Michael Moore may be an oversimplifying loudmouth, but it's time for us Liberals to get out of the habit of ignoring or apologizing for him. Moore's rhetoric is blunt, his arguments frequently and sometimes even recklessly one-sided. But what he's fighting against is all those things too, and dangerously so.
Predictably, Moore's September 11, 2005 letter to Bush voters excoriates the Bush administration for its lackadaisical attitude towards emergency preparedness, laid bare by Hurricane Katrina. Also predictably, the letter wanders off topic and loses focus. But its central paragraph expresses a truth that wealthy politicians and their corporate overlords neither understand nor acknowledge:
Our vulnerability is not just about dealing with terrorists or natural disasters. We are vulnerable and unsafe because we allow one in eight Americans to live in horrible poverty. We accept an education system where one in six children never graduate and most of those who do can't string a coherent sentence together. The middle class can't pay the mortgage or the hospital bills and 45 million have no health coverage whatsoever.
The absurd economic inequities that shame this "richest country in the world" do indeed make it vulnerable, just as Moore says, in a wider sense than what we mean when we talk of containers that aren't inspected or levees that aren't high enough. We are more vulnerable because of the prevailing "Conservative" view that Government shouldn't be busying itself with social justice or even caring for the needy. Critics often accuse Bush & Co. of damaging the US's moral stature abroad by warmongering and backing out of treaties. But Katrina has shown us that this Government is morally bankrupt even within the framework of America's own ideals. "Opportunity for all" is a sick joke to too many millions of poor people in this country. The Administration, with its rampant cronyism (symbolized by now-ousted FEMA chief Michael Brown) and infantile approach to priorities (evidenced by withdrawal of support for New Orleans's protective infrastructure) has done virtually nothing since 2000 but turned existing problems into disasters.
The Right doesn't apologize for its Rush Limbaughs and Ann Coulters. Sensible Liberals needn't disown their own provocateurs and windbags.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Rob
You need people like Michael Moore in the US, people who make you feel ashamed, embarrased, uncomfortable about the political situation, about corporate thievery, about the erosion of our middle class. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing.
2 - billy
good point. im not embarassed about moore at all. he is the most awarded documentary maker in history. i proudly have his cd at my house.
the only people afraid of him are beltway democrats and republicans. its time for the beltway dems to get a spine.
the gop has terrorist criminal amad chalabi holding Laura Bush's hand in their political convention box, we have celebrated american moore. ill take moore anyday.
3 - vox populi
your initial blurb is dead on. it is literally impossible to apologize or have enough shame for michael moore. he is such a shameless propagandist and so willing to use the big lie and reeat it ad nauseum that he manages to make consumate liars like rove look positively trustworthy. so long as the left continues to look towards people like moore as spokesmen they will remain marginalized and forfeit the support of those in the middle who would like to support them but cannot stomache the culture of lies and deception which moore is the current clown prince of.
vox
4 - Russ
Moore tells it like it is. He's wreckless and perhaps a bit sloppy with some facts, but he's the goddamnedest best weapon we liberals have ! I thank Ganesh and Zeus we have Michael Moore ! I am not embarressed by him , rather I proud we have such a scrapy fighter in our corner. An avowed enemy of the fascism that runs rampent in our nation today .
5 - billy
michael moore to make movie about bush's pathetic response to hurricane. just announced!!!
6 - Dave Nalle
Then Moore is a bigger fool than I took him for, Billy. This whole Katrina attack plan is already backfiring on the left and Moore should stay away from it.
And Russ, he's more than reckless and sloppy, he fabricates elaborate and easily disproven lies in his movies, and that makes him and those who follow him slavishly look very, very bad.
dave
7 - eddie
Vox, your post bears the taint of fear and angst. It reminds me of why so many right-wing nuts went into tailspins over Fahrenheit: because they couldn't handle the truth. Like it or not, Dubya continued to read a children's book after being told the nation he was sworn to protect was under attack. Like it or not, there is no connection between Bin Laden, who is still at large, and Iraq, where no WMD were found. deal with it.
8 - Shariyf
Can someone, anyone please DISPROVE a Fact that Micheal Moore has said. Please show me a statement he made and presented it as a fact and it is not really a fact. Republicans cant! All they can do is SAY "His Facts aren't right" but no one has ever stepped up and disproven any of them!
9 - Dave Nalle
Eddie, I'd love to hear your theory on what Bush could have done in those 7 minutes to prevent the attacks. Really. Enlighten us. What would have been worth terrifying those kids for?
Dave
10 - Brian Keith O'Hara
Ronald Reagan Hate Radio Announcer Neal Boortz recently wrote a book about a "Fair Tax." Basically, a value added Tax shifting the tax burden from the rich to the poor.
That is to be expected, but "consumer advocate" Clark Howard is the one who has dumbfounded me. He has been taking twenty minute segments in his show to endorse the plan. He has also taken time to attack Social Security and his most recent attack, saying companies shouldn't have to provide health insurance for employees. Most companies pay 50% the cost of health insurance.
