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The TV program 'Dallas'


John Dolva

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Here's a thought that's been rattling around in my head for years:

Does anyone else here think that it's possible the TV series 'Dallas' was propaganda?

Designed to promote the image of the city and Texan business men, after JFK's assassination gave it a reputation?

Carl, certainly (IMO) various popular media productions can engross people and create a gray area in knowledge and in reaction(a la' Pavlov). This can generate a large volume of discussion that clogs searches. For example a search for 'Valkyrie' often presents a large, (probably prime placement techniques for searches as used by web masters), collection of possible hits for the current movie 'Valkyrie'. Sinilarly, while stimulating interest, Stones JFK is wholly or partly taken as the truth while it's an adaptation of 'the garrison tapes' story. Poetic (or Directorial) licence. Stone himself emphasises this point. It's a fine line to tread ethically. How much 'Dallas' is/was a propaganda piece I can't say. Never watched it. The Simpsons has a mayor with a distinctly JFK accent, (and one episode has a wierd plot re the JFK assassination), and there's the counterpoint of the blithe Homer and consciencious truth seeker Lisa. In 'South Park', for a time, the faceless/voiceless Kenny was always brutally killed in every episode giving rise to the other kids Q : "Who killed Kenny".

addendum : Another example could be the hugely touted "The Longest Day" with the opening being a scene that served to hide an aspect of Op Overlord. The truth is far more interesting. A lesser interesting thing is the, (along with 'mickey mouse' Ronnie Raygonzo The Dumb), arch conservative. JBC supporter (photographed with Oswald in the background), everybodys hero : John Wayne, starring in it as (wiki) "Benjamin Hayes "Vandy" Vandervoort ...

...(3 March, 1917 in Gasport, New York - 22 November 1990) was an American soldier with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, who fought in World War II. He was twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Contents [hide]

1 Military Service

2 Post War

3 Popular Culture

4 Literature

5 External links

6 See also

7 References

[edit] Military Service

After his service as a lieutenant in the infantry, he joined the newly established paratroopers in the summer of 1940. He became a member of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division, when it was created.

Capt. Vandervoort was the S-3 of 505th commander Col. James M. Gavin when the regiment was dropped over Sicily* during the Operation Husky. Later he was made a company commander in the same regiment. After being promoted on 2nd June 1944 to Lieutenant Colonel, he commanded the 2nd Battalion, 505th PIR and led it in the American airborne landings in Normandy and in Operation Market Garden. General Matthew B. Ridgway described Vandervoort one time as ”[...] one of the bravest and toughest battle commanders I ever knew”.[1] In Goronne he was wounded by mortar fire, so that he was unable to take part in the divisions' pursuit to Germany. In 1946 Vandervoort retired from the U.S. Army.

[edit] Post War

After he left the army Vandervoort worked for the CIA."

"Benjamin Vandervoort died on the 22 November, 1990..."

(movie released 1962, many awards incl. a couple of Oscars)

*Prep for Anzio and Salerno

"The 505th Infantry Regiment, formerly the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment (505th PIR) is one of four infantry regiments of the 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army."

Activated in 1942, the regiment participated in the campaigns of Sicily, Salerno, Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge during WWII.("Following the German surrender***, the regiment served as part of the Allied occupation force in Berlin.")

During the 1960s, the 505th one of the units who played a role in Operation Power Pack in the Dominican Republic and later assisted local authorities during the civil disturbances which occurred within the United States. The regiment was sent to the Republic of Vietnam in 1968 during the Vietnam War. After the Vietnam War the 505th participated in various military operations. Among them were Operation Just Cause, Operation Desert Shield, Operation Restore Hope and Operation Enduring Freedom. The regiment's most recent engagement has been in Operation Iraqi Freedom."

"After World War II, the 505th returned to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In 1947 the separate 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion, the Army's only all-black Airborne unit, was merged into the 82nd when it was reflagged as the 3rd Battalion, 505 PIR. In June 1957, the regiment was reorganized and redesignated as the 505th Infantry and relieved from assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division. This marked the end of the era of infantry regiments as tactical units and the beginning of the Pentomic era, in which regimental numbers were used for the purpose of perpetuating lineages and honors.

Effective 1 September 1957 the lineage of Company A, 505 PIR was reorganized and redesignated as HHC, 1st Airborne Battle Group, 505th Infantry, and remained assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division (organic elements concurrently constituted and activated). It was relieved on 15 January 1959 from assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division and assigned to the 8th Infantry Division in Germany as part of a rotation that saw both 1-505th and 1-504th depart the 82nd. When the Pentomic era ended, 1-504th and 1-505th were reflagged respectively as 1st and 2nd Battalions (Airborne), 509th Infantry, elements of the 1st Brigade (Airborne), 8th Infantry Division on 1 April 1963."

Lots of rangers in the movie too.

.

Can you hear the drums Fernando?

I remember long ago another starry night like this. In the firelight Fernando. You were humming to yourself and softly strumming your guitar. I could hear the distant drums and sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar.

They were closer now Fernando. Every hour, every minute, seemed to last eternally. I was so afraid Fernando. We were young and full of life and none of us prepared to die and I'm not ashamed to say the roar of guns and cannons almost made me cry.

Now we're old and grey Fernando and since many years I haven't seen a rifle in your hand. Can you hear the drums Fernando? Do you still recall the fateful night we crossed the Rio Grande? I can see it in your eyes how proud you were to fight for Freedom in this land.

There was something in the air that night. The stars were bright, Fernando. They were shining there for you and me, for Liberty, Fernando. Though I never thought that we could lose there's no regret. If I had to do the same again I would my friend Fernando. Yes, if I had to do the same again I would my friend Fernando...

***( >>>TWO surrenders, to the soviets and to the western allies. Doenitz and others suggested Norway (Where Walker later worked in clearing POW's) as a neutral place to surrender. Anyway, the yanks sat back and waited outside Berlin while 300 000 Soviet soldiers died taking it. )

Edited by John Dolva
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The TV program Dallas, if anything, only solidified the reputation of the town as being a den of corruption. J.R., the lead character, was the villain, a sociopath. His younger brother Bobby (Hmmm...older brother--John Ross, younger brother--Bobby) was supposed to be the hero of the piece. That people chose to identify with J.R. was considered significant at the time, and symbolic of some sort of decay in American values. As a result, it was decided that in the finale J.R. would realize the error of his ways, and the pointlessness of his life, and commit suicide. He gets drunk, begins arguing with a mirror, while holding a pistol. His brother hears a gunshot and runs into the room, and mutters "Oh my God" (sound familiar?).

(While the incredible allure of quick cash led to several reunion movies, in which J.R. returned from hiatus after an attempted suicide, the image of a drunken J.R. arguing with himself in the mirror, and the sound of the gunshot, is the image that prevails.)

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See today's MSN.com hom page for story on how the TV show "24" and other entertainment prepped America for a black president.

http://www.msn.com/

I incline to Gore Vidal's view, expressed frequently since the 1980s, that corporations and other entities support and pay off both political parties to ensure that their needs are taken care of.

Obama is the latest in a line of obscure Reform candidates elevated to national prominence by the Democratic party to prove its liberalism and common-man appeal. The first was Woodrow Wilson, who brought you the Federal Reserve. Other likely suspects include FDR, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton. I have no real hope for change from him - I just pray that the two rounds of conservative-supported thievery (9/11 insider trading and the currenrt mortgage market scandal) will satisfy everone who profited on the people's lives and money, and will not crash the economy under Obama - who of course will not be blamed by the populace.

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