Michael Bresciani
D'Souza's 'America' uncovers a generation of liberal lies
By Michael Bresciani
One of the contributors of the American Prophet website submitted a critique of D'Souza's film just days before its release. Along with other reports it was the impetus for my trip to the local theatre to see for myself what the buzz was all about.
I am now convinced that much more than a mere buzz; D'Souza's offering is a trumpet, which every American should see regardless of their race, political persuasion or national origin.
D'Souza has an advantage over almost any filmmaker in America today and he could not be a more perfect choice to make this film because he is an Indian born immigrant whose love for this country was not biased by an education in U.S. schools where the curriculum has been carefully and unremittingly skewed to the left for an entire generation.
The film deals with generational lies that have slowly crept into the national dialogue, educational system and the political rhetoric of the left. The shear persistence of these lies and the willingness to lay these prevarications before an unsuspecting generation of our youth as 'true history' has fostered a kind of 'new truth' that after all is nothing but syncopated, syndicated, deliberate and dangerous lies meant to lead America into a day of self-loathing and inordinate guilt.
But is the film fair?
In fact, the opening elements of the film are all about the history and the narrative of the modern view of our past. So much time was given to these views that I began to wonder if D'Souza was leaning liberal. Yet, he gave each element full time and explained each view without bias or coloration. Some of the subjects outlaid are:
Using an an array of facts, historical honesty and bare knuckles attacks on liberally biased accounting of events, Dinesh goes round after round to win the match between a generationally long swindle of the American narrative and the simple truth that America has much more to be proud of than she has to be ashamed of; in fact, it is the false narrative of history, now taught to every school kid that is – the real shame.
As an example, the view that all Native Americans were abused, displaced and subject to genocide is countered with the truth about the warring and constant displacement of tribes done by the Native Americans themselves.
The picture painted by today's historians, of a perfectly balanced nation of natives, all happily just living off the land, and never taking more than they needed, and living in perfect harmony with nature and each other, is seen as a naïve. Tribes were always warring and cruelty, slavery and genocide was commonly practiced by many tribes – long before Europeans arrived.
In the mid-eighties, I was able to spend some time in the beautiful state of Oregon where I found a Kalapuya Indian mound about fifty miles south of the Columbia River. The mound is a raised area where the natives camped.
Musing through thousands of broken arrow heads and other artifacts I came across a large "L" shaped rock that was covered with some sort of inscription. It could be held in hand and looked like it may have been a tool of some kind. After inquiring at the home of a local collector and historian of the tribe I discovered that the ominous looking rock was a "slave killer." It was used to kill any slave won through raids and conquests and who dared to attempt an escape.
Slavery was practiced by many tribes in this country not just the Kalapuya.
This knowledge is not used here or in any other historical context to besmirch the history of Native Americans, but is only a call to a more honest view of history. This is exactly the kind of thing D'Souza repeatedly accomplished in his film.
Little wonder that while men fancy themselves to be nobler and greater than others, the failings of all men are far more universal than we want to admit and that includes the proclivity towards slavery. It was, no doubt, what caused the inspired writer of the Psalms to proclaim:
"The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works." (Psalm 33: 13–15)
The theatre I attended was almost completely sold out and the few seats remaining were those far too close to the screen for almost anyone. The only disturbing thing about seeing this film gripped me as I went down to the front of the theatre and turned to view the audience. I wanted to see if what age groups were represented, but to my dismay, I saw mostly older people and some middle agers.
I couldn't help thinking that this is the wrong crowd; D'Souza's film should be shown to every school aged child from about the sixth grade and up. Both the book and the film should be required reading for anyone in high school and it should be on the book report list of every major undergraduate course in many, if not all, of our colleges and universities.
The best possible action to follow the premiere of this film would be a strong follow up of its distribution to schools, churches and civic organizations and possibly an effort should be mounted to place it in the official curriculum of major schools across the nation.
If it sounds like this writer is biased – I am. But I was biased long before D'Souza ever came to this country by the pursuit of truth. Truth by any definition is the only path to freedom, but by the best definition it is the only way to be free.
Jesus said, "...ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jn 8: 32)
At this point in our history the effects of years of liberalism and rising amorality, D'Souza's film is a welcome relief for a generational long gloomy cloud of lies and the casting of aspersions on the greatest nation the earth has ever seen.
We can be thankful that the film, if used correctly, will be a great source for re-discovering the truth about America and the freedom that comes from recognizing that truth.
© Michael Bresciani
July 7, 2014
One of the contributors of the American Prophet website submitted a critique of D'Souza's film just days before its release. Along with other reports it was the impetus for my trip to the local theatre to see for myself what the buzz was all about.
