cont'd ...

Streep's speech was less pointed and politically
charged than similar speeches have been in the
past (George Clooney's Oscar speech 2006). It is
ironic however - the issue of criticising a
bona fide Hollywood star like Streep for using
her celebrity status to supposedly advance her
politics in the wake of electing a President who
made a name for himself by embracing Hollywood,
as the host of his own reality show.

Streep in her over all benign speech, focused her
message on inclusivity, empathy for outsiders,
and freedom of the press.

Apparently this message has rung alarm bells for
some.

Any speech that starts with 'I love you all' should have anyone's BS detector on high alert. La Streep then went on to take a whole lot of cheap and largely false potshots at a very easy target, one that the entire media, Hollywood and political establishment has been monsterfying for well over a year.

In terms of moral courage, it didn't hold a candle to Marlon Brando's use of the Oscar's to stick it to Hollywood for its part in glorifying indigenous genocide, or Vanessa Redgrave's Oscar speech condemning the Vietnam War and inequality, or Michael Moore's savaging of the Bush regime. On those occasions, the speakers were drowned out by the orchestra and quickly rushed off stage. No genuflecting or veneration for them.

Had La Streep even a fraction of the moral courage of these people, she might have chosen to use her position to call for unity, to respect the electoral outcome no matter how painful, to adopt a wait and see policy on the incoming administration and to hold them to account. Instead, she has further split an already deeply divided and morally troubled country.

Her speech represents everything that is wrong with the US.

Why anyone would pay any attention to a clapped out old harpy like Streep I really can't imagine.

These people are only a fountain spurting other people's words in their day job, & most prove that most definitely when they are interviewed & have to use their own words.

People who play make believe in their day job I'm sure have less grip on reality than the janitor who cleans the set. That they believe they are important proves this. We saw quite a few of these clowns talking rubbish during the presidential election. The results prove how effective they were.

Sells:

“will have to pull our weight and show him for what he is, a buffoon.”

He is now the president. Either you work with him or against him. It all depends on how truly you value democracy. You obviously do not value democracy or else you would behave like you do. Resorting to name calling and derision shows how little integrity you have when you do not even support you own values. What other of your professed values do you not really support?

Foxy:

“We .... subjectivity”

This is another of your patronising sermons. We are all quite capable of working out how the world works without your help.

“she was invited to speak
and she exercised her right to do precisely that.”

Yes she chose the occasion to trash the value of democracy because she is bitter that a value which she has freely chosen to uphold has turned around and bitten her on the backside. She would have done herself a lot more good if she had focused on talking about movies.

What Trump did in a former life is irrelevant. The only thing that people should have judged him on was his political arguments here and now. He was not trying to use his celebrity status. If Americans voted on that basis then that is their responsibility and not his and they must take the blame. It is still the result of a democratic process which all should accept if they have any principles at all.

Streep was using her celebrity status to manipulate an audience. There is no point in trotting out losing arguments. It is just a way of trying to shift the blame for living in a democracy. She should accept the situation which now exists instead of belligerently still carrying on like it was a lead up to an election.

If Trump is a "buffoon", I want a buffoon, just like him, here, in Australia, right now.

Sells..
Really, I'm surprised to hear you sprouting anti Trump themes.
Trump is a God-send.
If Trump stays true to his word to make America great again, it is bound to be a rough ride.
How much more homless can the homless become for example. With two percent of Americans, (including families) homless and living on the street under Obama. What was his good really. Not to mention the myriad of other social issues unchallenged by him. He was an abysmal failure, and virtually useless to average Jo.
Straight off, Trump is diffusing the Cold War and challenging China. Two essentials for peace!
Many would also be happy to see Uncle Sam flex some muscle in Australian politics, offering some challenge to the silent Chinese invasion of Australia!
What is your objection?