Real Conversations

Fahrenheit 911 is supposed to show the truth and expose the Bush admin. It did that quite well.  Bush’s oil links, the connection of corporations to government--all that was pretty clear. And then the movie talked about the cost of war—to American troops and to Iraqi civilians.
 
I think the movie might indicate progress in the American political arena. A couple of years back it was impossible to find this sort of information in the mainstream media. So it is a breakthrough to a degree.
 
But for all of Michael Moore’s political stances, I don’t think his principles are very sound. Exactly what does he value? He seems almost as anti-intellectual as Bush sometimes. Does he sit down and think ever?
 
I remember seeing at least two shots of Muslims praying as Moore talked about the Saudis—not ordinary Saudis, but the actual family of Saud—and when he mentioned bin Laden and the terrorists. And of course, there were countless shots of women in hijab. I think he’s playing on stereotypes and fears, at the same time that he’s trying to show people how the Bushies play on fear.
 
I know Moore is always against every war, but the way he talked about Saudi Arabia—the biggest threat to the US, according to Moore—it almost seemed as though they should be our next target.
 
What America lacks—as it has become apparent to so many more people since 9/11—is a real conversation, an honest dialogue, with a range of voices. We only have an aura of that. I don’t think Michael Moore is really bringing that—even though I agree with him on a lot of points. Real conversations take a lot of courage and a lot of discomfort.
 
It’s not impossible to find that though. Look at Tom Dispatch. And—don’t roll your eyes—we saw real conversations with Howard Dean. Look at this speech to New Hampshire doctors:

And that is because Americans, uniquely to every other culture in the world, uniquely believe that if you have a problem, if you work hard enough and if you spend enough money, you can overcome the problem. And that list of problems also includes death.

 
Politicians aren’t supposed to say things like that. And they don’t survive, because we don’t have room for our politicians to be honest. We don’t allow them to think for themselves—we want them to be more like John-John—saying all the right things and having blond children.