Thursday, June 21, 2007

SiCKO Rockos!



Longtime readers might recall that I was not a big fan of Fahrenheit 9/11. When it came out in 2004, I wrote,

My take on F9/11--thanks for asking--was that the movie is brilliant when it actually documents matters: civilian casualties in Iraq, the attitudes of American GIs there, the horrific costs paid by US soldiers, the anguish felt by relatives of dead Iraqi citizens and dead American GIs, and Bush's seven minutes of do-nothing silence after being informed a second airliner had crashed into the World Trade Center. But the film is problematic and self-defeating when it offers overly conspiratorial connect-the-dot explanations: Bush attacked Afghanistan to benefit cronies who wanted to develop a pipeline there; Bush invaded Iraq to preserve the power of his ruling class and feed the ever-hungry war machine; the Bush clan's too-tight relationship with the Saudis was to blame, somehow, for most things. But I noted [on an NPR show] that the film strongly--if briefly--made the case that the WMD argument for war had been a crock.


Last night, I attended the Washington premiere of Michael Moore's latest documentary, SiCKO. And I was moved by how fine a film it is. Funny, sad, poignant, angry. The movie is a stunning dissection of the health care industry. It does not reveal what most Americans don't already know. But the film--quite moving in some parts, quite funny in others--presents a well-crafted indictment and diagnosis of a sick, sick system.

After the end credits rolled, I saw Moore in the lobby of the theater. He said hello. I shot him a thumb's up. "It's a great piece of work," I said. "I can't think of anything negative to say." "Not even you," he replied with half a smile.

I had questioned elements of F9/11, and I'm aware of the complaints about Moore's fact-bending in his other films. But I could only gush about SiCKO. "Wonderful job," I said. We talked about how he had not yielded to pressure from Harvey Weinstein, the film's executive producer, to cut out a bit about how Senator Hillary Clinton has become a top recipient of health care industry political contributions. (Weinstein is a friend of hers.) Did that piss off the movie mogul? "What could he do?" Moore replied. "I'm me." I congratulated him once more and left him to other fans.

I've written a rave of the film here. But don't take my word for it. See it.

Posted by David Corn at June 21, 2007 02:17 PM

25 comments:

capt said...

Mr. David Corn,

Good post, I still take issue with the notion that anything except the official explanation is conspiratorial. (Like Busheney aren't BIG-TIME LIARS)

Well, I guess you are in on the WMD's as BS being proved true enough. (too bad you didn't question the WMD's BEFORE the invasion when you were calling for a wider and smarter war)

You come off sounding like a Bush or neocon apologist for no good reason when you speak down to your readers. This repels people that actually think and I have always assumed you are in the business of making (helping) people to think.(seems contradictory)

Maybe a little less throwing out the "conspiracy" word like a pejorative? At a minimum your articles about the conspiratorial aspects makes you sound closed minded and a bit full of your perspective as the only insight that is meaningful or even worthy.

Not a plus for sales of books and articles to a large portion of your potential readers.

Just a thought.


Kirk

Gerald said...

Sicko, the movie, will be at the local theaters on June 29. I plan to see the movie.

The Common Good Party

Dear Posters:

There are groups of people and organizations that say that a third party is not viable in Nazi America. Yes, the odds are daunting for a third party. Yet, we must try to establish such a party. I would call this party the Common Good Party.

Individuals in this party would strive to work for the common good of all people whether they are Americans or foreigners.

Let us not lose hope that we along with the Common Good Party can change the world. The Common Good Party would embrace Shalom where all people would share in God’s gifts for all His children. With your help and some person with the means to come forward we can move to become a third party that would challenge the Nazis who make up both the Republicans and the Democrats. We must never forget that they are opposite wings of the same bird. This bird is comprised of Nazi American corporations that want to enslave the world population.

With POW (Parent Opposing Wars) and the Common Good Party we can return Nazi America to America and the United States of Evil to the United States of America.

Sincerely,

Gerald

Gerald said...

Whether you like Michael Moore or not I believe that he is fast becoming an American icon. I saw his Fahrenheit 9/11 and I enjoyed the movie. What I like about Michael Moore is that he is a thorn in the sides of Nazis.

Let me share with you two names! If only I could become a combination of two people, Moore and Rove, I would be able to piss off the world.

My manifest destiny has been to piss off people but pissing off the world would be truly satisfying.

capt said...

Gerald,

I learned many moons ago not to piss people off, it is of no use to you or them.

One should always give people that warm feeling - all over. Piss ON them.

HA!


capt

capt said...

Waterloo

(a Youtube Video)

Tee HEE!


capt

Gerald said...

capt, you are right. Let me explain to you why I want to piss people off. For most of my life people would piss on my leg and tell me that it's raining. I do not intend to piss on someone's leg but pissing on their heads is more satisfying.

Gerald said...

Wouldn't it be great to be able to ban these Nazis to some hell hole island like Napoleon.

capt said...

