John Pilger film banned by liberal US Lannan Foundation

Santa Fe : NM : USA | Jun 11, 2011 at 11:01 AM PDT

By northsunm32

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An article by Pilger and Paul Weideman can be found at this site. John Pilger is a well known journalist and documentary maker. The puzzling aspect of this situation is that no reason was given for the action and that the foundation has been a frequent supporter of those criticial of U.S. policy including Pilger himself.

Pilger says in an open letter to Noam Chomsky:I am writing to you and a number of other friends mostly in the US to alert you to the extraordinary banning of my film on war and media, 'The War You Don't See', and the abrupt cancellation of a major event at the Lannan Foundation in Santa Fe in which David Barsamian and I were to discuss free speech, US foreign policy and censorship in the media.

Pilger went on: ""Lannan invited me and David over a year ago and welcomed my proposal that they also host the US premiere of 'The War You Don't See', in which US and British broadcasters describe the often hidden part played by the media in the promotion of war, notably in Iraq and Afghanistan. The film has been widely acclaimed in the UK and Australia; the trailer and reviews are on my website www.johnpilger.com ""

The banning and cancellation was on the personal orders of Patrick Lannan. It is his wealth that funds the foundation. The ban happened just 48 hours beofre Pilger and David Barsamian were to leave for Santa Fe. Just a few days before an official from the foundation said what a great honor it was to have Pilger attend. Neither Pilger nor Barsamian have had any explanation of why the event was cancelled.

Pilger concludes:""There is a compelling symbol of our extraordinary times in all of this. A rich and powerful individual and organisation, espousing freedom of speech, has moved ruthlessly and unaccountably to crush it.""

For more see the article linked at the top. There still is no explanation apprently as to why Pilger's film showing and talk were cancelled. The situatiion is most puzzling because Lannan is not known as someone who attempts to censor events. There must have been pressure from somewhere that was effective and at the last minute. The film certainly could be very embarassing to several governments including that of the U.S.

NOTE: I have uploaded part of the documentary that is on You Tube.

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Part of the War YOu Do Not See banned from a New Mexico showing by the Liberal Lannan Foundation.

northsunm32 is based in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada, and is an Anchor for Allvoices.

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Post a Comment Comments: 6

Posted By

Surya Gaire | about 2 years ago

rated up for your effort in this news.

Posted By

pwjohns | about 2 years ago

All Americans who espouse freedom should see this film... it is truly shocking. It is important that we find out who is behind the ban.

Posted By

mariahardy | about 2 years ago

I sounds an intresting subject but something must have been too much truth.

Posted By

DougBuchananCom | about 2 years ago

I have no idea what the movie reveals, but I can tell you precisely why it was banned. However, the flawlessly verifiable reason requires one to understand the functional design of the human mind, which no institution teaches. It would therefore be new knowledge to a curious person. The process to learn new knowledge is the process of asking and answering questions that identify and resolve the inherent contradictions between the existing knowledge in a human mind, and the new knowledge offered. Is that not obvious? No printed format facilitates those questions and answers to the extent of the otherwise easily completed resolution of all contradictions.

When I offer such obvious knowledge, and the opportunity to manifest that process of completed reasoning, the most common reaction is no response, and the next reaction is a suggestion that the above words are not understandable, by various expressions such as, "you're nuts", much to my amusement.

That institutionally induced reaction to individual thinking which discovers the manifestable solutions to social problems is an indicator of the reason that the institutions of movie makers, whistle blowers and others who purport to support the exposure of truth, never extend their effects beyond their own institutions ("the choir").

There is a laughably easy process for any peace, anti-war or other reasoning based institution to socially manifest its goals, defeating any opposition, but the process is inherently learned by those outside the institutions, who are as ill considered as the institutionally trained readers of these words consider them.

Enjoy the comedy of the humans perpetually fighting each other, rather than questioning the contradictions of their own institutions to usefully understand why the opponent will not do so of his, and therefore remain among the ignorant perpetually attacking the ignorant rather than learn the new knowledge to end the cycle.

Respectfully, DougBuchanan.com

Posted By

Popsiq | about 2 years ago

"The War You Don't See' flies, from the opening moments, in the face of all we currently believe about the war 'we' are waging on 'terror'. That we have been manipulated by PR exercises into allowing some groups to gain far more power than they deserve to 'protect' us is no surprise. What is surprising is that those behind it aren't materminds, but rather middling pedantic types or even pure lunatics. What they do share is a massive self-interest and an overweening drive for financial advancement.

This is why the the film is being marginalised, not because it is particularly insightful (all this sad tale has been told innumerable times before) but rather because the 'emperors', who could be 'hurt' by it, are so basically stupid they live in fear that anybody can point out their ethical and moral nakedness. What they fear most is that they will be revealed as our 'neighbors', and that they are vulnerable if they are known.

Posted By

DougBuchananCom | about 2 years ago

Popsiq is correct. However, the phenomenon as he or she described it, has been in effect since the invention of the human mind. It is therefore not the "fault" of "the other guy". It is a design feature of the human mind. If Popsig, myself, you or anyone stumbled into the aforementioned PR job, we would perform as it functions, or we would have quit, or be fired, so the next guy could get the job. Is that not so?

Until the movie makers, whistle blowers, peace advocates and other reasoning-based individuals learn the design of the human mind, to therefore present their movies and information in the readily available format that defeats power-damaged minds by the design of their mind, Popsiq's comments will be repeated for another few thousand years or more.

Amusingly, "individuals" who learn the knowledge, who are outside the institutions, have no way to contact the decision makers of institutions, since institutions are designed to protect their decision makers from contact with the mass of mere peasants and rabble (individual thinkers). The referenced knowledge has always been available, as obvious as Leonardo di Vinci made the knowledge of human flight 400 YEARS before it was manifested. No movie producer will read these words, and any movie producer's secretary would not advance them to his or her boss.

Enjoy the comedy of the humans.

Respectfully, DougBuchanan.com

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