He argues individuals should have to pay for themselves.
Clark and Neal are both millionaires, is it surprising that this proposal will cost employees twice as much and they will be no better off. But Clark and Neal as owners of stock will get bigger dividend checks, both are Ronald Reagan Republicans.
Clark portrays himself as a consumer advocate, but is he?
He has called for the destruction of Social Security; employees having to pay for health insurance which will cause their insurance bills to double; with 60,000,000 already unable to afford insurance and 60,000,000 on government insurance(Medicare and Medicaid, which Clark has also called for and end to).
And in the middle of a War, Clark says the important issue facing America, isn't the War in Iraq(but then again Bush took a five week vacation; he must not think it is very important either); isn't hurricane Katrina, it's a tax cut for the rich.
One thing you have to give Michael Moore is that he is the equal of Limbaugh and Hannity at playing their own game. His letter crystalizes the issues and begins the debate.
The next step is to deal with Hate Radio Announcers like Clark Howard.
Clark should be afraid, very afraid.
11 - Jon Sobel
I'd love to hear your theory on what Bush could have done in those 7 minutes
It's pretty obvious:
"Excuse me kids, a matter of national security has come up and I'll have to let your teacher finish reading the book to you. A pleasure to meet you all, 'bye now!"
12 - Jon Sobel
Shariyf, there are plenty of people who have made make an effort to point out specific erroneous or deceptive bits of Fahrenheit 9/11. I've look at some of this and find it adds up to not much of substance, but I encourage you to look at it for yourself. Here is probably a good place to start.
13 - Al Barger
I second Jon's motion, if not e-motion. I wholeheartedly endorse his plea for liberals to embrace Michael Moore. He's a GREAT representative of the modern left. He IS you.
Don't fight the feeling.
14 - Jon Sobel
Heh. I'll take Moore, Al, if the Right takes Rush and Ann. Hence my posting this in the first place.
Moore isn't a great representative of the modern left, but he is a rather effective opponent of the modern right, and in these desperate times, we need all such people we can get.
15 - Eddie
What could Bush have done in those 7 minutes? He could have left the school, removing himself from the presence of the children and err on the safe side rather than potentially exposing them to danger. He also could have gotten himself into the communications loop that much sooner. or was that necessary? After all, Cheney was running the show at that point from his undisclosed secure location. Bush could have simply said, "Urgent business has arisen, and I have been called away." No need to terrify anyone. Quit making excuses for the dunce. You're making yourself look bad.
16 - gregrocker
Even liberals seem to concede that Moore stretches facts, but I have yet to find an instance where he has done this. What he did was use cinema verite to prove what the 700 pound rightwingnuts refused to otherwise believe, and the cognitive dissonance that it created is what fuels their hatred of him entirely. They have created an army of ignorant dupes via talk radio, but don't grant them ground they haven't really won, just stolen through bullying dishonesty.
17 - Natalie Davis
What could the Shrub have done in those seven minutes?
Resigned. At least half of the nation would have been thrilled.
18 - Al Barger
Right on, Gregrocker. Don't let the right wingers intimidate you from spreading the truth. Indeed, Michael Moore would be a GREAT next chairman for the DNC, when Dean steps down to run for president.
19 - Bob A. Booey
How is Katrina backfiring on the Left politically?
That is all.
20 - Dr. Kurt
I like Mike. The neofacistcon slur campaign against him shows just how accurate, and useful, his art has been. Regarding those 7 minutes? Bush could of acted like the administrator we pay him to be, instead of the lost sock puppet he actually is.
21 - Dave Nalle
>>Ronald Reagan Hate Radio Announcer Neal Boortz recently wrote a book about a "Fair Tax." Basically, a value added Tax shifting the tax burden from the rich to the poor.<<
I don't even support the 'fair tax', but even I know that your description of it is completely wrong. It wouldn't shift the burden of taxes from the rich to the poor. The poor would likely actually GAIN income because of the tax and the rich would pay enormously more than they do now. You should, perhaps, read up on the subject before spouting off about it in complete ignorance. And Boortz isn't a 'Reagan hate radio announcer', he's a Libertarian and about as far from hate radio as you can get. You've clearly never even listened to his show.
Dave
22 - red state
Michael Moore to replace Howard Dean?
Yeah maybe then he could run for president and not even get his own party's nomination too huh.
You left wing bloggers just don't get it and fortunately you never will.
23 - Dave Nalle
>>Michael Moore to replace Howard Dean?<<
Well, that would be the end of the party anyway.
Dave
24 - Lono
I love Mike Moore. and guess what, your fat fuck (Rush Limbaugh) gets 14 million listeners a day. So, our fat fuck is a harmless drop of water in the bucket of hate and misinformation that is right wing leadership.
25 - Dave Nalle
Not to defend anything Lameball says, but he isn't a 'fat fuck' anymore, unlike Michael Moore. He at least had the discipline to lose some weight. But self-discipline and the left are mutually incompatible.
Dave