"Terrorists Are Human' Claims "Twilight Actress" Kristen Stewart

Star of the "Twilight" series, Kristen Stewart,  has piped in on terrorism claiming that terrorists are only human. Really?  People who behead and blow up innocent men women and children, rape and enslave non-Muslim females, are human? Well, if that's considered human, I want no part of humanity.  Terrorists might inhabit human bodies, but they are far from human.

Apparently, this comment was made during an interview with the leftist online rag The Daily Beast. She stars as a military police officer in Camp X-Ray, who befriends a detainee in Gitmo. Director Peter Sattler had wanted the film to be apolitical, but I'm not sure how possible that might be considering the subject matter.

Marlow Stern asked Stewart about the relationship between the detainee and Stewart's character:

Your character’s relationship with Peyman’s detainee reminds us of the humanity of these people. We tend to view suspected terrorists as this nameless, faceless “other,” when they’re human beings, too.

Stewart's response:

As Americans, we should absolutely aspire to more than that. If you label something “bad,” people will justify the most terrible things. Just because you’re following a greater whole, suddenly you take the individual out of it and no one bears responsibility for anything." 

The rest of the discussion regarding Camp X-Ray:

Stern:

She really gets swept up in all the post 9/11 patriotism and signs up for Gitmo duty, only to find that it isn’t what she thought at all.

Stewart:

She’s simple, not very smart, and really socially inadequate—but a good person. So, if you can sign up, put a uniform on, and erase yourself, you don’t have to consider yourself anymore. You can take the individual out of it and say, “Well, this dignifies me. I’m good because of this.” And when that doesn’t end up being true, you actually have to contend with who you are. All she wants is to think, “They did 9/11, they’re bad, fuck that, I’m going to do my job and I’m going to do it well.” But then she gets down there and just can’t accept it; she can’t conform to that.

Stern:

Right. The mistake we make is not viewing these detainees down there as people, too. We’re all people.

Stewart:

That is essentially so fucking evil, it’s crazy. It’s a ridiculous idea for you to think that you know anything for sure in life—other than to take care of your fellow people. Where the fuck do you get off thinking otherwise? These two people couldn’t be from more different worlds and perspectives, and probably disagree fundamentally on most things, but there’s a through-line for all of us—and that’s what people forget, and that’s what makes people capable of doing terrible things to each other. What makes you different from any other person that walks the earth?

What makes us different from terrorists, Kristen and Marlow? Most of us have a moral compass, and a conscience. We know it's wrong to murder others. Yes, we as actors have to sometimes play evil characters, and we need to justify the character's actions, because from the character's perspective we are doing nothing wrong. But that does not mean the actor has to embrace or justify that evil.

Jon Voight Blasts Cruz and Bardem Over "Ignorant" Letter

In response to the 'open letter' Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem wrote condemning Israel's latest actions in Gaza, calling it a 'genocide', Jon Voight penned a letter of his own blasting the duo for fomenting anti-Semitism around the world.

In a guest column published in The Hollywood Reporter, he wrote:

My name is Jon Voight and I am more than angry, I am heartsick that people like Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem could incite anti-Semitism all over the world and are oblivious to the damage they have caused.

They are obviously ignorant of the whole story of Israel’s birth, when in 1948 the Jewish people were offered by the UN a portion of the land originally set aside for them in 1921, and the Arab Palestinians were offered the other half. The Arabs rejected the offer, and the Jews accepted, only to be attacked by five surrounding Arab countries committed to driving them into the sea. But the Israelis won. The Arabs tried it again in 1967, and again in 1973, launching a sneak attack on the holiest Jewish holiday. Each time the Jews prevailed but not without great loss of life. And when Israel was not fighting a major war, it was defending itself against terrorist campaigns.

And yet Israel has always labored for a peaceful relation with its Arab neighbors. It voluntarily returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in return for peace, and gave the Palestinians all of Gaza as a peace gesture. What was the response? The Palestinians elected Hamas, a terrorist organization, and they immediately began firing thousands of rockets into Israel.

After years of trying to make peace, the wars they had to fight, being attacked by their enemies, and still being attacked, and finally after years of running into bomb shelters and having hundreds of civilians killed by suicide bombers, civilians being killed in their sleep, stabbed to pieces, finding enough is enough and finally retaliating, instead of my peers sticking up for the only democratic country in that region, they go and take out poison letters against them.

You have forgotten how this war started. Did Hamas not kidnap and kill three young teenagers for the sake of killing, and celebrated after the killing? What a travesty of justice.

I am asking all my peers who signed that poison letter against Israel to examine their motives. Can you take back the fire of anti-Semitism that is raging all over the world now?

You have been able to become famous and have all your monetary gains because you are in a democratic country: America. Do you think you would have been able to accomplish this in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, et cetera? You had a great responsibility to use your celebrity for good. Instead, you have defamed the only democratic country of goodwill in the Middle East: Israel.

You should hang your heads in shame. You should all come forth with deep regrets for what you did, and ask forgiveness from the suffering people in Israel.

Of course, Voight is an unapologetic conservative- he's a star, he can afford to be.

Cruz and Bardem did 'clarify' their position after a barrage of criticism regarding the letter, but it's too little, too late. The damage is already done

Bardem issued this statement:

“My signature was solely meant as a plea for peace. Destruction and hatred only generate more hatred and destruction.

While I was critical of the Israeli military response, I have great respect for the people of Israel and deep compassion for their losses. I am now being labeled by some as anti-Semitic, as is my wife – which is the antithesis of who we are as human beings. We detest anti-Semitism as much as we detest the horrible and painful consequences of war.

