[CitizensTruth] Cusack slams corporate media, talks up new movie 'War, Inc.' in wide-ranging interview

[Daniel Stafford]

*Cusack slams corporate media, talks up new movie 'War, Inc.' in 
wide-ranging interview*
*Larisa Alexandrovna
*Published: Wednesday May 7, 2008

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/Want to attend a screening of War, Inc. for free with two Raw Story 
writers? Want John Cusack to see your talent as a limerick writer? See 
details at the end of the interview./

Actor, writer, director John Cusack has a lot to say about the Iraq war 
and the current state of US politics. Although he frequently uses such 
forums as the /Huffington Post/ to express his criticism of the Bush 
administration, in his new film, /War Inc. 
<http://www.firstlookstudios.com/films/warinc/>,/ he really pulls out 
all the stops to shine a damningly aggressive light on the privatization 
of war.

Cusack sat down with Raw Story's Larisa Alexandrovna to discuss the 
film, his political views and his take on the state of mainstream media, 
which he feels has failed in its role as the public watchdog.

"I think in a way you can almost respect the criminals more than the 
enablers in some sick way -- I mean, I think what the Bush 
administration has done is criminal, should be treated as a crime, but 
the idea that people who call themselves journalists let these lies go 
on unchecked and endorsed them time and time again is [unpardonable]," 
Cusack said. "Don't get me wrong, I think great journalism is heroic, I 
am in awe of great journalists."

The journalists Cusack goes on to praise are a small contingent -- 
including the legendary Bill Moyers, Naomi Klein, Sy Hersh and Keith 
Olbermann. Cusack also credits alternative press outlets like Raw Story 
and blogs like Crooks and Liars <http://www.crooksandliars.com> with 
keeping the public informed.

/War, Inc./ is not subtle as far as satire goes, but it is precisely the 
sledgehammer hit -- the "shock" of the totally outlandish and 
suffocating all-over-the-place bombing of the viewer's senses -- that 
makes the film a truly onomatopoeic visual to the audacious crimes it is 
ridiculing on screen.

The plot revolves around a corporate hit-man, Brand Hauser (Cusack), who 
is hired by a corrupt US defense contractor called Tamerlane to 
assassinate the oil minister of the fictional Middle Eastern country of 
Turaqistan, which has been invaded by the United States. Tamerlane's CEO 
is a former United States Vice President, played brilliantly by Dan 
Aykroyd and obviously based on the current real life Vice President and 
former Halliburton CEO, Dick Cheney.

Asked what Cusack would say to Vice President Dick Cheney if he had the 
opportunity, Cusack wisecracks, "You have the right to remain silent."

Cusack is far more serious on the topic of torture and violations of the 
Geneva Conventions by Bush administration officials.

"You know, Nuremberg [the post World War II Nuremberg trials of the 
leaders and enablers of Nazi Germany] said that an illegal invasion of a 
sovereign country in a war of aggression is a supreme war crime."

Cusack wonders why no one in the press has made this a bigger issue and 
why Democrats in Congress have not made it a priority.

A clip from the movie appears below, followed by RAW STORY 
<http://rawstory.com>'s exclusive interview.


http://rawstory.com/news/2008/The_Dada_HitMan_Cometh_0507.html

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