"I know we've been 'free' of the Iraq War for two weeks now and our minds have turned to the new football season and Fashion Week in New York. And how exciting that the new fall TV season is just days away!"

Portrait, Michael Moore, 04/03/09. (photo: Ann-Christine Poujoulat/Getty)

When Good People Back Bad Wars

By Michael Moore, MichaelMoore.com

15 September 10

Never Forget: Bad Wars Aren't Possible Unless Good People Back Them

know we've been "free" of the Iraq War for two weeks now and our minds have turned to the new football season and Fashion Week in New York. And how exciting that the new fall TV season is just days away!

But before we get too far away from something we would all just like to forget, will you please allow me to just say something plain and blunt and necessary:

We invaded Iraq because most Americans - including good liberals like Al Franken, Nicholas Kristof & Bill Keller of the New York Times, David Remnick of the New Yorker, the editors of the Atlantic and the New Republic, Harvey Weinstein, Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer and John Kerry - wanted to.

Of course the actual blame for the war goes to Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz because they ordered the "precision" bombing, the invasion, the occupation, and the theft of our national treasury. I have no doubt that history will record that they committed the undisputed Crime of the (young) Century.

But how did they get away with it, considering they'd lost the presidential election by 543,895 votes? They also knew that the majority of the country probably wouldn't back them in such a war (a Newsweek poll in October 2002 showed 61% thought it was "very important" for Bush to get formal approval from the United Nations for war - but that never happened). So how did they pull it off?

They did it by getting liberal voices to support their war. They did it by creating the look of bipartisanship. And they convinced other countries' leaders like Tony Blair to get on board and make it look like it wasn't just our intelligence agencies cooking the evidence.

But most importantly, they made this war (and its public support) happen because Bush & Co. had brilliantly conned the New York Times into running a bunch of phony front-page stories about how Saddam Hussein had all these "weapons of mass destruction." The administration gleefully fed this false information not to Fox News or the Washington Times. They gave it to America's leading liberal newspaper. They must have had a laugh riot each morning when they'd pick up the New York Times and read the nearly word-for-word scenarios and talking points that they had concocted in the Vice President's office.

I blame the New York Times more for this war than Bush. I expected Bush and Cheney to try and get away with what they did. But the Times - and the rest of the press - was supposed to STOP them by doing their job: Be a relentless watchdog of government and business - and then inform the public so we can take action.

Instead, the New York Times gave the Bush administration the cover they needed. They could - and did - say, 'Hey, look, even the Times says Saddam has WMD!'

With this groundwork laid, the Bush crowd ended up convincing a whopping 70% of the public to support the war - a public that had given him less than 48% of its vote in 2000.

Early liberal support for this war was the key ingredient in selling it to a majority of the public. I realize this is something that no one in the media - nor most of us - really wants to discuss. Who among us wants to feel the pain of having to remember that liberals, by joining with Bush, made this war happen?

Please, before our collective memory fades, I just want us to be honest with ourselves and present an unsanitized version of how they pulled off this war. I can guarantee you the revisionists will make sure the real truth will not enter the history books.

Children born when the war began started second grade this month.

Kids who were eleven in 2003 are now old enough to join up and get killed in Iraq in a "non-combat capacity."

They'll never understand how we got here if we don't.

So let me state this clearly: This war was aided and abetted by a) liberals who were afraid to stick their necks out and thus remained silent; and b) liberals who actually said they believed Colin Powell's cartoon presentation at the U.N. and then went against their better judgment by publicly offering their support for the invasion of Iraq.

First, there were those 29 (turncoat) Democratic senators who voted for the war. Then there was the embarrassing display of reporters who couldn't wait to be "embedded" and go for a joy ride on a Bradley tank.

But my real despair lies with the people I counted on for strong opposition to this madness - but who left the rest of us alone, out on a limb, as we tried to stop the war.

In March of 2003, to be a public figure speaking out against the war was considered instant career suicide. Take the Dixie Chicks as Exhibit A. Their lead singer, Natalie Maines, uttered just one sentence of criticism - and their career was effectively dead and buried at that moment. Bruce Springsteen spoke out in their defense, and a Colorado DJ was fired for refusing to not play their songs. That was about it. Crickets everywhere else.

