Harry Potter is a call to young readers to fight the war on terror? (Book/Movie 5 Spoiler alert)

[pepperbear]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070719/OPINION01/707190309/1008

I saw this ridiculous piece of tripe in my paper today, except they titled it "Harry Potter echoes WW2". Yep, I know it's just a children's book series, but this is an alarming piece of propaganda. Considering the source, I shouldn't be at all surprised:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Pinkerton

IS POTTER AN ALLEGORY FOR THE WAR ON TERROR

One of his tactics is to compare Cornelius Fudge with Neville Chamberlain.

*snip*

Yet a key character in the film, evocatively named Cornelius Fudge, is too blind to see the looming danger. As Ty Burr, film critic for The Boston Globe, explains: Fudge ends up "looking very much like the Neville Chamberlain of this fictional universe." Chamberlain, of course, was the British prime minister who thought he could "appease" Adolf Hitler and so avoid war.


As any fan of the series knows, Fudge doesn't want to appease Voldemort. Rather, he's afraid for his own career and simply refuses to acknowledge that there is a threat at all. Instead, he tries to turn the wizarding community's fear and wrath toward Sirius Black. Sound familiar? To anyone with a brain cell, yes.

But just when I thought the guy was merely stupid, his agenda kicks in:

*snip*

And with all due respect to former Vice President Al Gore, we might as well just say it bluntly: Muslims with atomic weapons are a greater threat to America than global warming.

When kids see "Harry Potter," they should be thinking first about defending their country, and their civilization, against evildoers wielding weapons of mass destruction. After that's taken care of, they can then worry more about carbon dioxide.

*snip*

:cry:

[Berry Cool]

1. What bullshit.

It's an allegory all right...but if you read it carefully enough, and you see which characters are doing the kind of horrible things that have been done in the name of fighting the War on Terra, it isn't the good guys. It's either the bad guys, the Ministry of Magic, or both.

Just one small thing...after reading the last book, my new name for Bush is "Pius Thicknesse." If you've read it you will know why.

You'll also know why I think of Keith Olbermann as "our Lee Jordan."

[LostinVA]

2. WTF? They are 180 degrees off point *POSSIBLE SPOILER*

Harry Potter is VERY anti-dictatorial government/leadership, whether it's the Ministry of Magic, Voldemort, or Umbridge as Headmaster of Hogwarts.

[Solly Mack]

3. He needs to put down his quick-quotes quill...

or shove it in his eye