All Got It Comin'

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This guy makes some intelligent points, but his argument about brushing aside Samantha Geimer's plea that the Polanski case should be forgotten because the laws are about protecting "we the people" and "for the good of the people" sounds a little wingnutty to me.

The 78 year-old Polanski doing more time will, I realize, make a symbolic statement that justice prevails and no one can ultimately defy U.S. law. But anyone over the age of 10 will see this as hollow moralistic theatre -- a play aimed at those who refuse to tune in to the truly serious corruptions and malignancies plaguing the country and the planet, but whose pulses race when someone talks about putting Polanksi's head on a pike.

Polanski would do well to stop fighting extradition and just see the situation through in the U.S. and do whatever he can to put the case to an end. A 10.9 Thomson Reuters report quotes Polanski's lawyer as saying his client "is in fighting mood and determined to defend himself" and then "U.S. judicial sources" saying "the complex extradition process could take years, if Polanski challenges it." In other words, he's dug in and determined to stay in a Swiss jail for as long as it takes -- possibly "years" -- in order to prevent the possibility of going to jail in the U.S. for maybe eighteen months but possibly less. Does that make any sense at all?

I wish someone from the "show compassion, put things in perspective and let it go" side of the debate would make a similar video so we can have a good tit-for-tat.

Spat<< previous | next >>He's Mad, Y'Know

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on October 8, 2009 at 7:06 AM

comment #1

George Prager says ...

Who are these people who make videos like this? This earnest pedantic types. They were probably expected to discuss current events at the dinner table back in Evanston when they were in elementary school. At least LexG's YouTubes were funny.

Posted by George Prager at October 8, 2009 8:14 AM

comment #2

George Prager says ...

And yes, he should face the music.

Posted by George Prager at October 8, 2009 8:15 AM

comment #3

Eloi Manning says ...

I hate these videos too. This is the most annoying one I've ever seen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zORv8wwiadQ

If you can make it through that without wanting to smash his smug face in with a fire extinguisher, you're a better man than I am.

Posted by Eloi Manning at October 8, 2009 8:20 AM

comment #4

QualityGibberish says ...

Well, I'm not going to make it through that video, but I completely understand why Polanski would rather stay in a Swiss jail than be handed over to the irrational beasts who live in and run the United States of America. Not that what RP did was not wrong (and where there's smoke there's probably more smoke), but this country is a circus with a collective intelligence somewhat lower than bears riding bicycles. I'd probably rather live for two years in that Swiss jail cell with Polanski than endure the continuing downfall of our stricken republic. It would be more educational.

Posted by QualityGibberish at October 8, 2009 8:40 AM

comment #5

George Prager says ...

As I read QualityGibberish's comment I smelled farts.

Posted by George Prager at October 8, 2009 8:48 AM

comment #6

Glenn Kenny says ...

I like the part where he goes "so that DID happen." Yes, it sure did.

Does this guy have a whole series of videos wherein he weighs in on the burning issues of the day? If so, what do I have to do to make sure I never see another one? Help me out here, Jeff.

Posted by Glenn Kenny at October 8, 2009 8:54 AM

comment #7

Michael says ...

handed over to the irrational beasts who live in and run the United States of America

You shouldn't call Obama a beast. It's racist.

Posted by Michael at October 8, 2009 8:58 AM

comment #8

George Prager says ...

I'm going to make a YouTube video right now where I complain that there are too many flavors of Pop-Tarts.

Posted by George Prager at October 8, 2009 8:59 AM

comment #9

lazarus says ...

Judging from the guy's picture alone, he looks like a someone who has experience with this subject, if you catch my drift.

Posted by lazarus at October 8, 2009 9:34 AM

comment #10

Mark says ...

Polanski should be brought back for a legal resolution. But I don't get the argument regarding our need to separate his he plea, statutory rape, and the original accusation. It's easy to say that prosecution accepted such a plea to avoid having the victim testify. But the truth also is that they didn't have a great case aside from unlawful sex w/ a minor. She willingly accepted the champagne, qualude, and then took her clothes off upon request. And then didn't admit to any physical resistance to his advances. If she was of age, the "but I said no when he asked" would turn into a she-said he-said and likely end in acquittal.

Posted by Mark at October 8, 2009 9:41 AM

comment #11

reverent and free says ...

Correction: Polanski is 76.

Posted by reverent and free at October 8, 2009 9:48 AM

comment #12

Ghost072 says ...

I kind of enjoyed that and I agree with he says, mostly. I did find that he sounded a lot like Eddie Murphy's impression of Bill Cosby much of the time, but strangely, that kind of added to the charm.

Posted by Ghost072 at October 8, 2009 9:50 AM

comment #13

DarthCorleone says ...

"anyone over the age of 10 will see this as hollow moralistic theatre"

You're absolutely right. My viewpoint - and the viewpoint of innumerable others (most of whom I assure you have no interest in sticking any heads on pikes) - deserves this level of condescension. Let's just throw out the whole system because it's not perfect. Innocent until proven guilty is a sham. It's perfectly justifiable to skip bail regardless of who you are or the nature of the charges, because it's impossible to receive a fair shake. Gunfights at high noon and vigilante justice are the best way to settle things instead. Due process is a crock.

