Thursday, May 20, 2004
Saving Private Hanks
At Cannes, Tom Hanks offers a sort of unbiased assessment of the current geo-political situation:
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"We're in an extremely tough time, not only in the United States, but around the world. It's a very confusing time. We're up against a type of philosophy that we don't quite understand.As the newspaper reports, "Silence followed the statement." "Wow, that brought the room down," Hanks commented. The uncharitable explanation is that the attendees expected another Michael Moore-style diatribe against America and were stunned into silence by Hanks' unfashionable views. The more charitable explanation is that they simply didn't understand what the heck he was on about. Still, kudos to Hanks for not taking the popular option and shitting on his country for the pleasure of his overseas audience.
"This is not as it was in World War II. I think then we had a pretty good idea of twin evil empires that were bent on world domination. And that required a different sensitivity in order to go out and volunteer and say, 'We're gonna stop this.'
"We are in a sort of grey area now that defies logic and defies common sense more often than not. But at the same time, on an individual basis, man by man, woman by woman, we have to just welcome (soldiers) home and say thank you for coming back. We thank you for your sacrifice, and God bless you."
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