PBS finished their run last night of a documentary series called Carrier, about the crew of an air craft carrier based in the Persian Gulf in 2006. It was extremely interesting, and worth watching out for a repeat airing.
What really caught my attention about it, though, was that PBS was airing a documentary that featured lots of moderate views - moderate, logical Christians; soldiers who recognized that making the decisions on when and why to go to war isn't for them, who, to quote Robert A. Heinlein, recognized that "the purpose of war is to support your government's decisions by force". Yes, there were soldiers interviewed who were critical about their motives for being in the Gulf at that time, and soldiers who were atheists, but there were also plenty who were just plain career soldiers, the kind the media doesn't like to talk about these days, and plenty of Christians soldiers who were well-spoken and quite sane.
Don't get me wrong, I like PBS - they bring me things like America's Test Kitchen and Masterpiece Theatre - but they're not exactly known for airing non-fiction programs that aren't focused on extreme leftist views. Especially not where things like religion and war are concerned. I mean, have you ever seen an episode of Nova?
So kudos to the documentarian/interviewer for a skillful, well-balanced recording of military life in all its complexity, and to PBS for actually airing it. If Carrier has a repeat airing, I recommend setting your DVRs for this excellent and interesting program.
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2 comments:
Come on you're a Canadian. If you think PBS is too leftist then you should move to American where the extreme right wing nuts rule. They will tell you to throw away your Canadian government health care because it's too socialism. Furthermore, you have to pay all kind of taxes, but don't expect any benefits from the government because you suppose to responsible for yourself. So if bad things happen, such as Katrina or earth quake, you have to help yourself. Your tax dollars will help supporting foreign lands/leaders (for our interest of course). Your tax money also helps funding the NSA to tap your phoneline, your emails...all in the name of freedom. By the way the arm force currently has a little trouble recruiting. We welcome right-wing Canadian to joint our arm force. In return we will offer you a US citizenship.
i'm not sure i understand your critique of my viewing PBS as very leftist, since it was composed mostly of your displeasure with the U.S. government and, your last sentence seemed to imply that i love war.
my concern regarding what documentaries PBS chooses to air isn't based on whether they are right or left, it's the notable lack of balance in the percentage of right or left documentaries that they pick up. one thing i do like to see anywhere is balanced reporting, and i'm disappointed that PBS doesn't have it. i feel that if anyone should be airing the unfortunately rare commodity of unbiased reporting, it should be public televesion.
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