just beat you over and over and over the head with it for the full two hours and I sit there wondering WHY I paid for this abuse.

 I am not a fan of The Lorax, not a fan of WALL-E, and not a fan of this movie, Promise Land.  They are so heavy handed with an environmental slant I want to get up and leave.

What I found interesting from the beginning credits is that Matt Damon and John Krasinski, both Democrats, both environmentalists wrote the screenplay for this movie.  They also produced this movie AND stared in it.  In fact according to some sites Matt Damon was scheduled to direct this movie but decided he couldn’t do all of it and turned the directing over to Gus Van Zant, he called him and picked him to fill the directing shoes. 

While I am a little right of center but far from the far right, I don’t begrudge these men from working, from putting out movies, from providing for their families.  I find it interesting they did all the writing, producing and staring but what I find MOST interesting about the credit that rolled at the beginning of the movie is who financed it.

 If I left it open ended right here you would never guess who financed this block buster, big time theater, movie star caliber, wide release movie the week of Christmas . . .

Abu Dhabi Media WHOLLY owned by the UAE. 

Do you know what the UAE is???  The UAE is the United Arab Emirates – who are members of OPEC.

Do you know what OPEC is . . . Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.  Here is what wiki had to say about it:  it is said that the UAE, as a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), has "a direct financial interest... in slowing the development of America's natural gas industry" and suggested that its financing of the film "may have an impact on the public's view of the [fracking] practice".^[

They . . .the UAE . . . financed and I suspect wrote, produced and picked stars for this movie to scare American citizens from allowing large US power companies to come in, lease their land and drill for natural gas and oil on it.  After all who do we get the majority of our natural gas and oil from?

I despise using scare tactics to get people to react or better yet - scare them by poisoning the well, if you will, into thinking this is bad for the US and our economy when in all actuality it is bad for the UAE.  This would create job in the US and we are certainly in need of a economic boost!

I am feeling a little Conspiracy Theory, movie with Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson, here.  But HELLO they admitted to it – with their bottom line in sight – they financed a movie to scare Americans from allowing us to drill in places like Alaska, Colorado, Pennsylvania and the mid west.  This issue has even landed on Obama’s desk.  So, I ask you . . . who, NOW, is in bed with the UAE?