June 29, 2004
Michael Moore and Fairenheit 9/11
Christopher Hitchens, a liberal on the left side of his party, has written a review of Michael Moore's Fairenheit 9/11. Hitchens doesn't ask for much, but he does ask that a documentary have some honesty in it:
Some people soothingly say that one should relax about all this. It's only a movie. No biggie. It's no worse than the tomfoolery of Oliver Stone. It's kick-ass entertainment. It might even help get out "the youth vote." Yeah, well, I have myself written and presented about a dozen low-budget made-for-TV documentaries, on subjects as various as Mother Teresa and Bill Clinton and the Cyprus crisis, and I also helped produce a slightly more polished one on Henry Kissinger that was shown in movie theaters. So I know, thanks, before you tell me, that a documentary must have a "POV" or point of view and that it must also impose a narrative line. But if you leave out absolutely everything that might give your "narrative" a problem and throw in any old rubbish that might support it, and you don't even care that one bit of that rubbish flatly contradicts the next bit, and you give no chance to those who might differ, then you have betrayed your craft. If you flatter and fawn upon your potential audience, I might add, you are patronizing them and insulting them. By the same token, if I write an article and I quote somebody and for space reasons put in an ellipsis like this (…), I swear on my children that I am not leaving out anything that, if quoted in full, would alter the original meaning or its significance. Those who violate this pact with readers or viewers are to be despised. At no point does Michael Moore make the smallest effort to be objective. At no moment does he pass up the chance of a cheap sneer or a jeer. He pitilessly focuses his camera, for minutes after he should have turned it off, on a distraught and bereaved mother whose grief we have already shared. (But then, this is the guy who thought it so clever and amusing to catch Charlton Heston, in Bowling for Columbine, at the onset of his senile dementia.) Such courage.
Read the full article for a liberal's viewpoint on the movie. I cringe at the number of Americans so intelligent they will believe this tripe nonsense. By the way, Hitchens does have a little "DeoOmnisGloria" in his blood:
However, I think we can agree that the film is so flat-out phony that "fact-checking" is beside the point. And as for the scary lawyers—get a life, or maybe see me in court. But I offer this, to Moore and to his rapid response rabble. Any time, Michael my boy. Let's redo Telluride. Any show. Any place. Any platform. Let's see what you're made of.
How often do you see one writer go after another like that? It's nice to see someone so offended by lies they challenge the liar! By the way, I don't agree or like Hitchens - mainly because of his piece on Mother Teresa. But I wanted to point out that this film is essentially a lie and even those on the left recognize it. I'd love to hear a review if you've seen it.
By the way, thanks to Dappled Things for pointing out the article.
God bless,
Jay
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A liberal on the left side of your party? You mean the Nazi party? Don't forget, Hitler was a Christian, too. Have fun meeting him in heaven while I toil in fire with the likes of Ghandi, a fellow non-Christian.
Ta Ta!
T.Nuts,
Hitler shared more values with modern day liberals (gun control, big government, hate for the Catholic Church, etc.) than with Christians. Do your homework and actually read some history!
We'll pray for you.
God bless,
Jay
Jay
I saw the movie...sadly while the movie is biased, you cannot dispute the facts. Its not as if Michael Moore made up the connection between the Bush's and Saudi's is false. Killing innocent people, that wasn't made up either. Could a lot of the film be hysteria and speculation...of course. But nonetheless, there are some shocking facts presented in the movie.
Be blessed
Posted by: Jeff at July 6, 2004 08:18 AMJeff - please take a minute and read the article I linked to. To suggest there are any "facts" in this movie is almost comical - much of the movie is invented and intentionally distorted, which is why even the liberal press in some cases has condemned it.
God bless,
Jay
Moore brings out things that the American poplace cannot afford to ignore. After all, we, as taxpayers have a 'right' to know what we're paying for. And we want to know the truth about the war.
I guess it's still OK for Bush to not let the media show coffins coming back from Iraq? How many casualties now? A 1,000?
This is war and war has it's costs.
When the 'draft' is reinstated next year to make up for the shortfall in reserves and enlistments, all of you will be crying when your nephews, brothers and cousins get their call to go to Iraq.
This war is unjust and was thrown upon the American people by false intelligence.
It's not "Operation Iraqi Freedom", it's "Operation 'OIL' Freedom" !
Posted by: Catholic Watch at July 10, 2004 03:12 PMCatholic Watch you say that we have a right to know the "truth" about the war, the problem with this isn't that point, but that we will not get any "truth" from Micheal Moore. No movies made by Micheal Moore have any facts in them and he is the last place you should be looking for truth. If you disagree with George Bush's policies thats fine, but don't use information from Moore to try to prove anything.
http://bowlingfortruth.com/
http://www.mooreexposed.com/
http://www.hardylaw.net/Truth_About_Bowling.html
to me, the funny thing here is how when presented with the obvious lies and untruths presented in this movie, bush haters continue to argue as if they had never been presented with lies and untruths. they just keep marching down that same road shoutin the same crap. "catholic watch", please be confident, that the bush administration, is definately trying to kill my family members by reinstating the draft. yeah,... good job on that. lets just hope that when the draft comes that he remembers only to send people that didnt register as republican. you know, pot cant make you paranoid...
