What if? The Sum of All Fears

[VoodooAce]

I was just posting in the 'Arafat' thread and the "What If" bug got me, again.

I was reminded of the beginning of 'The Sum of All Fears' when the Palestinians staged a sit in, singing 'We Shall Overcome', and their failure to provoke the Israelis gathered there to bash their heads in so enraged the police captain that he walked up and shot the leader in the head right in front of CNN cameras.

At which point Jack Ryan's wife asks him what that means. And Jack Ryan responds, "The Palestinians have just figured out how to destroy Israel unless we can stop them."

BTW, I always got a kick out of that 'unless we can stop them' part. The nerve of the damn Palestinians protesting peacefully.

What would have really happened had, sometime during the last couple of decades, Palestinians wised up and began to protest using more civilized and credible methods ala South Africa, India or, for that matter, the deep south in the USA.

They had two choices....three really. They could protest using legitimate methods, they could turn to terror, or they could just give up and say 'whatever'.....something very few of us would probably do, especially those of us that are more 'Nationalistic' I think.


Another thing about the book that cracks me up is Jack Ryan warning what's his name....the KGB chief.....that all those terrorists they're supporting are going to come back to bite them in the ass.

Turned out the other way around. So many of the terrorists we were supporting came back to bite us in the ass.

 

[Greadius]

If the Palestinians had learned anything from Gandhi, Mandela, and MLK they would have had a state a decade ago.

I don't think Israel would have been destroyed in the process either; that would be the result of more violence, not less.

 

[History_Buff]

Yes, the Palestinians probably would have a state by now, and I think the FGB guys you're thinking of is either Gerasimov or Golovko.

 

[Simon Darkshade]

The KGB man being referred to is Sergei Golovko. Gerasimov defected in "Cardinal of the Kremlin" IIRC.
I will take this opportunity to publicly register my displeasure with the slaughter job they are doing on this book to turn it into a movie.
Neo-Nazis starting WW3?

And I don't think the situation would be as simple as ol' Tom set out in his diatribe... woops, I mean 'novel'. The Middle Eastern conflict solved in a few minutes (effectively) due to the actions of the Catholic and Orthodox Church? Everyone happily agreeing in the space of ten pages?

 

[dannyevilcat]

I will take this opportunity to publicly register my displeasure with the slaughter job they are doing on this book to turn it into a movie.
Neo-Nazis starting WW3?

They are making this book into a movie? Last I heard, Ford gave the project the thumbs down, due to what he considered a poor script. Of course, that was before 9/11, although I would have thought that THAT would have forever stopped it from being made. I figured hollywood would run in fear of making a timely and substantial movie .

Oh, and-- Neo-nazis... Red Army Faction... what difference does it make?

 

[Simon Darkshade]

Originally posted by dannyevilcat


They are making this book into a movie? Last I heard, Ford gave the project the thumbs down, due to what he considered a poor script. Of course, that was before 9/11, although I would have thought that THAT would have forever stopped it from being made. I figured hollywood would run in fear of making a timely and substantial movie .

Oh, and-- Neo-nazis... Red Army Faction... what difference does it make?

Due for release in May or June. Starring Ben Affleck as a younger, sexier Jack Ryan
The reference to Neo-Nazis means that they are replacing the extremist Islamic terrorists with Neo-Nazis. And that is a huge, idiotic cop out.
From what I have gleaned from various sources, they have butchered it.
Clancy likes it, which is a worry. If he made films like he writes books these days, Hollywood would take out a simultaneous black ban and contract on him!

 

[dannyevilcat]

Two things:

Due for release in May or June. Starring Ben Affleck as a younger, sexier Jack Ryan

LOL!!! That's so crappy!!! Affleck!!! Hilarious, just hilarious!

The reference to Neo-Nazis means that they are replacing the extremist Islamic terrorists with Neo-Nazis. And that is a huge, idiotic cop out.
From what I have gleaned from various sources, they have butchered it.
Clancy likes it, which is a worry. If he made films like he writes books these days, Hollywood would take out a simultaneous black ban and contract on him!

Not necessarily. Remember in the book, it was the Red Army Faction guy who was hiding out with Islamic terrorists who worked with them. Are you sure Nazis are the ones who actually get their hands on the bomb?
I just assumed they substituted angry Communists with angry rascists...

 

[Simon Darkshade]

No, it is the Nazis who set off the bomb. There are no Arab terrorists featured. Ah, political correctness at its best!
They have changed a lot from the novel.