Hollywood as a center of gravity

Center of Gravity is a buzzword for being an important nerve in how any society functions. It makes a good place to attack. A good example are the 9/11 attacks where the targets were financial, military, and political. The World Trade Center and the Pentagon were examples of financial and military centers of gravity. And the attacks in New York City set us back a reported one trillion dollars, though it seems hard to believe in retrospect. But it did hurt a lot. And the heroic actions of the passengers on the flight that went down in Pennsylvania averted some target being attacked. Many think it was intended to be the White House or the Capitol building as a political center of gravity.

What was not attacked on 9/11/2001 was our cultural center of gravity, Hollywood. But in the aftermath of 9/11 the Hollywood Academy Awards were repeatedly rescheduled and moved. Many think, and this is pure speculation, that it was recognized, or suspected, an attack on the ceremony was next. After all, Hollywood is an area target. Any attacker like those heinous people who pulled off 9/11 will pick a point target like a ceremony to accomplish their mission. And Hollywood represents a loathsome center of gravity to many in the USA and the world.

Like any father who has lived overseas, the export of American culture by Hollywood movies and TV repeats often creates a backlash or revulsion in other countries, or so is my observation. Mostly it is the treatment of women, and not the violence or language. Either way, there is a cultural backlash that must be recognized and accounted for.

Two thoughts for the future. A lot of Americans deserve atta-boys and atta-girls for preventing an attack on any cultural center of gravity since 9/11. Second, a lot of people inside of D.C. as well as the deployed military deserve a lot of credit for taking down and continuing to take down these Islamic radicals in any geographical location and any organization they choose.