Sony and Benghazi – what changed?

At the president’s final press conference of 2014, President Obama had some harsh words for Sony Pictures Entertainment. “I think they made a mistake,” were his words on Sony’s controversial decision to pull their film.

Sony’s film – “The Interview,” was a satirical movie about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, acting out a fictional assassination. After a cyber-attack that erased Sony’s data, leaked emails, and left menacing threats of violence – all in response to the upcoming show, Sony made the decision to pull the show from the theaters.

{mosads}As Sony Pictures is a business entity – part of Japan based Sony Corp., it was more than their right to pull the film. Sony is not in the business of calling foreign dictators bluffs – they’re in the business of making money. As such, worried about liabilities and possible negative publicity, Sony decided to cancel “The Interview.”

In fact, as a Japan based company, Sony does not even have what some would call a patriotic obligation to rebuff North Korea’s threats! The only one that is responsible to respond is the U.S government.

Under both U.S and international law, the United States has the right to defend itself against certain aggressive attacks in cyberspace. I think that everyone would agree that this act falls into the category of an aggressive cyber-attack.

We Americans have a saying dating back to almost the beginning of our nation. “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute,” – came in regard to the XYZ affair. France had been attacking American ships at the time. During the course of diplomatic talks, anonymous French diplomats demanded a bribe. In that situation we didn’t give France the bribe they wanted, but neither did we rest on our laurels. Eventually, the pressure put on France was too much, and they ceased attacking our naval vessels.

I believe that the same applies in this situation. Showing the movie would have been equal to sitting passively during the XYZ affair. We wouldn’t have given in to French blackmail, but our ships would have continued to be attacked.

A more plausible idea would have been along the lines of 2012 GOP Presidential contender, Mitt Romney. Release the movie for free online, thereby getting around a possible attack on theaters.      

However, whatever happens, our national security has been breached and a response is needed. Therefore, instead of chastising Sony for not releasing the movie, the president should be chastising North Korea for their blackmail. What led up to this episode now, was a weak response to different events throughout the president’s six years in office. Strong retaliation now, be what it may, will deliver a resounding message to the world. America is not here to play.               

However, even if you believe that it is the company’s responsibility to show the film, President Obama’s comments about the company came in sharp contrast to what his administration said two years ago in regard to the Benghazi attacks.

After four Americans died in a horrific attack on the American embassy in Libya, White House officials did not seek to put the blame on the radical Islamists that perpetrated the attack, instead, blaming the protests on an American YouTube video produced here in the U.S.  The producer of that video was later arrested.  

Later on, of course, this information was found to be utterly false. But bearing this piece of information in mind, can anyone blame Sony for not wanting to show the movie? 

What the president said Friday was absolutely true. We cannot have a dictator or censor someplace that starts to impose censorship here in the United States. But that’s not the line he was saying two years ago.

No one in their right mind can be blaming Sony for their decision when looking at this incident. Instead, we should be wondering what caused Obama’s about-face, and hoping for strong leadership this time around.

Spiegel is a student heavily involved in political science. He is in the process of writing his first book – a history on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.