Then MSNBC fired the only nightly critic of the war - the television legend, Phil Donahue. No one at the network - or any network - spoke up on his behalf. There would never again be a Phil Donahue show. (Little did GE know that, when they soon filled that 8pm hour with a sports guy by the name of Keith Olbermann, they would end up with the war's most brilliant and fiercest critic, night after night after night.) There were a few others - Bill Maher, Janeane Garofalo, Tim Robbins and Seymour Hersh - who weren't afraid to speak the truth. But where was everyone else? Where were all those supposed liberal voices in the media?

Instead, this is what we were treated to back in 2003 and 2004:

** Al Franken, who said he "reluctantly" was "a supporter of the war against Saddam." And six months into the war Al was still saying, "There were reasons to go to war against Iraq ... I was very ambivalent about it but I still don't know if it was necessarily wrong (to go to war)."

** Nicholas Kristof, columnist for the New York Times, who attacked me and wrote a column comparing me to the nutty right-wingers who claimed Hillary had Vince Foster killed. He said people like me were "polarizing the political cesspool," and he chastised anyone who dared call Bush's reasons for going to war in Iraq "lies."

** Howell Raines, editor-in-chief of the "liberal" New York Times, who was, according to former Times editor Doug Frantz, "eager to have articles that supported the war-mongering out of Washington ... He discouraged pieces that were at odds with the administration's position on Iraq's supposed weapons of mass destruction and alleged links of al-Qaeda." The book "Hard News" reported that "according to half a dozen sources within the Times, Raines wanted to prove once and for all that he wasn't editing the paper in a way that betrayed his liberal beliefs ... "

** Bill Keller, at the time a New York Times columnist, who wrote: "We reluctant hawks may disagree among ourselves about the most compelling logic for war - protecting America, relieving oppressed Iraqis or reforming the Middle East - but we generally agree that the logic for standing pat does not hold.... we are hard pressed to see an alternative that is not built on wishful thinking."

(The New York Times is so left-wing that when Raines retired, they replaced him with ... Keller.)

** The New Yorker, the magazine for really smart liberals, found its editor-in-chief, David Remnick, supporting the war on its pages: "History will not easily excuse us if, by deciding not to decide, we defer a reckoning with an aggressive totalitarian leader who intends not only to develop weapons of mass destruction but also to use them.... a return to a hollow pursuit of containment will be the most dangerous option of all." (To cover its ass, the New Yorker had another editor, Rick Hertzberg, write an anti-war editorial as a rebuttal.)

Some of the above have recanted their early support of the war. The Times fired its WMD correspondent and apologized to its readers. Al Franken has been a great Senator. Kristof now writes nice columns (check out last Sunday's).

But the support of the war by these leading liberals and the majority of the Democrats in the Senate made it safe for the Right to let loose a vicious and unchecked tirade of hate and threats on anyone (including myself) who dared to step out of line. It was not uncommon to hear the media describe me as "un-American," "anti-American," "aiding the terrorists," and being a "traitor."

Here are just a couple of examples of what was said about me over the airwaves by two of the nation's leading conservative commentators:

"Let me just tell you what I'm thinking. I'm thinking about killing Michael Moore, and I'm wondering if I could kill him myself, or if I would need to hire somebody to do it. No, I think I could. I think he could be looking me in the eye, you know, and I could just be choking the life out - is this wrong? I stopped wearing my 'What Would Jesus Do' band, and I've lost all sense of right and wrong now. I used to be able to say, 'Yeah, I'd kill Michael Moore,' and then I'd see the little band: 'What Would Jesus Do?' And then I'd realize, 'Oh, you wouldn't kill Michael Moore. Or at least you wouldn't choke him to death.' And you know, well, I'm not sure." (Glenn Beck)

And:

"Well, I want to kill Michael Moore. Is that all right? All right. And I don't believe in capital punishment. That's just a joke on Moore." (Bill O'Reilly)

(Ironically, O'Reilly made his threat/joke the night after Janet Jackson's breast was bared at the Super Bowl - which got CBS fined over half a million dollars because, you know, nipples are far more frightening than death threats.)

