OOP: 9/11, CNN, LV, MoM, (and DA), the boy in the closet peeking

[Tim]

No: HPFGUIDX 63720

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Dan Feeney" <dark30 at v...> 
wrote:
> 
> I see OOP as a pretty fair satire of the response of the large 
media 
> and certain governments around the world to George Bush and his so-
> called war on terrorism. Perhaps this is why some are expressing 
> consternation at the tone of the book. Of course, media 
manipulation 
> happens all the time, but rarely so dramatically as in the last 
> couple years. I mean, didn't a certain George Bush say that we 
quite 
> possibly will never know all the things the US military is doing? 
> Didn't he say we shouldn't know? Well, yes, he did, in fact. Didn't 
> media around the world jump on the bandwagon, and face threats when 
> they stepped across the line, including a couple MPs and a Minister 
> in my own country, Canada? Well, yes, actually.
> 
> I projected, as many did, that, as it progressed, the series would 
> have to deal much more
> intimately with 1 the relationship between the magical and muggle 
> worlds and 2 with the inherent class differences in the magical 
> world. This has in fact happened - the series
> cannot be taken as innocently as it could before. Jolly good, I 
say. 
> Bloody right.
> 
>> 
> dan f

What I found interesting in this book is the sub-plot of Umbridge, 
and how much damage can occur when the government has too much 
control over your schools.  Standardized testing (ie. O.W.L.S. and 
N.E.W.T.S.) yes, but not actual control.  I can actually see OotP 
used to promote a school voucher system in the US.

Tim