Does Hollywood hate America?
Well, duh.
Look no further than this week's Oscar nominations for best picture. Seditiously announced the morning of the President's State of the Union address, the nominations all but preempted Sen. James Webb's Democratic response with a message of their own. After all, in movies as in politics, subtext speaks louder than words. Consider what each of this year's nominated films is REALLY saying:
"The Queen": Tony Blair tries to speak truth to power, with very limited success. As anyone with two eyes can observe, this film is either revisionist (since Queen Elizabeth II ultimately does listen to Blair) or it's meant to shame Blair for doing no such thing with Bush.
"Letters from Iwo Jima": Here's a subversive attempt to humanize the enemy - and hence all of our enemies, something the Bush administration pointedly tries to avoid letting happen. Hell, they won't even let us see the caskets of our own casualities. This one is all the more insidious because it's directed by Clint Eastwood, who is hiding behind his status as a right-wing icon.
"Little Miss Sunshine": Obviously, this is an attack on George W. Bush's ever-dwindling constituency, pointing out that Red State voter values are so bankrupt that they have to distract themselves with the gaudy, vacuous events like the titular kiddie beauty contest in this film. And that whole thing with the VW bus driving away without the little girl? A not-too-subtle dig at No Child Left Behind, wouldn't you say?
"Babel": We're all connected - and no one can understand what anyone else is saying. Plus, one little American gets shot and the whole world suffers. American egotism abroad and at our borders - do I have to paint you a picture?
"The Departed": This story of betrayal within both the Boston cops and the Boston mob is clearly an allegory for Iraq, with each side unable and unwilling to trust the other - or themselves - and as many good guys as bad guys winding up dead. Think of Jack Nicholson's crime boss as Moqtada al-Sadr and Matt Damon's duplicitous mole as Iraq Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, speaking into the ear of Martin Sheen's George W. Bush. Leonardo DiCaprio? You don't even want to know - and my national security clearance doesn't allow me to say.