I am now convinced that much more than a mere buzz; D'Souza's offering is a trumpet, which every American should see regardless of their race, political persuasion or national origin.
D'Souza has an advantage over almost any filmmaker in America today and he could not be a more perfect choice to make this film because he is an Indian born immigrant whose love for this country was not biased by an education in U.S. schools where the curriculum has been carefully and unremittingly skewed to the left for an entire generation.
The film deals with generational lies that have slowly crept into the national dialogue, educational system and the political rhetoric of the left. The shear persistence of these lies and the willingness to lay these prevarications before an unsuspecting generation of our youth as 'true history' has fostered a kind of 'new truth' that after all is nothing but syncopated, syndicated, deliberate and dangerous lies meant to lead America into a day of self-loathing and inordinate guilt.
But is the film fair?
In fact, the opening elements of the film are all about the history and the narrative of the modern view of our past. So much time was given to these views that I began to wonder if D'Souza was leaning liberal. Yet, he gave each element full time and explained each view without bias or coloration. Some of the subjects outlaid are:
- The question of whether America actually had Christian foundations
- The Horrors of the Slave trade in America
- The mishandling of Native Americans
- The great land grab from Mexico
- Theft of other nation's wealth and colonialism
- The 'unjust' waging of war in Vietnam
- The creeping effect of socialism and its origins
Using an an array of facts, historical honesty and bare knuckles attacks on liberally biased accounting of events, Dinesh goes round after round to win the match between a generationally long swindle of the American narrative and the simple truth that America has much more to be proud of than she has to be ashamed of; in fact, it is the false narrative of history, now taught to every school kid that is – the real shame.
As an example, the view that all Native Americans were abused, displaced and subject to genocide is countered with the truth about the warring and constant displacement of tribes done by the Native Americans themselves.
The picture painted by today's historians, of a perfectly balanced nation of natives, all happily just living off the land, and never taking more than they needed, and living in perfect harmony with nature and each other, is seen as a naïve. Tribes were always warring and cruelty, slavery and genocide was commonly practiced by many tribes – long before Europeans arrived.
In the mid-eighties, I was able to spend some time in the beautiful state of Oregon where I found a Kalapuya Indian mound about fifty miles south of the Columbia River. The mound is a raised area where the natives camped.
Musing through thousands of broken arrow heads and other artifacts I came across a large "L" shaped rock that was covered with some sort of inscription. It could be held in hand and looked like it may have been a tool of some kind. After inquiring at the home of a local collector and historian of the tribe I discovered that the ominous looking rock was a "slave killer." It was used to kill any slave won through raids and conquests and who dared to attempt an escape.
Slavery was practiced by many tribes in this country not just the Kalapuya.
This knowledge is not used here or in any other historical context to besmirch the history of Native Americans, but is only a call to a more honest view of history. This is exactly the kind of thing D'Souza repeatedly accomplished in his film.
Little wonder that while men fancy themselves to be nobler and greater than others, the failings of all men are far more universal than we want to admit and that includes the proclivity towards slavery. It was, no doubt, what caused the inspired writer of the Psalms to proclaim:
"The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works." (Psalm 33: 13–15)
The theatre I attended was almost completely sold out and the few seats remaining were those far too close to the screen for almost anyone. The only disturbing thing about seeing this film gripped me as I went down to the front of the theatre and turned to view the audience. I wanted to see if what age groups were represented, but to my dismay, I saw mostly older people and some middle agers.
I couldn't help thinking that this is the wrong crowd; D'Souza's film should be shown to every school aged child from about the sixth grade and up. Both the book and the film should be required reading for anyone in high school and it should be on the book report list of every major undergraduate course in many, if not all, of our colleges and universities.
The best possible action to follow the premiere of this film would be a strong follow up of its distribution to schools, churches and civic organizations and possibly an effort should be mounted to place it in the official curriculum of major schools across the nation.
If it sounds like this writer is biased – I am. But I was biased long before D'Souza ever came to this country by the pursuit of truth. Truth by any definition is the only path to freedom, but by the best definition it is the only way to be free.
Jesus said, "...ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jn 8: 32)
At this point in our history the effects of years of liberalism and rising amorality, D'Souza's film is a welcome relief for a generational long gloomy cloud of lies and the casting of aspersions on the greatest nation the earth has ever seen.
We can be thankful that the film, if used correctly, will be a great source for re-discovering the truth about America and the freedom that comes from recognizing that truth.
© Michael Bresciani
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