Watch the PBS documentary in small streaming format from PBS.org or download the higher-quality bittorrent version
The PBS Frontline special, Rumsfeld’s War, details the internal power struggles that have shaped American foreign policy over the last ten years. The documentary is available, as one web forum poster put it, “…in Gameboy size resolution and s-s-s-s-streaming format…” at the PBS website. For a significantly better viewing experience, there a complete bittorrent version (bittorrent file) with much higher quality.
The documentary is striking for several reasons. First, the internal political posturing that characterizes the most powerful positions in U.S. foreign policy is as fascinating as any Hollywood war drama.
Second, the line between fiction and reality is eerily faint when all of your information comes through a small color screen in your living room. Last week, I was struck by the lack of contrast between the depiction of the Middle East conflict (or as Jon Stewart calls it, “Mess-o-potamia”) as depicted in the NBC drama, The West Wing, and the nightly America television news.
Regardless, the PBS special, Rumsfeld’s War, is worth watching.
Comments
Will Pate - October 31, 2004 2:53 pm
That was a good show. I found it as informative as The Fifth Estate's The Unauthorized Biography of Dick Cheney, which is sadly not streamed online. Come on CBC, get with the times!
Ryan Hillier - November 1, 2004 1:34 pm
Good call, Will! That doc was extremely insightful and well done.
You also might be interested in this also.
Kyle Rove - November 10, 2004 4:28 am
Yes, a well-done, relatively unbiased look at how the Iraq war unfolded within the administration. With such a "big picture" of what went on, it almost sickens the soul how little most people know about this topic.
Thanks for the BitTorrent link!