I was raised to be against any act of violence, and the consequent suffering of humanity for it, regardless of religions, ethnicities and borders. Too many innocent Palestinian mothers have lost their children to this conflict. Too many innocent Israeli mothers share the same grief. There should not be any political reason that can justify such enormous pain on both sides. It’s my hope that leaders involved in this complicated struggle will heed the call of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, ‘In the name of humanity, the violence must stop.’

Palestinians and Israelis in the region deserve to have their safety and human rights recognized and respected so in the near future they may find peace and co-existence, for themselves and their innocent children. So generations to come could bring hope, forgiveness and compassion for each other. This is the most basic and necessary way to peace for all of us.”

Cruz earlier released this statement:

“I don’t want to be misunderstood on this important subject. I’m not an expert on the situation and I’m aware of the complexity of it. My only wish and intention in signing that group letter is the hope that there will be peace in both Israel and Gaza. I am hopeful all parties can agree to a cease fire and there are no more innocent victims on either side of the border. I wish for unity, and peace.”

Most wish for unity and peace, but that's not going to happen as long as Hamas remains in power, and you're an idiot if you think otherwise.

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem Condemn Israel's Genocide In Gaza

Actress Penelope Cruz and her actor hubby Javier Bardem, along with film director Pedro Almodovar and several other Spanish entertainment names, have signed an 'open letter' protesting Israel's incursion into Gaza, calling it "genocide."  Calling what is happening in Gaza 'genocide' is as ignorant as calling Israel an apartheid state, neither of which are true, but they're actors, after all, ruled more by emotion than intellect.

The actors demanded a stronger response by the European Union to stop the military operation that has so far killed more than 1,200 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Civilians, including many children, have made up the majority of those killed in the offensive that Israel says is necessary to stop Hamas firing rockets at its cities.

The letter, printed by Europa Press and other Spanish news outlets, reads: "Gaza is living through horror these days, besieged and attacked by land, sea and air.

"Palestinians' homes are being destroyed, they are being denied water, electricity [and] free movement to their hospitals, schools and fields while the international community does nothing."

Of course, no cognizance or acknowledgment of the fact that Hamas flagrantly uses Gazans as human shields, or that Hamas actually encouraged Gazan citizens to ignore the  IDF's warnings to evacuate the area, leading to more casualties than might have occurred had they fled.

Labelling the Israeli military the "Israel Occupation Forces", it demanded an immediate ceasefire and urged Israel to "lift the blockade, which the Gaza Strip has suffered for more than a decade".

It blamed the latest hostilities on Israel’s advancement into Palestinian territories instead of observing the 1967 borders pre-dating the Six-Day War.

The latest hostilities are a result of a non-stop bombardment of rockets launched by Hamas into Israeli territory. And demanding the lifting of the blockade? How come they don't demand Egypt do the same thing? And the Israelis would be idiots to do that considering Hamas wants to annihilate Israel, it says as much in the Charter.

Others who signed their names to the letter were some lesser known actors and musicians:

Benito Zambrano, actors Lola Herrera, Eduardo Noriega and Rosa Maria Sarda and two musicians, Amaral and Nacho Campillo.

Source: Independent UK

Meryl Streep Blasts Disney For Anti-Semitism While Praising Emma Thompson

The National Board of Review had its annual pre-Golden Globes dinner. Emma Thompson is up for a Best Actress award for Disney's "Saving Mr. Banks", where she plays P.L. Travers, the creator of "Mary Poppins," and Meryl Streep was there to heap praises on good 'ol Emma.  Meryl's 9 minute speech included a rant against Walt Disney himself for his anti-women, anti-Semitic stances, all the while calling Emma "practically a saint." Meryl even wrote a poem for her buddy Emma titled "An Ode to Emma, Or What Emma is Owed."

Calling Emma practically a saint all the while criticizing Disney for supporting anti-Semitic lobbying groups?  Doesn't Meryl know that Emma is queen of the anti-Israel Boycott and Divestment movement, which is just another form of anti-Semitism?

Meryl, Meryl.

Source: Variety

Jackie Chan Claims The U.S. Is The Most Corrupt Country In The World

Actor Jackie Chan thinks the U.S. is the most corrupt country in the world. Oh really? I know we have corruption but we are hardly the most corrupt. And how about looking in your own back yard, Mr. Chan.

Hong Kong action hero Jackie Chan has once again provoked criticism, this time from an American blogger, after suggesting on Chinese television that the U.S. is the "most corrupt" country in the world.

"When you talk about corruption -- the whole world, is there corruption in the United States? The most corrupt in the world!" the Rush Hour star, who has made headlines recently for his controversial views, told Phoenix TV last month.

Chan reaffirmed his view after the show's host questioned him -- "Of course! Where did the great breakdown come from? The world, the United States started it," Chan said, referring to the financial crisis and gesticulating as he spoke.

His comments were rebuked Thursday by Max Fisher, a foreign affairs blogger for the Washington Post, who called them "anti-American" rhetoric that was rooted in China's insecurity.

"To the degree that Chan's comments were anti-American, they likewise reflect a common Chinese view of the United States, one that is rooted not just in attitudes toward America but in China's proud but sometimes insecure view of itself," Fisher said.

Jackie Chan also said China is a relatively young country, where in the first half of its history it was "bullied by so many people", and that it only achieved "real success" in the past decade.

"Our country's leaders admit they are corrupted, etcetera. We are improving -- I can see our country is constantly improving and learning," he said, adding that everyone is making an issue out of China because it is "powerful" now.