The clip listed below is one of the movies that I like immensely. It is Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels by Guy Ritchie before he married Madonna and when he showed talent and promise. The part that I'm really interested in is the middle of the clip, around the 3 minute mark.
"You go get the guns, I drive the car,"is the line I hope you caught. It's always been one of my favorite lines. It shows that even when you are on the qustionable side of things, the dodgy side of the law, there are always parts and roles that people must play in order to avoid chaos. Let's take Salim Ahmed Hamdan.
How about that for a segway?
Hamdan was caught in the early days of the invasion of Afghanistan trying to escape with his family by Afghani forces and sent to Guantanamo Bay. As a man known to be the former chauffer of Osama Bin Laden, he was tried recently as an unlawful enemy combatant on conspiracy charges and convicted as a person who provided mterial support for terrorism, presumably by driving Bin Laden’s car.
Now I am no lawyer and I know very little about law, but would I be wrong in assu
ming that by this logic, if he and Bin Laden had stopped by a local Kabul café and bought a cup of coffee and ma’s home made baklava, then the café owner could also be rounded up and also charged with providing aid, comfort and material support for terrorism? Kind of like how Dr Samuel Mudd was when he did his job and fixed John Wilkes Booth’s fractured leg after President Lincoln had been shot. But I don’t know.Actually what I am really asking, what really frightens me is if the government can and will go after some fat boy who is just a car driver and sentence him to 30 years, how far down the chain will they stop? If the President can determine anyone can be an unlawful enemy combatant whether they are American or not, who then will be safe from prosecution and undetermined sentencing and I wonder.
Interesting post - and great segway...how about I've never even seen Casablanca?
ReplyDeleteCasablan....who? Just kidding. I'm old... I've seen Casablanca! lol.
ReplyDeleteThe Driver: Because the gov't is desperate to get anybody remotedly tied to Bin Laden so they can say they've accomplished something eventhough it's sooooo far far away from why we went into it in the beginning.... but I'm just rambling.
This may come as a surprise then again maybe not, "I have not seen the movie Casablanca in it's entirty.
ReplyDeleteThe Government does things on it's own terms, some criminals nd criminal activity has little priority, strange has it is the Government exercises it's foolishness more often than not.
Why Capt. Butler you are the Silver Screen aficionado. Love your knowledge about old classics.
Yes your observation about the government and their antics are correct.
Darius - Darius Darius. Now I know your PBS station can't be that different from my PBS station and they show that movies at 6 to 10 times a year. You don't know the kind of classic movie that you are missing. A movie so almost perfect that as long as you don't think too hard about Humphrey Bogart selling his club with his hired help in it like as if Masah Lincoln didn't free the slaves, it will bring you to tears by it's perfection or at least make you think that you were Free French.
ReplyDeleteIf Only You Knew - 7 years of conflict and the man's driver is the best the Feds can do to bring to justice and then they throw book the kitchen sink and anything else they can think of at him for driving the car. Something ain't right here.
Chet - As for being a silver screen aficionado, that was what they showed on TV when I was growing up before cable, so most of the good ones I've seen more than once or twice. Next time Casablanca comes on, sit down and watch it from the beginning to "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." and you'll see why it is always listed in everyone's top 10.
Man another classic movie. Boggy was one of the ones that taught me about suit game
ReplyDeleteT - Can't argue with your choice of fashion, no style icon. When they put him in suit, it was usually a simple suit with no bells and whistles but well tailored and timeless, he looked ageless and good in whatever role he had.
ReplyDelete