‘Seal Team Six’; America’s answer to ‘The Dismissal’

 “The buck stops here.” – President Truman

"Suppose they'd [Seal Team 6] been captured or killed? The downside would have been horrible for him." – Bill Clinton

National Geographic intends to run the film ‘Seal Team Six’ two days out from the Presidential election.  There are conflicting reports as to the degree to which it is a propaganda effort to enhance the role of President Obama in the raid; one, which liberals and the White House contend, was truly heroic.  That is only the case for those who put a political agenda ahead of national security.

Notably, those associated with the making of the film are defending the timing, claiming that it is “well timed for us because we believe the topic is interesting at all times.”: 

National Geographic Channels CEO David Lyle says the film was indeed recut — but to show less footage of the president than an earlier version of the film.  “I think the end titles run longer than Obama’s time on screen,” Lyle said. 

Conservatives have accused the movie of having a political agenda in part because of its Nov. 4 premiere date and it’s backing by Obama supporter Harvey Weinstein. On Wednesday, The New York Times reported that a copy of the film provided to the paper showed that it had been recut to strengthen Obama’s role. 

Lyle said the movie was “well timed for us because we believe the topic is interesting at all times” and called the notion that two minutes of screen time would affect the election laughable. … 

… Freddy Rodriguez, who plays a Navy SEAL in SEAL Team Six, said there was no political agenda behind the film.  

“I think people who are in the opposing party are going to say that, of course. It’s bound to happen because it fell on Obama’s watch. And there’s footage of him in the film, so how could people not have that criticism? It’s almost expected,” Rodriguez said. 

His co-star, Kathleen Robertson, doesn’t believe the criticism is fair.  “It’s impossible to make a film about the killing of Osama bin Laden without the president being a part of that film,” Robertson said.

Making a movie of the raid without the President being a part of it would after all be a bit like Australians making a movie of the Milne Bay battle without including Prime Minister John Curtin.  Old John though would not have wanted a starring roll and would have been embarrassed if such a thing occurred.  A real leader doesn’t try to insert himself into the narrative when others have carried out the heroics.

Over here in Oz, just prior to federal elections, we are accustomed to seeing the government broadcaster, the ABC show a rerun of ‘The Dismissal,’ a leftist puff piece relating to the events of 11November 1975 when the Whitlam government was sacked by Governor General John Kerr.  This was a seminal event in the victimist thinking of all lefties and being reminded of it gets them all worked up into the right frame of mind to go to the ramparts.

The reality was that The dismissal ended a constitutional crisis in the nation when the inept Whitlam government was attempting to cling to power without being able to pass a budget.  Australians grasped the opportunity to thrash them for it in the ensuing election.

It looks like the Americans are catching up.