Originally published in Change-Links (website: Change-Links.org)

In the Democratic presidential debates of April 26, 2007, former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel said, "The military industrial complex not only controls our government lock stock and barrel, but they control our culture." Indeed, my visit to the set of the upcoming Transformers movie was a transparent affirmation of this statement.

The Transformers opens this summer and is being based on the wildly successful toy line and animated series of the same name which featured morphing robots battling each other.

August 26, 2006 (Los Angeles): The presence of the military at the location could not be missed: before my shuttle bus even pulled up to the site at 9th and Broadway Streets, I could see several actual U.S. troops in desert camouflage fatigues walking in an ally parallel to Broadway. (For a split second, I wondered if L.A. was under martial law.) The block of Broadway between 9th and 8th had been transformed into a battle zone populated by U.S. troops, many attending armed vehicles. This was a stark contrast to the many peace marches I had attended on this same spot. (Pictures of the filming here: http://eecue.com/images_archive/eecue-images-27212-transformers_movie_set.html.) Director Michael Bay, who worked with the military on previous films, even wore an Air Force baseball cap as he scrambled about the busy set.

As the day progressed, I learned more about the military's extensive co-operation on the Transformers: the filmmakers mentioned plans to do some filming at Edward's Air Force Base and possibly outside the Pentagon. ("I don't believe they've allowed a movie, since 9/11, to film the exterior of the Pentagon," said co-producer Ian Bryce. "We're the first, and it's because we have a very strong relationship [with the military], and we've worked hard to make sure that relationship is solid, that they trust us.")

When asked about conditions for the military's co-operation, Bryce replied: "Michael [Bay] and I both have relationships with the military from previous movies. The first step is to go to them and just alert them that there's a project that really requires military co-operation and assistance. So we made some phone calls a year or so ago and just let them know we were out here, and there was a script."

Once the Department of Defense read the script, "They were excited," he continued. "They had a few comments to make on the script, just about this and that, but generally, they were extremely enthusiastic and supportive to the project. For them it's all about showcasing the military in an appropriate and positive light, and is it going to have a positive impact on recruitment, which they feel that this one does."

Bryce went on to say that graphic violence was being avoided in this movie (i.e., violence will be depicted sans consequences. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry called this "dishonest violence"). "You've got to bear in mind that your audience is going to involve some younger kids. We're very careful about making sure you don't cross over a line. In terms of our human action, we're very careful about [showing] no blood. If there's a car [demolition] you want to see somebody get out and survive. There will be mayhem, but you want to be careful about the portrayal of it."

When Arlene Inouye of the Los Angeles-based Coalition Against Militarism in our Schools (CAMS, website: http://www.militaryfreeschools.org/) learned of my experience, she commented: "How long will we accept this glorification of war and guns as child's play? Haven't we had enough children killed through violence, gangs and the military? Let's question the values and let's question the mission. There is something wrong with a society that lures it's own children to kill other people's children in a foreign land."

". . . For them it's all about showcasing the military in an appropriate and positive light, and is it going to have a positive impact on recruitment, which they feel that this one does."

The Transformers didn't originate in Israel, and the instigators of this film who fought to get it made aren't even Jewish.The people who run Hollywoods studios were reluctant to make the film. They had not grown up on the toys or cartoons.

Israel has the largest peace movement in proportion to its population than any other country in the world. But just like the peace movement here, their views tend to get suppressed by media and other controlling forces.

Here in the U.S., I personally know several Jewish people in the peace movement (as well as Palestinians).

I don't like what's happening to the Palestinians either. Injustice seems to be universal on this planet.

The goal has always been oil. Israel fits in as the "guard dog" for American and European interests in the region. This relationship isn't a big secret, and all the big politicians say that they will support Israel because Israel supports the US's interests. That's just a way of saying that if the US bombs, invades, or conquers, Israel will "support" by not opposing, and in between these military actions, Israel will "support" by being a western military outpost and standing army. In turn, the West will "support" by giving Israel a crack at exploiting the acquired natural resources.

The idea that Israel is in control totally inverts the relationship.

As for media - definitely, Jewish people have influence, because they were one of the ethnic groups that got into the business when the movies were still new. Every new business sector is like that, to some extent, because we still have an ethnically stratified or segmented business environment.

They didn't make it by pushing their ethnic interests, though. Dreamworks SKG's founders are ethnically Jewish, but their content is pretty "white". I'm not sure what their political positions are, but here are some links:
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2006/656/7460

The real influence is in the tilt of the news, which is very pro-Israel and anti-Arab. But I doubt if it's something that's forced on people. Rather, it's probably the kind of racism that is so common that it appears to be normal, and any rejection of it will appear to be "radical."

Hollywood is being intimidated into complying with Bush's Fourth Reich. You are making a grave mistake by attacking our friends in Hollywood.

Are you working for the Whitehouse - trying to cause division among progressives?

Would you sign the following 'Open Letter' to ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and CNN? http://foxattacks.com/iran

Hollywood is being intimidated into complying with Bush's Fourth Reich. You are making a grave mistake by attacking our friends in Hollywood.

Are you working for the Whitehouse - trying to cause division among progressives?

Would you sign the following 'Open Letter' to ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and CNN? http://foxattacks.com/iran

Hollywood is on our side? It seems to me like a double-edged sword: on the one hand we have a long history of films critical of war like Born on the Fourth of July, but there's been at least as many pro-war films, both overt and covert. There have also been countless movies that glorify secret agents, and I think many of us will agree that secret agents don't deserve to be glorified--or portrayed to children as role models.

From a racial standpoint, Hollywood produced Birth of a Nation but also produced Malcolm X and Cry Freedom.

There are both "liberal" celebrities and rather conservative celebrities. Just a few weeks ago, actress Maria Conchita Alonso called Hugo Chavez totalitarian and said that Sean Penn is a dupe for supporting him. (Alonso was born in Cuba but grew up in Venezuela, where she began her acting career. I'm guessing she had a priveledged childhood.)