The Da Vinci Goad

Nothing will send a novel to the top of the best seller list faster than a controversy. Tell the masses not to buy a book and they will immediately wipe out the inventory of every major bookseller outlet. So I am sure nothing made The Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown more happy than when he read the latest criticism of his novel on the news wire:

The Greek Orthodox Church reportedly criticized the best selling Da Vinci Code thriller, the film of which comes out in the coming days, as offensive and mistaken.

-SNIP-

"The work attacks and undermines in a treacherous manner religious knowledge," said the leaflet, produced by the church's supreme body, the holy synod.(Breitbart.com)

Who are they kidding? Does this organization or the Catholic Church in general really believe that their calls for boycotts and legal action will sway followers from reading the book or seeing the film? If anything the opposite is most likely to occur:

Commentators say such pronouncements, and the stories they generate, are bound to backfire by generating extra interest in the film and lending weight to the argument that the church has something to hide.(Scotsman.com)

Brown’s novel is now being credited as one of the most popular books of all time with 40 million copies sold worldwide. My bet is that with each demand made by church leaders, Brown’s book sales get a nice little boost.

I thought The Da Vinci Code was a good read (Angels & Demons was better in my opinion) and it obviously presents an interesting perspective on the history of the Christian faith. But I think the church leaders protesting this publication failed to recognize a very important detail. The Da Vinci Code is sold as… FICTION!

Fiction is defined as “an imaginative creation or a pretense that does not represent actuality but has been invented.”

It almost seems that church leaders are afraid that large numbers of people will unquestionably believe the premise of The Da Vinci Code and see its popularity as a confirmation of its validity. Nah… What historical evidence do they have to believe that?

Ignorant Electorate + Arrogant Politicians = Our Current Situation

With President Bush’s approval ratings hovering in the low 30s right now you would think that along with the disapproval would come some introspection by the electorate who voted him into office… Twice. But it seems that the ignorance and arrogance permeating the Executive branch is simply a reflection of the people who assisted in creating it.

The American public’s ignorance is demonstrated by its lack of knowledge of the Constitution, public policy and basic government. We laugh whenever President Bush stumbles over his words or improvises new ones, but is it funny when the following comes to light?

Americans know more about The Simpsons TV show than the US Constitution's First Amendment, an opinion poll says.

Only one in four could name more than one of the five freedoms it upholds but more than half could name at least two members of the cartoon family.

About one in five thought the right to own a pet was one of the freedoms.(BBC)

We fail to learn, understand and put into practice the “supreme law of the land” while simultaneously scoffing our representatives, stereotyping them as “corrupt” and giving them even LESS approval than the President! And here is the best part, we will vote them back into office! As Benjamin Franklin once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Personally, I believe that an educated electorate will recognize that we are given a “Hobson’s Choice” every presidential election. Remember, choosing the lesser of two evils still gives you evil. Learn your rights. Know your government. Express your opinion!

UPDATE: Oscar winner and star of "The Da Vinci Code" movie Tom Hanks came out with a statement responding to Catholic critics:

David Beamer, whose son Todd died on United 93 when he and several other passengers revolted against their hijackers, made the comment about a month ago that their actions on that flight can be called "our first successful counter-attack in our homeland in this new global war -- World War III".

Bush picked up on David Beamer's words and agreed with his description:

"I believe that. I believe that it was the first counter-attack to World War III.

"It was, it was unbelievably heroic of those folks on the airplane to recognize the danger and save lives," he said. (Breitbart.com)

So we have another transition in the evolution of terminology for this conflict. "War on Terror", "Global Struggle Against Violent Extremism" are previous labels the Bush administration has given this conflict.

Despite the obvious misuse of the "WWIII" title ('World War' implies a conflict between nation states) it contradicts the actions of this administration.

For example, the individuals captured during this "war" have not been given the legal status "prisoners of war." Providing this label would require the U.S. to comply with Geneva Convention articles for the treament of prisoners during international conflict. A few excerpts:

• (Article 13): "Prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated."
• (Article 17): "No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted or exposed to unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind."
• (Article 25): "Prisoners of war shall be quartered under conditions as favorable as those for the forces of the Detaining Power who are billeted in the same area."

See? Why would we want to limit our options with something as silly as the Geneva Convention?

Bush can call this conflict whatever he wishes, but just because he labels it a certain way doesn't make it fact. I mean, that's like Fox News' relentless reference to themselves as "Fair and Balanced".

On a lighter note... every time I hear the phrase "World War III" I can't help but think of singer-songwriter and satirist Tom Lehrer. Mr. Lehrer talks about songs that come from various wars and that "if any songs are gonna come out of World War III, we'd better start writing them now." Here is an excerpt from "So Long, Mom" which was written in 1965:

Little Johnny Jones, he was a US pilot,

And no shrinking violet was he.

He was mighty proud when World War III was declared.

He wasn't scared, no siree!

And this is what he said on

His way to Armageddon:

So long, mom,

I'm off to drop the bomb,

So don't wait up for me.

But though I may roam,

I'll come back to my home

Although it may be

A pile of debris.

Remember, mommy,

I'm off to get a commie,

So send me a salami

And try to smile somehow.

I'll look for you when the war is over,

An hour and a half from now!

Oh how humor can alleviate the seriousness of a situation. If Bush wasn't such a bumbling imbecilic half-wit... This country might do something about his incompetence instead of simply expressing there disagreement in the polls. Maybe they are to busy laughing?

Being an intense soccer fan I am shaking with anticipation as the 2006 World Cup approaches and the U.S. National team prepares for their first game against the Czech Republic on June 12th. Security is always a concern for the host country because of the rivalries and the number of spectators involved. But, it seems the U.S. team is a concern because they are... Well... American.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) - The official team bus to be used by the United States during the World Cup will not bear a flag for security reasons.

The 32 official buses were presented Thursday in Frankfurt and the other 31 buses have large national flags of the their teams painted on rear sides.

-SNIP-

At the 2002 World Cup, the United States was among the most heavily guarded teams. When the Americans arrived at Incheon International Airport, about 500 police formed a corridor the players walked through as they came out of customs, with SWAT team commandos mixed in. (FoxSports)

When all of the other team buses proudly display their country's flag while you have to travel anonymously because the American flag is a bulls-eye for terrorists, that can't be good for morale. I'm curious as to how the U.S. players will be treated by the fans in the stadium. I have a feeling that the whistles (They don't "boo" overseas, they whistle) will be loud and long.

Hopefully a majority of the spectators will not apply guilt through association and have the mindset that a country's government does not always reflect the will of the people. Meh... Who am I kidding...