Discussion for article #227952
Wendell Pierce played Detective William Moreland in The Wire, not “Detective Bunk.” Bunk was Moreland’s nickname. I’m guessing this misidentification was made after-the-fact by a picture editor trying to caption the photo, rather than the author Paul Kendrick, who seems to know the show pretty well.
Actually, America’s fight against ISIS is just like Lucy and Ethel losing control as the conveyor belt picks up the pace at the candy factory. And they have to eat all the candy as fast as its being made. And they look ridiculous and eventually get fired. Terrorism is the candy, the factory is the Middle East, and America is Lucy and Ethel.
Or something like that.
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I have never watched “the wire” and did not even know of it until a few days ago. Ergo, no opinion.
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Thank you, TPM and Paul Kendrick for this post. we are watching “The Wire” now and I love this angle. thanks for not giving too much away!!
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“David Simon’s vision in The Wire argues we cannot win if we see everyone in the Middle East as the enemy. Every step from here must be done thoughtfully.”
The same is true for the financial mafia on Wall Street, big banks and the corporate thieves fleecing the middle class. Our responses to 911 and the financial melt down missed the people in control of the Money & Power Wire.
Perfect.
That’s why the Wire is a classic. It applies to so many aspects of life among other people. I don’t imagine that I’m alone in thinking that Iraq, with its no-fly zone and sanctions, albeit with considerable suffering, was better all around than the current situation. Hampsterdam, like Sweden, recognized that perfection is the enemy of the good. Progress needs to be measured, and experiments kept small. Radicalism is idealism is counterproductive. We haven’t found a good substitute yet for tolerance, though not for want of trying.
He also uses “Officer Colvin”…and I am pretty sure he is talking about Major Howard “Bunny” Colvin.
It may be that the author knows the show, but is not familiar with the Police, and the terms surrounding them regarding rank and forms of address.
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‘“Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.”’ ~ Michael Corleone - The Godfather III
Marlo was hardly ‘destroyed.’ He sold off his connection to the Greek for $10 million, then went into business with Levy. Topping that, he made a nostalgic trip to a neighborhood corner and single-handedly beat down the local crew. I’m sure there’s a hefty metaphor to be found in that, but ‘destroyed’ he was not.
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In the final episode, the rapidly falling dominoes that would be the next power vacuum were illustrated in a ten sentence scene with Cheese and Slim Charles. I imagine some of you might remember it. (To take the inevitable outcome of the “must destroy Marlo” angle to its further conclusion)