Letter to Mr Bush

The Surgeon

He could have made a lot more of this...

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php

TomF

Doesn't anyone else remember Michael Moore bouncing off the walls in London earlier this year? He is a profoundly strange person, and I suppose we should just leave him in peace, the way we treat the poor Mother Sinead O'Connor, and try to look straight ahead and not exchange glances when he goes into tailspins.

See "Michael Moore: A psychological analysis" for more on the man at:
http://www.rachellucas.com/archives/000255.html

Hobbes

He's not well loved in the US. Or at least has a cult following. Oddly enough the people who deride him take the rebuttals as gospel without actually checking also.

I saw bowling for columbine, and the only thing I could find that was false was getting the gun at the bank. The bank says otherwise. Other then that everything else said about the movie is incorrect. For example, he makes a note in the movie that witnesses said that the kids went bowling. Which is true. He didn't pass it as a statement of fact.

That said I don't agree with everything he has said in his letter.

There is virtually NO ONE in America (talk radio nutters and Fox News aside) who is gung-ho to go to war.

This isn't true. A poll run in the US showed that around 60% of the population supported the war. On the funny side though the majority polled also said that the outcome of the war would lead to more terrorism, instability in the middle east and undecided if democratic government will actually be put in place in Iraq after Saddam is gone. Also the major fear was the loss of US soliders. (link)

the Dixie Chicks have now come out against you!

It's funny that this is mentioned as the Dixie chicks are now being banned by some US radio stations for speaking out against the war. God bless freedom of speech and all that.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Hobbes

Originally posted by daveirl
I agree it's amazing the way people believe everything that is in both Bowling For Columbine and the book.

Have you seen the movie? While the bank thing is false and ignoring MM's fascination with the black man a lot of it is true.

Also a lot in the movie, he leaves the nutters to show what they really think, and he didn't make Charlton Heston appear racist, Mr Heston did that himself.

ferdi

tom i'd agree that moore is not the full shilling but you took a psychological profile of him from rachel lucas, and i quote:

"Rachel is a 30-year-old gun-totin' capitalist oppressor college student with two jobs, two dogs, and no kids. If you take offense to that, kiss my ass. Don't mess with Texas, because that's where Rachel lives with John, where they like to make fun of liberals and play with guns. Did I mention it would be best not to mess with Texas?"

i wouldnt call this redneck a reliable source either, but i find them both funny to read

dahamsta

the only thing I could find that was false was getting the gun at the bank. The bank says otherwise.

I didn't see this reported, have you a link? He says on the website that he went into the bank and did this himself.

adam

Hobbes

Originally posted by dahamsta
the only thing I could find that was false was getting the gun at the bank. The bank says otherwise.

I didn't see this reported, have you a link? He says on the website that he went into the bank and did this himself.

adam

It's possible that (a) he's lying or (b) the bank did in fact do this at one stage.

However everyone who checked after the film were told that is not what they do. You have to wait 40(?) days and get a background check and they give a voucher to get the gun from a store.

A friend of mine told me this and lots more that was fake. However after some googling (on the groups) there was a big section that dealt with seeing what was fake and what was true.

Also the bits that were nitpicked on still don't detract from the message of the movie. Which is "Why do Americans kill each other more then any other country". He shows in the movie in the that other countries have more guns, are more violent, have a more dubious past yet the number of people killed by guns in the US dwarfs that of any other country.

TomF

The discussion inspired me to look a little more closely at Rachel Lucas' website, and there was her very funny interleaved commentary on Michael Moore's letter to Bush.

It can be found at:
http://www.rachellucas.com/
then you have to scroll down or search for "Michael Moore is a lying" and there she begins what she calls her rant.

Éomer of Rohan

Having read both all I can say is that both are increasingly reactionary in their respective rants and though I can sympathise with one more that the other - no prizes for guessing which - neither are genuinely constructive in argument therefore rather a waste of time to serious political debate.

daveirl

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Cork

I have not read Michael Moore's books or seen his films.

I believe that he is a pretty good film maker. (He made "Rodger & Me" - a film that I must get out on video.)

I read alot about his views. I think, he is getting people to debate, question & talk about issues.

I agree it's amazing the way people believe everything that is in both Bowling For Columbine and the book.

I am not really in a position to comment on the accuracy of his books or films - but, nobody should persume that every thing they read or see in TV is true.