It wouldn't even have to be a very big island.


capt

Gerald said...

Hitler Bush is repeating the sins of history

capt said...

Vice President Exempts His Office from the Requirements for Protecting Classified Information



The Oversight Committee has learned that over the objections of the National Archives, Vice President Cheney exempted his office from the presidential order that establishes government-wide procedures for safeguarding classified national security information. The Vice President asserts that his office is not an "entity within the executive branch."

As described in a letter from Chairman Waxman to the Vice President, the National Archives protested the Vice President's position in letters written in June 2006 and August 2006. When these letters were ignored, the National Archives wrote to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in January 2007 to seek a resolution of the impasse. The Vice President's staff responded by seeking to abolish the agency within the Archives that is responsible for implementing the President's executive order.

In his letter to the Vice President, Chairman Waxman writes: "I question both the legality and wisdom of your actions. ... [I]t would appear particularly irresponsible to give an office with your history of security breaches an exemption from the safeguards that apply to all other executive branch officials."

A fact sheet prepared by Chairman Waxman describes other instances in which the Vice President's office has sought to avoid oversight and accountability.


Documents and Links


Chairman Waxman's Letter to the Vice President

Letter from National Archives to the Attorney General

Second Letter from National Archives to the Vice President's Office

First Letter from National Archives to the Vice President's Office

Fact Sheet on the Vice President's Efforts to Avoid Oversight and Accountability


More HERE

*****end of clip*****

Another overly conspiratorial connect the dot type thing but it looks like the shadow government is in control and Cheney is in charge.


capt

Gerald said...

Newton's or Hitler Bush's Fourth Law

Anonymous said...

How can these guys just exempt them selves from the requirements of the law? It would be like someone getting caught with drugs at the border saying that the law didn't apply to them. How long would that hold water? Jeez, isn't there some oversight on these criminals? I know I am just raising my blood pressure but I am just about fed up with this whole charade of a government or what they call a government in this country, soon it will be every man for himself.

Gerald said...

Ther ought to be limits to freedom

Gerald said...

wtf, as long as the US Supreme Court keeps repressing our freedoms, this Nazi regime will do what it pleases.

Nine Nazis on the Supreme Court control 300 million plus citizens. I believe that the Supreme Court is obsolete because each state has a Supreme Court that is closer to the people and each justice must run for re-election.

Lifetime appointments give a justice too much power.

capt said...

"Lifetime appointments give a justice too much power."


The reason for lifetime appointments is so the justice is not in peril for making unpopular decisions.

The problem is not so much with the lenght of term (lifetime) as the confirmation of Reich-wingnut kooks that put party, ideology or the president before the law.

I am still scratching my heads about the confirmation of Roberts and Alito and the support they received from tyhe democrats.

I wouldn't want left wingnuttia justices either but most people and most judges are not so partisan.

UGH!


capt

capt said...

"I am still scratching my heads "



Like the Internets?

I meant sigular head.



capt

Gerald said...

Hitler Bush plans to reach out to 'brothers'

We have had six and one half years of a liar and Americans know that Hitler Bush cannot be trusted. The 'brothers' are not stupid and they will not trust a pathological liar like the vipor, aka Hitler Bush.

capt said...

Breaking: Senate Judiciary Committee Issues Subpoenas For NSA Domestic Spying Documents



The Senate Judiciary Committee just voted 13-3 to authorize chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to issue subpoenas for documents related to the NSA warrantless surveillance program. Sens. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) voted with the Democrats on the committee to authorize the subpoenas for any legal opinions and advice the Bush administration has received regarding the NSA program.

The Center on Democracy & Technology has released a list of the seven "most wanted surveillance documents." See the full list here.

The confrontation over the documents "could set the stage for a constitutional showdown over the separation of powers." The Senate Judiciary Committee had previously scheduled to authorize subpoenas last week, but Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) blocked the Judiciary Committee from voting on the subpoenas.

On May 21, the Senate Judiciary Committee made at least its ninth formal request for the documents, but the Justice Department continued its stonewalling. Leahy issued the following statement about today’s vote:


More HERE

*****end of clip*****

I HATE that these things move so slowly but it seems to be leaning in the right direction.

Bush and his cabal will deny, delay, deceive and distract but maybe . . . just maybe they will be called on their illegal actions.


capt

Gerald said...

DUFUS is an appropriate name for Hitler Bush.

Gerald said...

I am amazed at how much shit Americans will lap up and still there will be no outrage.

The shit has piled so high that I am gagging and suffocating from it.

Gerald said...

The Mountaintop: A World Free of Nuclear Weapons

Gerald said...

Yes, the United States of Evil has been free of a nuclear attack but the United States of Evil is the only nation that initiates nuclear attacks, such as upon Japan and now Iran.

Gerald said...

The hearts of all sane men

capt said...

New Thread

Gerald said...

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. . . . The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. . . . We pay for a single fighter with a half million bushels of wheat." - Dwight D. Eisenhower