HomeUploadUpload DirectHotlinkRandomAbouttheme toggle
Expand

Errol Morris on Donald Rumsfeld, The Unknown Known, and Evidence-Based Journalism

Views:889
@ReasonVids

Donald Rumsefeld's "war crime," says Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris, is "the gobbledygook, the blizzard of words, the misdirections, the evasions...and ultimately at the heart of it all...the disregard and devaluation of evidence."

The former secretary of defense's complicated relationship with the truth is the subject of Morris' new documentary, The Unknown Known, which opens in theaters nation-wide on Friday, April 4. The Unknown Known is an extended conversation with Rumsfeld, tracing his long career through the Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Bush administrations, and focusing on his role in leading U.S. military forces into Iraq to fight a bloody and senseless war.

In the film, Morris engages in a verbal sparring session with Rumsfeld in an effort to break through the linguistic "evasions" and "gobbledygook" for which he's known.

The title of the film comes from Rumsfeld's response to a question by NBC reporter Jim Miklaszewski at a Pentagon news conference on February 12, 2002. When Miklaszewski asked Rumsfeld if there was any evidence that Iraq was supplying terrorists with weapons, Rumsfeld replied:

Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don't know we don't know.

In a four-part series in The New York Times titled "The Certainty of Donald Rumsfeld," Morris wrote: "Many people believe Rumsfeld's reply was brilliant. I think otherwise."

The Unknown Known is Errol Morris' 10th documentary feature. He's also the author of two best-selling books and the director of over 1,000 TV commercials. Much of Morris' work explores, as he puts it, "how people prefer untruth to truth" and how they're "blinded by their own spurious convictions."

Reason TV's Nick Gillespie sat down for an extended chat with Morris about The Unknown Known. They discussed, among other things, the difference between Rumsfeld and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, whose complicated relationship with his own mistakes is the subject of Morris' Oscar-winning film, The Fog of War; Morris' take on the Jeffrey MacDonald murder case, which was the subject of his book, A Wilderness of Error; how Obama compares to Bush; his friendships with Roger Ebert and Werner Herzog; and why "we're all morons."

Gillespie conducted the interview using an "interrotron," a device Morris invented, which projects an interviewer's face over the camera lens. It creates the impression that the subject is looking directly into the eyes of the viewer.

About 41 minutes.

Shot and edited by Jim Epstein.

Go to http://reason.com/reasontv for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube channel to receive automatic updates when new material goes live.

