The Futility of Arguing Bias

Spin goes both ways. There are brilliant contortion artists on both sides. Though this may come as a shock, the same source can be used to prove either a liberal or conservative bias. The other day my intelligence was insulted when a liberal happy peer of mine told me, with the indignation and certainty that only young people are capable of, that the film the 300 was clear proof of a conservative bias that has crept into historically liberal Hollywood. This jumping off point will serve as my "proof" that you can use the same source to prove two opposing ideologies. 

As you may not be familiar with the film, I will illustrate the scene and then make my point. Dramatically opening, sans credits, with a dutch style forced perspective shot of a bed of skulls a voice over informs the viewer that the Spartans (the heroes of the film) inspect every male newborn. If the child is deformed or weak, he is cast over the cliff to sure demise. A warrior nation cannot have weak links. Well, the film is clearly promoting abortion, specifically partial birth abortion (something that any doctor will tell you does not exist, but which Ann Coulter will adamantly say does). Only at this state of development (already on the way out), could a mother know that her child was deformed, or in some way not satisfactory. The opening scene validates the barbaric, immoral practice of playing God in determining a baby's right to life.

Now, let's be liberal. Faced with what he considers an imminent threat, the Spartan king overrides Sparta's senate by mobilizing an army and marching on the Persians. Sound familiar? The Spartan king is Bush (no, duh?). He decided, based on false evidence, such as the claim that British intelligence and our own intelligence believed that Sudam Heussien had secured uranium or, my favorite, that our enemies are "evil", to go to war without the backing of the United Nations. The 300 promotes a warhawk ruler's right to toss democracy to the wayside for what he believes is right. Ruler knows best.

Schizophrenic shift - conservative time. To garner support for her husband's war efforts the queen offers herself to a senate leader. Morality flouter. Blinded by their cult-like dedication to Clinton, liberals have to condone any sexual promiscuity. Even worse, when accused of her act in the senate, she denies it! Well, kind of. Evasive response to direct questions seem to cut it for liberals. 

Liberal. After a treacherous mountain jaunt, the Spartan 300 arrive at the Hot Gates. Here they will makes their initial stand against the Persians. And wouldn't you know, the Persians show up with turbans, "unchristian" piercings, and dark skin! The enemy is comprised souly of blacks and arabs. I find it suspicious too. We all know that the Republicans are racists who hate the blacks and are just biding their time until they can reinstate segregation or polish them off by arming every white toddler. And don't even get me started about the Arabs. Conservative hatred for Arabs is on its way to reinstating the camp system utilized to round up the Japanese in world war two. I could continue, but you get the point. I'd like to mention that the film is based on Frank Miller's graphic novel 300 (and don't even get me started on how comic books are warping our youth, causing mass violence and dementia), which is based on an ancient legend (reminder, legends are exaggerated versions of real events). So some, probably slightly less glorious, version of he story actually happened. Spartans fought Persians. Now I could be wrong, but I'm guessing they had no idea that one day, way, way off in the future, there would be a country called the United States who would be at war with people in the Middle East. They were not fighting so that we could mutilate their story. To say that that story was articulated to support any partisan position is preposterous. So is the obsession with bias.