Sony pulls "The Interview" from theatres
Offline In response to the hacking and release of data from Sony pictures, and the threat of additional releases of information, Sony has capitulated to the demands of the hacker group and scrapped the release of the film that inspired the attack.
The response from western governments has been quick and full of condemnation. I can understand why. Giving in to blackmail is generally a bad idea.
However, I can't see that Sony had much choice. For 5 of the last 6 years, they have operated in the red. And the release of data that already happened has spawned at least one class action law suit and caused uncalculable damage to the reputation of the company as well as clients and employees. Many executives are in a position to lose their jobs over this issue.
If Sony kept the film release on schedule, the hackers promised to release much more data. Millions of user names, passwords, credit card details, and more. It would have kept them in the headlines for at least a year, and there is no way in hell that one movie could gross enough to offset the costs that would entail.
Hopefully they will be in a position to revise the decision in a few years, and release the film. In the meantime, I cannot disagree with their decision, despite the fact that I generally agree with policies that dictate there be no negotiation with criminals.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
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Already started a thread about this. "The Pope Must Diet, Hollywood now Un Friendly".
Delete mine or combine it with this one?
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
Judging from the title you chose, your topic covers more than one topic, while this one specifically deals exclusively with the film and the hacking. I don't think any action is warranted. If this forum had a thousand people sign in per day it might be different, but as is I don't see a need to do anything.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
It's totally a gimmick. Sony is playing their cards correctly. FREE ADVERTISMENT!! One of the top ten things searched on the web in the last 24 hours. So they delay the release, then get more people to go watch it.
i just hate it that they're trying to pass it off as some sort of bullshit safety issue. everyone knows north korea is full of fucking shit. i can't wait till they finally open that country up and find that 90% of the fucking weapons don't work.
"I have never felt comfortable around people who talk about their feelings for Jesus, or any other deity for that matter, because they are usually none too bright. . . . Or maybe 'stupid' is a better way of saying it; but I have never seen much point in getting heavy with either stupid people or Jesus freaks, just as long as they don't bother me. In a world as weird and cruel as this one we have made for ourselves, I figure anybody who can find peace and personal happiness without ripping off somebody else deserves to be left alone. They will not inherit the earth, but then neither will I. . . . And I have learned to live, as it were, with the idea that I will never find peace and happiness, either. But as long as I know there's a pretty good chance I can get my hands on either one of them every once in a while, I do the best I can between high spots."
--Hunter S. Thompson
I'm curious of your opinion on what it would take to open it up. I personally think it will be like Cuba for the most part, but worse in the long run.
China will take care of North Korea, when they feel like it. Noone else can. Unfortunately they'll probably take South Korea at the same time.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
I don't think China will take South Korea. They have too much invested in the global market for them to risk a regional or global 3rd world war. I do agree they have NK on a leash. I think NK would be making a huge mistake if they think China will have their back. Un is a little dickwead trying to look like a big boy.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
No matter the subject matter. And outside this particular issue. I do think some here need to take a chill about our exchanges. No I don't mean don't cuss me out. Have fun. All of us here get to go to bed at night. This girl knows first hand having lived in that fascist state what fear is. The worst we have to worry about is a "fuck you". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufhKWfPSQOw
Oh and yes I am going to bring up Hitchens again becaue he equated God to a dictator and leader of a "Celestial North Korea". The claim of this god as a concept, not a human rights issue is what he was criticizing. He was no fan of fascists in the slightest, state or theocracies.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
They won't start a third world war anymore than Russia will if it decides to take the rest of Ukraine. Noone in the west has the belly for a real fight where they stand to lose tens of thousands of people. Both China and Russia are currently in expansionist phases, and even the EU & the US can do nothing short of committing species suicide to prevent it. China will not allow a western power to sit on their doorstep one second longer than they have to. Japan may remain independent, but Korea has no chance in hell. Within 50 years, the entire Korean peninsula will be part of China.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
I think we can both agree I hope you are wrong. I don't know, I really do not see that. I do understand the tacticle advantage for China, I just think there still is enough of a mutual distruction mindset that pushing it that far would be a disaster for the planet. Cold war thinking on my part?
We may not like China's politics, but they have a good taste of the global market. I don't see them risking a regional or world war over Un. But I will concede it would be a tacticle advantage for them to control that intire peninsula. Lots of international water shipping lanes you could control.
Scary prospect to think about if what you say were to pan out.
"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers."Obama
Check out my poetry here on Rational Responders Like my poetry thread on Facebook under Brian James Rational Poet, @Brianrrs37 on Twitter and my blog at www.brianjamesrationalpoet.blog
The thing is that China is just as aware of and unwilling to start a nuclear war as anyone else, but they also recognise that noone else wants it either. The US cares about South Korea, but the US also cared about Cuba. There are certain things beyond the capacity of any government. The US isn't able to defend South Korea even today. Against North Korea they could, but not against China.
It won't result in a major war because China will be the superpower when it happens. Noone attacked the US when they invaded Iraq or Afghanistan, and noone will attack China when they take their surrounding area either. Noone will attack Russia over the Ukraine.
50 years of living in the shadow of a nuclear holocaust has created an atmosphere for the majority of Earth to not go there. People worry about North Korea and Iran having nukes, but those countries are no more suicidal than anyone else. Too many powers have easy access to nuclear weapons. Even Canada and Japan are well capable of building a stockpile in less than a year if push came to shove. There is no way to use nuclear weapons without being targeted by nuclear weapons.
It isn't impossible that someone crazy enough to use them will come to power somewhere, but noone in power today fits that description. Not even the leaders in North Korea. They've had the ability to wipe out Japan and South Korea both for years, and still haven't done so.
Nuclear war is not likely, even in a WW3 scenario. I do not see a future with nations casually throwing them around. The big nuclear threat today is in terrorism, not state vs state. I wouldn't put it past a criminal organisation. I would put it past a world power.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
I likely would never have heard of The Satanic Verses, much less made a point of reading it, had it not been for the fatwa against Salman Rushdie.
There are no theists on operating tables.
I agree with the Satanic Verses. They would have never made it big if the media didn't pick up on it.
I hear the local shows here were sold out. The reviews say it isn't a bad movie but I think Sony played the sympathy card and got some favoritism from various critics.