Or...I don't know...maybe this "hollow moralistic theatre" could be the way you maintain a civilized society. I could be wrong about that, of course.

Posted by DarthCorleone at October 8, 2009 10:09 AM

comment #14

MickTravisMcGee says ...

He's like Piven trying to lay it on like a vaguely soulful poser.

Why so many jumpcuts and edits?

Was it
Really that hard
For him to get
Through his speech?

Posted by MickTravisMcGee at October 8, 2009 10:21 AM

comment #15

George Prager says ...

I had a friend named Michael O'Donoghue, for years the head writer for Saturday Night Live, who was very tolerant about anarchic expression. He was opposed to Redeeming Social Value, or so he said. For cultural avatars beyond his pale, he had an expression: "I wouldn't touch that with Roman Polanksi," he used to say.

-- George W. S. Trow, "Collapsing Dominant"

Posted by George Prager at October 8, 2009 10:42 AM

comment #16

ErrantElan says ...

Mr. Wells, I think George W. Bush and Dick Cheney should be imprisoned for illegal invasion of a foreign country and war crimes.

I also think Roman Polanski should, even if only symbolically, serve and be punished for violating the law against statutory rape.

I don't support anyone being above the law just because they're a wealthy celebrity with hip friends, or the President of the United States.

You support one going free, but not the other. It is pure hypocrisy, and a pure double standard. Principles are principles.

Posted by ErrantElan at October 8, 2009 11:57 AM

comment #17

Abbey Normal says ...

I agree with QualityGibberish @4, but for different reasons. In Switzerland, I'm guessing they don't have as much prison rape. Probably not nearly as much. And it's common knowledge that inmates who are imprisoned for sex crimes against children are first in line for that kind of abuse. So yeah, if I were Polanski, I'd be fighting like hell to stay out of American jails.

Posted by Abbey Normal at October 8, 2009 12:02 PM

comment #18

mccool says ...

hollow moralistic theatre

Wrong, Wells. This is an ethical issue, not a moral one. Simplest way to understand the distinction between the two is to say that a lawyer may know his client is guilty and is disgusted merely by his client's presence (morals), but ethics dictate that he defend him as ardently and passionately as someone he respects, whom he believes to be innocent.

In this case, you've been making MORAL pleas for Polanski's release (i.e. the psychological suffering, the thirty years of inner guilt, etc) ... but ethics dictate that after the commission of TWO crimes, some punishment must be meted out, no matter how much compassion might figure into this. For me, anyway, that's what it comes down to.

Posted by mccool at October 8, 2009 12:08 PM

comment #19

mccool says ...

Morals define character; ethics stress a social system in which those morals are applied....can we at least get that clear?

Posted by mccool at October 8, 2009 12:10 PM

comment #20

prairie_oysters says ...

"But anyone over the age of 10 will see this as hollow moralistic theatre"

Perhaps you should edit that to read 'anyone over the age of 13' Jeff.

Ahahahahahahaha

Posted by prairie_oysters at October 8, 2009 2:30 PM

comment #21

Gordon27 says ...

"All Got It Comin'"

Does anybody else think it's a little off-the-mark to use a quote from 'Unforgiven' regarding death to describe the Polanski situation?

I mean, the vast majority of the US population does *not* have Legal Punishment That They Fled The Country To Avoid coming to them. Even if you open it up to just "Punishment For A Crime They Definitely Committed", it's a pretty small minority of the population. Certainly not "all".

I think it's weird the way that Polanski-sympathizers relate to him and his struggle.

Posted by Gordon27 at October 8, 2009 4:26 PM

comment #22

Wes Caline says ...

jeff, this is a great column

http://wsws.org/articles/2009/oct2009/pola-o08.shtml

Posted by Wes Caline at October 8, 2009 6:22 PM

comment #23

Carey Mulligan Does Not Love You says ...

Okay, what I don't get is why, suddenly, California wants to look like it's not lenient with celebrity crime? I realize I'm comparing apples and oranges here, but they let someone like Lindsay Lohan walk within hours of essentially hijacking a car and chasing a woman, and then lying to cops about the cocaine they later found on her at the station. In other words, she transported narcotics onto federal property.

That bridge troll walked within hours. This is just one of hundreds to thousands of Celebrity Get-Out-of-Jail-Free passes.

I'm all for making Polanski do his time, but I really hope they aren't trying to convince the public that they actually give a shit about enforcing laws when it comes to Hollywood scum.

Posted by Carey Mulligan Does Not Love You at October 8, 2009 7:10 PM

comment #24

Bob Hightower says ...

Mark, the girl was THIRTEEN. And the idea that you can defend statutory rape by blaming the victim is astonishing. What are you thinking? Where's your compass?

Posted by Bob Hightower at October 9, 2009 1:25 AM

comment #25

Bob Hightower says ...

Michael O'Donoghue stole that joke from Kenneth Tynan.

Posted by Bob Hightower at October 9, 2009 1:26 AM

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