Janet Maslin wrote in The New York Times about a 1997 Barry Levinson movie that may explain why a friend of Jeffrey Epstein attacked Venezuela and kidnapped its elected President. Extracts follow:

 “Wag the Dog” takes the stance that American public policy may be founded on fraud in high places, and that there is no public outpouring too spontaneous-looking to be manipulated by political puppeteers.

…”Wag the Dog” essentially amounts to a huge inside joke. It’s possible that viewers indifferent to political and media chicanery will miss some of the barbs here, but those same gags will fill savvier audiences with wicked glee.

…With its comic sensibility solidly grounded at the place (a very tiny one) where political and media scruples meet, the film imagines a president with a problem. Eleven days before an election, a pass made at a young female scout is threatening to make headlines, and the opposition candidate is running commercials to the tune of “Thank Heaven for Little Girls.” What to do? Call in the consultants. Have them start a war.

…”Wag the Dog” watches mirthfully as [movie producer] Stanley (Dustin Hoffman) gets mobilized, brings in his troops (with Willie Nelson to write an anthem, Denis Leary as a fad king seeking to create souvenirs for the Albanian crisis and everyone demanding fiscal fringe benefits).

Among the many high points of the campaign are the filming of a bogus Albanian battle scene for the evening news, the recording of a “We Are The World”-type inspirational song and the faking of an old folk song (by Nelson and Pops Staples) to suit an even faker war hero, played in funny gonzo fashion by Woody Harrelson.