Posted by: B Dawg at August 1, 2004 03:55 AMJay,
To say that there are no facts in fairenheit 9/11 is an insult to all the soldiers that have died in Iraq. Shame on you.
Chip,
lets not be hippocritical, for to suggest their are facts in the movie is an insult to many of the soldiers who died in Iraq, and to support Micheal Moore is an even bigger insult than that. For starters remember the soldier who was posthumously insulted when his family came out and said that Moore used footage from his funeral in the movie without asking for permission when the soldier himself despied Moore. Secondly, I don't think the soldiers in Iraq, dead or alive, support Moore literally rooting for more Americans to die there as he has stated, or accusing them of ruining the lives of Iraqis (whose lives we both know are better now that Saddam is out of power) and comparing the men they are fighting to the patriots of the American Revolution.
Posted by: Tom Ace at August 4, 2004 12:37 AMWell, if the Iraqis are so much better under American soldiers than Saddam, why doesn't Bush allow them to vote in the presidentials? After all, they have a big interest in who becomes president. Now, the population is about 25.5 million. That's about twice the size of Illinois, so about 40 electoral votes should be fair. No takers? No, probably not. I'm sorry, but a simple reading of Exodus 20:13 will tell you what's wrong with Bush's policies of murder.
Posted by: NZ Harry at September 29, 2004 07:56 PMBush probally doesn't let them vote for president because he can't. Itt would be breaking the Constitution of the United States and I'm positive the Supreme Court would turn it down. Also, I'm sure the Iraqis would rather have us workign to set up a democracy in their own country, like the one we are setting up for January elections, than putting that on hold to try to register them to vote here. Also, if you think terroist should be allowed to vote for president like the Insurgents that kidnap and behead people.
Other than that, I appreciate your sarcasm, just try to back something with facts when you post. I doubt you could prove to me that Bush is a "murderer".
Posted by: Tom Ace at September 29, 2004 09:45 PMNZ Harry,
There is such a thing as justifiable killing. You can't use Exodus 20:13 for every instance of someone being killed. Please read further to Exodus 21:12-17. Who is doing the killing in those verses? You have an oversimplistic view of this issue.
In Christ,
Thomas
Posted by: Thomas at September 30, 2004 12:10 PMPeople loke NZ Harry confuse killing with murder.
The commandment translated into English thou shalt not KILL is better translated You should not MURDER ... Michael Moore is a well known distorter of the truth. His films can not be considered documentaries.
People who support Kerry have a September 10th
mentality.. Osama Bin Ladden Murdured almost 3000 Americans. He was hidding and being harbored by the Taliban in Afganistan. Reason for
War #1..
Saddam was in violation of numerous UN resolutions and was told to comply or face military action. Bil Clinton , John Kerry
The British intellegence, and several other intelligence agencies agreed that Saddam was a
threat and had WMD's. Where was the lie ..
Just because WMD's were not found does not mean
that Saddam did not have them... Were all of these men and intelligence organizations Wrong ?
Saddam was offering a reward to families of Homicide Bombers. He was a friend to terrorists
and His Intelligence agents met with agents of
Osama Bin Ladden.. Saddam was killing his own people... All of these were good reasons to go in an remove Saddam from power. Kerry says from one side of his mouth that the world is better off without Saddam in power and from the other side of his mouth says that this is the wrong war at the wrong time... Mr. Kerry seems to always be on both sides of any issue depending on who he is talking to ...
My prayer is that God will hear the prayers of the faithful and allow the right man into office.
Bush is far from perfect but at least you know where he stands. I believe he is a man who wants what is best for our country. He won't put our Military under the command of UN or Foreign generals ...
Someone should do a documentary on Michael Moore
and see if He likes it ???
Clem
I HOPE KERRY WINS!
Posted by: A Believer at October 10, 2004 09:58 PM"A Believer" - there are millions of babies who don't! Kerry will make sure it's easier to kill them, but don't let that bother you . . .
God bless,
Jay
A Believer -
What do you believe in? John Kerry?
He says he is a Good Catholic and yet he refuses
to stand up for life. To say you are privately Against abortion, but are FOR a women's right to choose is a COP OUT. You can't have it both ways.
How can you be FOR and Against something at the same time? You can NOT be on BOTH sides..
He votes for the war and then he says wrong war, wrong time. He says that Saddam was not a threat and then he says the world is better off without Saddam.
People want to call Bush Stupid (Stupidity has nothing to do with the ability to articulate ones thoughts )
It seems that Mr. Kerry may be the one with the mental disorder. He makes contradictary statements and He makes them on audio and video tape..?
