Gothamist interviews Anthony Lappé

2008.Jan.17. Thursday - by lvhrd

Gothamist has an interview up with BIFOLD CNFLCT host Anthony Lappé about his graphic novel Shooting War. Set in 2011, the story follows Jimmy Burns, a young blogger sent to cover the still-bleeding conflict in Iraq after he captures a live suicide bombing at a Starbucks in Williamsburg.

Shooting War developed from a mix of Lappés experience as a journalist, his observations in Iraq and not so far-fetched imaginings of future cataclysm–the fruit of undead American economic hubris.

Something we’ve often wondered that Lappé brings up in the interview: why have there been no suicide bombings in the United States since 9/11?

“I can speculate; I think the surveillance has pretty much every mosque in America under very tight electronic and visual surveillance. So I think there’s not a lot that’s going on that the authorities don’t know about. But at the same time I can’t imagine that there aren’t plots being hatched. It’s so easy to buy explosive materials or to put them together and get false identification.”

We have a hard time swallowing the idea that we’re safe because our government is doing such a good job of protecting us. Are we in less danger than we were 7 years ago? Do we have fewer or more enemies?

And which are the ones we should be more concerned with: the men and women defending their homes from foreign invasion, or those who would have us believe safety comes at the cost of our civil rights?

Anthony Lappé is the Executive Editor of GNN.tv. He collaborated on the award-winning documentary, Battleground: 21 Days on Empire’s Edge; Shooting War features his words (it was originally a screenplay) and artwork by LVHRD member Dan Goldman.

Additionally, Anthony will be in Brooklyn at Vox Pop out on Cortelyou Road for a Shooting War launch party on Friday 18 January. The best of Brooklyn’s live hip hop is also on the bill. Check out the full bill here.