Robert Greenwald: Testifying to Congress on War Profiteering

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-greenwald/testifying-to-congress-on_b_48260.html

Robert Greenwald
05.11.2007
Testifying to Congress on War Profiteering

As I walked down the very big, very impressive halls of Congress yesterday, the reality started to dawn on me that the idea of making a film about war profiteering had actually led to a hearing in Congress in front of the people who can make a difference on the issue -- the people who write the legislation.

As I continued down that very long, very marble hall I began to have flashbacks about the road that had gotten me here. It started when we began work on Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers in January 2006.

I thought of the call I received from Bob Borosage at Campaign for America¹s Future, when­ he said Brave New Films had to do a film about the war profiteering occurring in Iraq. I remember my visceral response when I first heard the term war profiteering -- this was a subject we should definitely take on.

As I walked down the hall, I thought of the 3006 people who donated $25 and $50 apiece to help us get started on production of the film. We had had trouble raising funds in the timeframe we needed to work within, and the amazing people who had supported Brave New Film's past work chipped in to get our production started.

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Then things became serious and substantive. It was clear that others on the Committee were listening, thinking, and probably forming solutions.

This next step of taking the ideas of the film, the issues raised and turning them into very specific legislative solutions is not going to be easy. But together we have taken a big big step. It's been a hell of a ride from last January to now.