MICHAEL MOORE AND BUSH BASHING GALORE!
Sadly, as most people find this out about me they are disapointed. But, because of the way that I was raised, I have sucessfully stayed away from politics most of my life. There are things that I definitely have opinions about... like the entire Clinton/Lewinsky thing. Who cares? All the presidents have mistresses! Now we've just let an entire generation of young kids think that oral sex... isn't really sex. (yeah right!) It's just "Clinton sex". Good thing that I don't have kids, I'd hate to have to sit down with my teenage son and daughter and try to explain that one!
The class that I am taking... yeah, the Philosophy one, uses alot of the politics going on today for debate in class. It's all about the "right" kinds of arguments vs "wrong" ones. Not a big news flash to anyone, but apparently... we've all argued the wrong way for centuries! You AREN'T SUPPOSED to pull on people's heartstrings using different diversionary tactics... or are you?
So, we received an extra credit assignment, to see Fahrenheit 911, do a summary of it, and draw some conclusions about whether rhetoric was good or bad in this case.
The Republicans do it, did Michael Moore do it in his movie? Obviously a democrat, if you haven't seen the movie already.
I have never seen a Michael Moore movie, I tried desperately to get ANYONE to go with me. The one guy R, who would have gone, got tied up at work. People were either, Moore is slanting to the bleeding heart liberals... or I wish there was a more libertarian approach to government. So, I went by myself. (which I don't mind, however I generally try not to go on a weekend NIGHT, and appear so incredibly by myself... but I was desperate to get this assignment done for class.)
I had heard alot about the movie and wanted to try to be completely objective about everything that was presented to me. Unfortunately, I was unable to do that. Probably due to the fact that I have a serious lack of knowledge on alot of the points that were made in the film.
I found myself on an emotional rollercoaster, probably just what Moore intended. I don't fault him for that at all, I just didn't appreciate being forced there by his extreme presentation. He showed the many affects of the war on both the American people and Iraqi's. He showed footage of an Iraqi man waving the body of a dead child in the camera, asking the question "Did this child harm you?" Next more images, including one that was particularly haunting... an extremely young child with their arm completely exposed to the bone. Next an American mother, who lost her son when his helicopter went down in Iraq. She reads his last letter to her, expressing his anger with Bush, how he felt that the soldiers were in Iraq for nothing. Then American soldiers getting injured, feet blown off, hands blown off. And then, a meeting in America with alot of companies plotting how they could profit from "new" business in Iraq.
As I mentioned, I do have a lack of knowledge when it comes to these things and I was quite surprised by the relationship that the Bush family has with the Bin Laden family. The Carlyle group, that profited so heavily in the days after 9/11. How the Bin Laden was allowed to leave the country without even being questioned by the authorities at all. (a lovely Dragnet sequence in there also...)
They show the administration alternately showing in the months leading up to the war that Saddam Hussein had no access to Weapons of Mass Destruction, posed no threat, it was "under control". But then immediately following 9/11 how he suddenly had all of these things.
Next the reports from within the FBI/CIA about terrorists being in the country, learning how to fly airplanes... and the reports being ignored.
Next came the lack of effort made to actually GET Osama Bin Laden. How long it took for special forces to even get the opportunity to go after the man, MONTHS. And then showing Bush publicly stating that Osama wasn't a huge concern for him, that he doesn't even think about him. This is the man that claimed responsiblity to the 9/11 atttacks, and we didn't go after him? our president doesn't think about him? WHY NOT???!!!!!
This movie made me sick to my stomach. I didn't know who to be more ashamed of, Bush, for all of the acts that he has done, his close connection with profiting from his actions, his definite "good ole boy" network, the vendetta that he had against Iraq from the word "go", and his ties with the Saudis.
Or with Michael Moore, for presenting all these facts in a very popular movie. Sometimes in such a schlocky way that it pissed me off. (The referrals to "Bonanza" were highly entertaining.) And I found myself laughing right along with the crowd.
I came out worried about my country. If electing someone else would actually MAKE it better or worse. By now, we do not have much choice about our troops staying in Iraq. The American people have definitely made an impression on the country, and not always positively. Again, not trying to sound too ignorant, but in Time just a week ago, an article discussed how certain groups in Iraq want the Americans to leave so that the entire country can become a breeding ground for terrorists.
We did fund these groups in the past, us, America. Perhaps not by popular choice, but by administration choice. So, in a sense, haven't we empowered them? And by trying to clean up our mess we have gotten ourselves in even a bigger one. Because now there isn't a "safe" way for us to pull out of this situation.
I have people that I love in the military. Yes, it was their choice to defend their country. But, I don't want them to get hurt. I don't want anyone to get hurt. And the violence mounts in Iraq with each passing day.
As I mentioned before, I am sick to my stomach, anyone have any Tums?
