VIDEO-"...there will be no question for whom they will cast their ballots"

March 20, 2005

HBO Carnivàle: - 3/20

The continued trampling of our constitutional rights has caused this to be a dark weekend.

Sometimes there is more truth in allegory than there is in news. When I saw the following scene on this week's episode of the HBO dramatic series Carnivàle, I thought it might also hold some interest to those of you trying to understand our "faith-based" elections.

HBO describes the series this way:

The final battle between Good and Evil is looming, and Ben Hawkins and Brother Justin are on a collision course that could determine the fate of the world...

CARNIVALE follows a traveling carnival as it wends its way across the Dust Bowl, focusing on Ben Hawkins, a mysterious 18-year-old fugitive with hidden talents who is taken in by the carnival, and Brother Justin, the charismatic, shadowy evangelist who will ultimately cross his path. The series takes place at a time of worldwide unrest, with evil on the rise around the globe and the Great Depression wreaking economic and social havoc here at home.

The viewer knows that Brother Justin is the embodiment of evil but his followers only know that he is a charismatic evangelist who is strong with the power of the Lord.

In this scene, Brother Justin's loyal politicians are worried because they have been caught gerrymandering. As the politicians are forced to kneel by the divine (but yet evil) power of Brother Justin, he says to them:

"Once the voters of Sandinito County understand the choice presented them, there will be no question for whom they will cast their ballots.

That's right... Faith, Gentlemen."

It is much more meaningful in the context of the story. I hope that even if you don't follow this series, you will find something familiar about the following clip.

(try to find the halo when Brother Justin's evil powers kick in)



Video in Real Media format (2 minutes)

Freaks me out, too.

Then, Deadwood and the "law and order" theme (lawless crooks vs. good guys trying to stop the madness)...

Think HBO is trying to say something?

If I were to tell you we are in the middle of the fourth reich, would you believe me?

Six months ago the answer might have been a definite no I'm guessing.

Today though it pretty much can't be denied.

The good news is all the NAZI documents have been released, and the real history these folks didn't want to get out.

But the good news is that the neocons haven't taken over all of the media. The true artists and great thinkers are still out there.

There are some things that you can't fake by repeating Rove's talking points or playing the same news clip over and over.