errol morris (author)
,
the unknown known
,
donald rumsfeld (author)
,
iraq war (event)
,
torture (crime type)
,
george h. w. bush (us president)
,
nick gillespie
,
reason (periodical)
,
reason tv
,
libertarianism (school of thought)
,
documentary (tv genre)
    Thumbnail for Americans Believe Most Politicians Abuse Their Power: Reason-Rupe Poll April 20141:18
    Americans Believe Most Politicians Abuse Their Power: Reason-Rupe Poll April 2014
    ReasonVids
    973 views
    Thumbnail for Peter Schiff on Greece, Puerto Rico, and America's Looming Economic Crisis3:25
    Peter Schiff on Greece, Puerto Rico, and America's Looming Economic Crisis
    ReasonVids
    938 views
    Thumbnail for What We Saw at the Occupy the Justice Dept. Rally in DC!3:23
    What We Saw at the Occupy the Justice Dept. Rally in DC!
    ReasonVids
    958 views
    Thumbnail for Eva Moskowitz on Fighting Unions, Politicians, and The New York Times13:36
    Eva Moskowitz on Fighting Unions, Politicians, and The New York Times
    ReasonVids
    916 views
    Thumbnail for Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses (Full Album) [Metal March Listening Party] | RHINO1:03:03
    Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses (Full Album) [Metal March Listening Party] | RHINO
    invidious
    273 views
    Thumbnail for Democratic Disney vs. Republican Disney6:12
    Democratic Disney vs. Republican Disney
    ReasonVids
    1030 views
    Thumbnail for Special Reason Edition DVD: Atlas Shrugged Part I, On Sale Now!0:36
    Special Reason Edition DVD: Atlas Shrugged Part I, On Sale Now!
    ReasonVids
    904 views
    Thumbnail for Pierre Poilievre Wins In a Landslide - Media Immediately Downplaying his Victory | Clyde Do Something13:49
    Pierre Poilievre Wins In a Landslide - Media Immediately Downplaying his Victory | Clyde Do Something
    bestofsaidit
    892 views
    Thumbnail for Why Royal Guards Wear Their Straps Above The Chin 😬 | Zack D. Films0:24
    Why Royal Guards Wear Their Straps Above The Chin 😬 | Zack D. Films
    invidious
    210 views
    Thumbnail for Making my point of pedophilia clear1:59
    Making my point of pedophilia clear
    EricaPolarBear.Archive
    334 views
    Thumbnail for Tom Scott disappears in confetti | blossomchromosom0:09
    Tom Scott disappears in confetti | blossomchromosom
    invidious
    294 views
    Thumbnail for The Cereal Dilemma | SomePkmn-LovingDude0:18
    The Cereal Dilemma | SomePkmn-LovingDude
    mattknezz
    397 views
    Thumbnail for Conspiracy Theory Rock” aired on SNL in 19981:19
    Conspiracy Theory Rock” aired on SNL in 1998
    AOUisgay
    520 views
    Thumbnail for Germany get off your knees - The Ernst Zundel Story1:32:18
    Germany get off your knees - The Ernst Zundel Story
    bestofnab
    1607 views
    Thumbnail for War Stories From the Charter School Movement51:56
    War Stories From the Charter School Movement
    ReasonVids
    856 views
    Thumbnail for Nose Picking May Lead to Dementia! | Grunt Speak14:56
    Nose Picking May Lead to Dementia! | Grunt Speak
    Terrence Popp
    766 views
    Thumbnail for 【昼 ニュースライブ】最新ニュースと生活情報(3月14日) ──THE LATEST NEWS SUMMARY(日テレNEWS LIVE) | 日テレNEWS3:53:06
    【昼 ニュースライブ】最新ニュースと生活情報(3月14日) ──THE LATEST NEWS SUMMARY(日テレNEWS LIVE) | 日テレNEWS
    invidious
    109 views
    Thumbnail for CAPTAIN KIRK TO BROTHER JED7:40
    CAPTAIN KIRK TO BROTHER JED
    ReasonVids
    911 views
    Thumbnail for 【白上フブキ/ホロライブ】どうも、主人公です。【FUBUKI ~zero in on Holoearth~ HOLOLIVE ALTERNATIVE】 | フブキCh。白上フブキ3:03:19
    【白上フブキ/ホロライブ】どうも、主人公です。【FUBUKI ~zero in on Holoearth~ HOLOLIVE ALTERNATIVE】 | フブキCh。白上フブキ
    invidious
    138 views
    Thumbnail for Whitewashed - Unmasking the World of Whiteness34:23
    Whitewashed - Unmasking the World of Whiteness
    AOU
    1105 views
    Thumbnail for Ludicrous Travel Reviews From People with Unreasonable Expectations | Jeaney Collects2:21
    Ludicrous Travel Reviews From People with Unreasonable Expectations | Jeaney Collects
    invidious
    406 views
    Thumbnail for Taxidermist Threatened with Jail for Refusing Warrantless Search4:06
    Taxidermist Threatened with Jail for Refusing Warrantless Search
    IJvids
    1036 views
    Thumbnail for John Hasnas: Have Markets Failed?23:32
    John Hasnas: Have Markets Failed?
    ReasonVids
    888 views
    Thumbnail for better? 😅 | more on my ig! #Shorts | mmmjoemele0:11
    better? 😅 | more on my ig! #Shorts | mmmjoemele
    invidious
    70 views
    Thumbnail for Protest in Bell: City Residents Say "Enough!"3:02
    Protest in Bell: City Residents Say "Enough!"
    ReasonVids
    836 views

points

Permalink
Reply
errol morris (author)
,
the unknown known
,
donald rumsfeld (author)
,
iraq war (event)
,
torture (crime type)
,
george h. w. bush (us president)
,
nick gillespie
,
reason (periodical)
,
reason tv
,
libertarianism (school of thought)
,
documentary (tv genre)
TOS  •  Add Keywords  •  Donate  •   Analytics  •   DMCA  •   Puzzle