Sadly, as most people find this out about me they are disapointed. But, because of the way that I was raised, I have sucessfully stayed away from politics most of my life. There are things that I definitely have opinions about... like the entire Clinton/Lewinsky thing. Who cares? All the presidents have mistresses! Now we've just let an entire generation of young kids think that oral sex... isn't really sex. (yeah right!) It's just "Clinton sex". Good thing that I don't have kids, I'd hate to have to sit down with my teenage son and daughter and try to explain that one!
The class that I am taking... yeah, the Philosophy one, uses alot of the politics going on today for debate in class. It's all about the "right" kinds of arguments vs "wrong" ones. Not a big news flash to anyone, but apparently... we've all argued the wrong way for centuries! You AREN'T SUPPOSED to pull on people's heartstrings using different diversionary tactics... or are you?
So, we received an extra credit assignment, to see Fahrenheit 911, do a summary of it, and draw some conclusions about whether rhetoric was good or bad in this case.
The Republicans do it, did Michael Moore do it in his movie? Obviously a democrat, if you haven't seen the movie already.
I have never seen a Michael Moore movie, I tried desperately to get ANYONE to go with me. The one guy R, who would have gone, got tied up at work. People were either, Moore is slanting to the bleeding heart liberals... or I wish there was a more libertarian approach to government. So, I went by myself. (which I don't mind, however I generally try not to go on a weekend NIGHT, and appear so incredibly by myself... but I was desperate to get this assignment done for class.)
I had heard alot about the movie and wanted to try to be completely objective about everything that was presented to me. Unfortunately, I was unable to do that. Probably due to the fact that I have a serious lack of knowledge on alot of the points that were made in the film.
I found myself on an emotional rollercoaster, probably just what Moore intended. I don't fault him for that at all, I just didn't appreciate being forced there by his extreme presentation. He showed the many affects of the war on both the American people and Iraqi's. He showed footage of an Iraqi man waving the body of a dead child in the camera, asking the question "Did this child harm you?" Next more images, including one that was particularly haunting... an extremely young child with their arm completely exposed to the bone. Next an American mother, who lost her son when his helicopter went down in Iraq. She reads his last letter to her, expressing his anger with Bush, how he felt that the soldiers were in Iraq for nothing. Then American soldiers getting injured, feet blown off, hands blown off. And then, a meeting in America with alot of companies plotting how they could profit from "new" business in Iraq.
As I mentioned, I do have a lack of knowledge when it comes to these things and I was quite surprised by the relationship that the Bush family has with the Bin Laden family. The Carlyle group, that profited so heavily in the days after 9/11. How the Bin Laden was allowed to leave the country without even being questioned by the authorities at all. (a lovely Dragnet sequence in there also...)
They show the administration alternately showing in the months leading up to the war that Saddam Hussein had no access to Weapons of Mass Destruction, posed no threat, it was "under control". But then immediately following 9/11 how he suddenly had all of these things.
Next the reports from within the FBI/CIA about terrorists being in the country, learning how to fly airplanes... and the reports being ignored.
Next came the lack of effort made to actually GET Osama Bin Laden. How long it took for special forces to even get the opportunity to go after the man, MONTHS. And then showing Bush publicly stating that Osama wasn't a huge concern for him, that he doesn't even think about him. This is the man that claimed responsiblity to the 9/11 atttacks, and we didn't go after him? our president doesn't think about him? WHY NOT???!!!!!
This movie made me sick to my stomach. I didn't know who to be more ashamed of, Bush, for all of the acts that he has done, his close connection with profiting from his actions, his definite "good ole boy" network, the vendetta that he had against Iraq from the word "go", and his ties with the Saudis.
Or with Michael Moore, for presenting all these facts in a very popular movie. Sometimes in such a schlocky way that it pissed me off. (The referrals to "Bonanza" were highly entertaining.) And I found myself laughing right along with the crowd.
I came out worried about my country. If electing someone else would actually MAKE it better or worse. By now, we do not have much choice about our troops staying in Iraq. The American people have definitely made an impression on the country, and not always positively. Again, not trying to sound too ignorant, but in Time just a week ago, an article discussed how certain groups in Iraq want the Americans to leave so that the entire country can become a breeding ground for terrorists.
We did fund these groups in the past, us, America. Perhaps not by popular choice, but by administration choice. So, in a sense, haven't we empowered them? And by trying to clean up our mess we have gotten ourselves in even a bigger one. Because now there isn't a "safe" way for us to pull out of this situation.
I have people that I love in the military. Yes, it was their choice to defend their country. But, I don't want them to get hurt. I don't want anyone to get hurt. And the violence mounts in Iraq with each passing day.
As I mentioned before, I am sick to my stomach, anyone have any Tums?
posted by nicky at 7/11/2004 09:55:00 AM
2 Comments:
I say we put on Metallica's classic album Kill 'em All, reprogram the ICBMs, and nuke the entire Middle East. Ain't nothing but people trying to kill us and sand over there anyway.
Obviously, you must have seen the movie, because that is exactly what the soldiers played.
Post a Comment
<< Home