It's a free country and if you want to vote for someone who is confused at best. That's your business. I can't vote for someone wanting the most important job in the country and obviously has a problem making up his mind..
A Believer in Christ,
Clem
Posted by: Clem at October 12, 2004 10:19 AMTo the person who said vote for John Kerry, then signs A Believer. A believer in what. It cant be God, because if it were there couldnt be any way possible that you could vote for Kerry...You obviously don't read Gods word. Kerry advocates abortion.. Proverbs 24:11-12 reads God promises to punish all who shed innocent blood. Kerry is for homosexuals, Romans 1:25-32 reads "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female;it is an abomination" Kerry will erode the faimly,put in pro-choice lifetime Supreme court justices and federal judges,2 Sam.23:3 reads " He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God".Kerry would support the indoctrination of America's school children,he wants to increase federal control of American schools in order to indoctrinate ou children with humanism and secular sex education, God has commanded parents to teach their children with Scripture,read Duet.6:4-9,11:18-21. Kerry would also yield American sovereignty to the United Nations and weaken America's military. Go back to our first president of the United States, he acknowledged: "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." I hope that if you continue to call yourself a believer you have a whole new perspective of what a believer is and who a believer should vote for.
Hey in case you didn't know the pope from the very start has said that this war was an unjust war and has always condemed it! So to say it is justified is wrong you can't have it both ways.
Also in case you didn't know the 9/11 commission has said that there is absolutely no connection between 9/11 and Iraq!! Also there were no weapons of mass destruction the other justification for going to war.
Brad,
First, The Pope is entitled to his opinion but
I don't agree with it. I do not follow the pope so there is no contradiction on my part or in my position..
(1)Let's be accuate Brad, The report did not say the WMD's never existed. The report said none were found during the inspections. There is a big difference between none being found and none EVER existing. They DID exist a some point. They may be burried somewhere or they could have been moved to another country...
(2) Bush never said that Suddam Hussain was connected with 911. He said that he supported terrorism... (A) Hussain had terrorist training camps in Iraq (B) he offered a reward of $25,000 to the families of Homicide Bombers.
(c)The report confirmed that agents from Iraq had met with an agent of Bin Ladden. They could not confirm what the meeting was about.
Granted the intelligence was either wrong or outdated, but it was not just our own intelligence, it was from Many Foreign intelligence sources. Bush would have been accussed of neglegence if he would hace ignored
the intelligence. Clinton and Kerry both believed that intelligence.
Brad, in case you are living on another planet,
Terrorism is a world wide threat. Al Qiada is a world wide network.. Iraq may not have been directly connected to 911, but you can not deny that they were supporting terrorism...
Clem
Posted by: Clem at October 20, 2004 12:37 PMClem,
It's funny how it seems to me that you contradicted yourself. You accuse John Kerry as someone you would not vote because he cannot "stand up for life", but completely disagree with the TEACHING (not opinion!!!) of the Catholic Church on war. War should always be avoided since it involves "destruction of human LIFE" (CCC 2307) - against the 5th Commandment. There are four conditions to determine when war should be resorted to and the Pope has already evaluated the war on Iraq as not justified.
Funny how you placed a disclaimer before you explained your point. Forgive me if my impressions are wrong.
Just an aside: When several people claim that they are proclaiming the truth (e.g. claiming that one's "church" is the "true church") but these "truths" they proclaim contradict other statements others proclaim as true, only one is REALLY TRUE. the rest are just hoaxes or misinterpretations or simply logic based on faulty premises.
Tricia
Posted by: Tricia at November 27, 2004 04:03 AMTricia,
First, although I was brought up Catholic and still attend mass weekly, I do not Agree with
the Catholic church on many of it's TEACHINGS if you have read any of my other posts you would know that.. I don't believe that when the Pope speaks on doctrine and morals that he is infallible as the church teaches. Some would say I am a heretic.
By the way a heretic according to the Catholic church is ANYONE who disagrees with their official doctrines. It is their method of silencing people who disagree with them.
That is what they did during the inquisition.
I am not familiar with the popes conditions for allowing war. So I can not comment on them.
However the Roman Catholic church was involved and sanctioned the crusades and the inquisition.. During the crusades, if you would not convert to Catholicism you were killed. And
during the inquisition, people were tortured and
killed for what the church deemed heresy...
Seems like they were guilty of some pretty terrible things..
Let me be clear, I NEVER said that the Catholic church is true or that it always represents truth. That is something Jay professes Not me..
I proclaim that the Bible and the teachings of
Christ and the apostles are true, Not all the Teachings of ANY church Organization or Institution whether it be Catholic or Protestant
are true . That is why Paul encouraged us to search the scriptures to make sure if a teaching is true and NOT to rely on a Man or an Institution ...
Grace and Peace,
Clem
Posted by: Clem at November 27, 2004 01:49 PMChristopher Hitchens vs. Michael Moore
http://www.overcast.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/f911/hitch-moore.htm
Posted by: JLee at March 25, 2005 01:52 PM
