Control Room

[tavalon]

Of recent, Al Jazeera English has become my go to site so my hubby suggested we watch Control Room. It was fascinating watching a fairly young news organization used to being censored and having to learn how to be truthful in a war that was so close to their hearts. But the part that really got me was Lieutenant Rushing who was a liaison at CentCom. He had no idea he was being filmed as part of a documentary. When I first saw him talk, I missed his rank and I asked my husband what his rank was. He stopped the movie and asked me why. Well, I worked really hard during those years to learn who was lying, who was telling the truth, who was not telling the truth but thought they were and so on. I actually have a bit of a gift at reading body language. Anyway, this Lieutenant Rushing fell into the latter category and as the movie went on, I saw on his very non poker face that he was connecting some dots and realizing that the stuff he was offering up to the journalists as prime fertilizer might be shit. He never said it but you could see his brain working. He was too smart to be being used in the capacity they were using him.

I told my hubby at the end of the movie that I suspected that Lt. Rushing had left the military and was likely an activist. We both ran for the computer.

This is his story from Mother Jones: http://motherjones.com/politics/2006/11/education-lieutenant-rushing

And this is his website: http://www.joshrushing.com/

He left six years before he could have retired because he figured it out. He works for Al Jazeera now.

[tavalon]

1. Rereading this, I see it doesn't make sense why I wanted to know his rank

I've noticed that usually it isn't until a person is a Major that they start getting the real scoop and lying for real. I figured he had to be pretty low ranking and he was - second lieutenant isn't usually high enough to be told much truth. No, I've not been in the military but worked at Wilford Hall with Tricare and got to know ranks and a lot of the games that are played among the officers.

[Turborama]

2. I have been a fan of his show "Fault Lines" on AJ English since it started.

All past episodes can be watched on the AJE website: http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/faultlines/

And on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/show/faultlines

HIGHLY recommended viewing!

Also, Control Room can be watched online here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3977004463731346350#

:hi:

:kick: & Big FAT R.

[tavalon]

3. I'm going to watch that now

I am not in the least surprised how it came down for him. He should never, ever, play poker. He shows how his brain works in his eyes, mouth and forehead. I'm kidding but only a little. He was the hero of the show before I even knew I was right about him. I could just see his brain going. Just too smart to buy the story.

[tavalon]

Well, I was going to anyway but a Turborama recommendation

is just frosting on the cake. Hey, are you a nightshifter, too. We always seem to run into each other at night.

[Turborama]

6. I'm on the other side of the world!

LOL I'm an expat living in Indonesia.

Which timezone are you in?

Thank you for the compliment, I'm truly honored. :blush:

[tavalon]

9. Well, of course, that explains it!

It's almost 2am here. You can always tell when I have a night off because after I've sent the family to bed, I stay up and um, do housework, um, sometimes. Much of the time I hang out here when I have a long list of things I don't really want to be doing.

I've found that I have to keep my same wake/sleep schedule on my days off to be able to be my best with my patients on the nights I do work. Most night nurses try to live two lives when they work nights and it destroys them. Or so it seems from here.

Okay, I give. What time is it there?

[tavalon]

4. Wow, I think my computer burped

dupe

[Rhiannon12866]

5. K&R. I've seen the movie and I remember the lieutenant.

I thought the movie was very well done, should probably watch it again now. And I remember the lieutenant and that he began working for them. Fascinating true story... :)

[tavalon]

8. I knew nothing about the lieutenant until after the movie

But I could read him really easily and I watched his transformation within the movie with fascination. He was too smart to be used in the way our military was using him. They needed to put a photogenic but less intelligent person in his position. I think it radicalized him and I was just sure he left the military and went on to be an activist. That he went on to work for Al Jazeera is just as cool in my book.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. I thought that it was pretty cool, too...

I definitely remember him from the movie and I felt the same way about him. He caught on and didn't like the position he was placed in. I saw the movie at least three years ago, so I don't remember everything, but I do remember him, and your reminder makes me want to see it again. It was a fascinating film... :hi:

[tavalon]

11. Yeah, it really was

[Rhiannon12866]

12. And I also agree with you about

The other member on this thread, LOL. He really has a very unique perspective on the world and is diligent about keeping us up to speed about happenings that we might otherwise not know about. We're lucky to have him here on DU. :)

[tavalon]

13. I'm learning that

I knew his name before but now I know him as the go to guy for Egypt.

[moodforaday]

7. (self delete)

(self delete, sorry!)