[jcoley2]

After 24 and Lost, this is my next most favotite show on TV. I have found the story line reasonable plausable (for TV) last night. If I see one more left-wing TV writer conspiracy show on how corporate america runs the country and politics I am going to freak out. They had a great plot goign with the conspiracy--why couln't they have been a little more original?

[billybobsky]

But corporate america does run the country and its politics, what's the issue?

[jcoley2]

Originally Posted by billybobsky But corporate america does run the country and its politics, what's the issue?

Come'on--you can't possibly believe that . . . .

[Brad]

Originally Posted by jcoley2 Come'on--you can't possibly believe that . . . .

Why not?

Certainly it's not exactly the way Prison Break, et al. portray it, but it is the corporations who have the big money lawyers and lobbyists that are directly responsible for shaping how our country's laws are passed.

Prime example of the decade: RIAA + MPAA. Do you honestly believe all the laws and court cases (both in the USA and elsewhere) that have gone in their favor are also purely benefitting the general public?

[billybobsky]

Originally Posted by jcoley2 Come'on--you can't possibly believe that . . . .

I am sorry?

I know how laws are passed. I know how people are elected. I know the backgrounds of most of the people who hold positions of power in the country. There is no doubt in my mind that corporate america holds more sway in Washington and the state Capitols than individual citizens or even most large groups of citizens.

It is the power of money.

[drewprops]

Think of this way, it's everything you don't want to believe it is.
You can quote me on that.

[rollercoaster375]

Originally Posted by Brad Why not? Certainly it's not exactly the way Prison Break, et al. portray it, but it is the corporations who have the big money lawyers and lobbyists that are directly responsible for shaping how our country's laws are passed. Prime example of the decade: RIAA + MPAA. Do you honestly believe all the laws and court cases (both in the USA and elsewhere) that have gone in their favor are also purely benefitting the general public?

Sure, they have lobbyists, however, there's isn't some overarching company that soley determines what should happen in our government (Let's also note that private lobbyist groups [Sierra Club] are also very able to get laws passed). Prison Break's plot is pretty insane.

[ghoti]

Just look at the DMCA, or the endless extensions of copyright, or the talk about content owners being able to destroy your computer if they find you're swapping files. While there may not be just one company that's controlling everything, those few large ones certainly wield an incredible amount of power. A lot more than they should.

[jcoley2]

Originally Posted by rollercoaster375 Prison Break's plot is pretty insane.

But as crazy as it has gotten lately, I still think the characters are awesome. I have never seen any of these prisonors on show before, so I give them credit for drafting some pretty good actors. Most of these guys will end up making it big in TV/Movie land.

[MagSafe]

Great show, I make sure to watch every Monday

Did anyone notice the blatent use of a Powerbook G4 in one of the episodes where the lawyer was hiding out in the woods?

[jcoley2]

Originally Posted by MagSafe Did anyone notice the blatent use of a Powerbook G4 in one of the episodes where the lawyer was hiding out in the woods?

Missed it but whom ever does product placement for Apple on TV shows does a great job. I notice the PB's more than any other single laptop on TV shows.

[Banana]

Just want to go on record for every conspiracy theorists out there-

I personally believe that most of things happen not because there is a secret evil organization with nefarious plans to dominate world though bizarre and twisted connections, but rather because there were enough people with enough common and enough money to achieve what they needed for their purposes, and when there are 1000s or even more, the mix can give out some interesting effects.

If you take a look at who's been successful at lobbying, you'll certainly notice that the groups that has a specific economic interest is much more successful than your groups that tries to improve the world.

You could argue rich people write rules, but that is only far as where their goals are common (e.g. they are more likely to write rules that will ensure that their products remain profitable for years and years). Beyond that, it's pretty much up for grabs.

So, conspiracy theories? Pile of craps spewed from a couple of random facts that *merely* had a coincidence.

[digitalAngel]

prison break is a great show!!! then followed by 24, monday nights are something i look forward to.

[billybobsky]

Originally Posted by rollercoaster375 Prison Break's plot is pretty insane.

The company in prison break is a reference to the CIA... (or some other intelligence agency)...

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Banana You could argue rich people write rules, but that is only far as where their goals are common (e.g. they are more likely to write rules that will ensure that their products remain profitable for years and years). Beyond that, it's pretty much up for grabs...

...so long as there's anything left in a particular field. Cue RIAA/MPAA/big media again.

Originally Posted by Banana So, conspiracy theories? Pile of craps spewed from a couple of random facts that *merely* had a coincidence.

That I can agree with.

It's worth mentioning that the conspiracy theory train may also currently be fueled by the recent actions of the US government, what with the NSA being given permission to spy on both international and domestic communications without requiring a warrant, the misinformation about the war in the Middle East, etc. That kind of work doesn't exactly impart a feeling of trust in federal agencies.

[Banana]

Originally Posted by Brad It's worth mentioning that the conspiracy theory train may also currently be fueled by the recent actions of the US government, what with the NSA being given permission to spy on both international and domestic communications without requiring a warrant, the misinformation about the war in the Middle East, etc. That kind of work doesn't exactly impart a feeling of trust in federal agencies.

Definitely.

The mindset of "assume everyone guilty until proven innocent" is becoming more prevalent, and I'm not talking about RIAA and MPAA.

That said, I would not be very surprised if all in end, it was shown that Bush & Co. did nothing more than they needed to do to protect and/or further their own interests while doing the minimum needed to keep people generally placated; anyone else who doesn't work into the picture are merely collateral damage or simply ignored. To imagine that Bush is out to become the next Castro or something like that is a bit... silly.