So that's how I'll personally remember the early war years: living with a real and present danger caused by the hate whipped up by right-wing radio and TV. (I've been advised not to recount certain specific incidents that happened to me, as it would only encourage other crazy people.)

So I dealt with it. And I'm still here. And I know many of you went through your own crap, standing up against the war at school, or work, or at Thanksgiving dinner, taking your own blows for simply saying what was the truth.

But how much easier it would have been for all of us if the liberal establishment had stood with us? We didn't own a daily newspaper, or a magazine with a circulation in the millions. We didn't have our own TV show or network. We weren't invited on shows like "Meet the Press," because they simply could not allow our voice to be heard.

The media watchdog group FAIR reported that in the three weeks after the war started, the CBS Evening News allowed only one anti-war voice on their show - and that was on one night in one soundbite (and that was four seconds of me in a line from my Oscar speech) - even though in March of 2003 our anti-war numbers were in the millions (remember the huge demonstrations in hundreds of cities?). We were around 30% of the country according to most polls (that's nearly 100 million Americans!) and yet we had no way to communicate with each other aside from through the Nation and a few websites like CommonDreams.org and Truth-Out.org.

But that was no way to build a huge mass movement of Middle Americans to oppose the war. Unless you had just lucked out and been handed an Oscar on live television in front of a gazillion people where you had 45 seconds to say something before they cut you off and booed you off the stage (hahahaha), you had no public platform. (Jeez, I sure did get booed a lot that year: simply walking through an airport, or eating dinner in a restaurant, or sitting at a Laker game where they suddenly put me up on the Jumbotron and the place went so angry-crazy that Larry David, who was sitting next to me, felt that maybe for his own safety he should perhaps slide a few seats down or go get us a couple of wieners. Instead, he stuck by my side - and his skillful ninja moves got us out of there alive after the game.)

I know it's hard to remember, but when this war started, there was no YouTube, no Facebook, no Twitter, no way for you to bypass the media lords so you could have your own friggin' say.

Too bad for the bastards, those days are over.

The next time around, it won't be so easy to shut up a country girl band or try to silence someone while he accepts his little gold statue - or completely ignore the millions of citizens in the streets.

So now we can hope that one of our wars is over. Too bad we lost. I hate to lose, don't you? But the fact is, we lost the very day we invaded a sovereign nation that posed absolutely no threat to us and had nothing to do with 9/11. We lost lives (over 4,400 of ours, hundreds of thousands of theirs), we lost limbs (a total of 35,000 troops came back with various wounds and disabilities and God knows how many more with mental problems). We lost the money our grandchildren were supposed to live on.

And we lost our soul, who we were, what we stood for as a once-great country - lost it all. Can we now ask for redemption - for forgiveness? Can we be ... "America" again?

I guess we'll see. The vast majority of the country eventually came around to the Dixie Chicks' position. And we elected an anti-Iraq-war guy by the name of Barack Hussein Obama.

But, please, promise yourselves never to forget how our country went crazy 7 1/2 years ago - even though, to many people at the time, it seemed completely normal. And I'm here to tell you, no matter how much better it's gotten, no matter how normal you may think things are now, we're still halfway nuts. Just listen to the new batch of "sensible pundits" as they start to beat the drums about what we should do to Iran. One war down, one (or two or three) to go.

C'mon, Mr. President, not one more kid needs to die overseas wearing a uniform with our flag on it. We can't win like this. Let's dig a few thousand wells in Afghanistan, build a few free mosques, leave behind some food and clothing, fix their electrical grid, issue an apology and set up a Facebook page so they can stay in touch with us - and then let's get the hell out. Your own National Security Advisor and your CIA Director have told you there are less than 100 al-Qaeda fighters in the entire country. 100???

100,000 U.S. troops going after 100 al-Qaeda? Is this a Looney Tunes presentation? "A-ba-dee-a-ba-dee-a-ba-dee - That's All Folks!" Let's get real. I'm glad one war is "over." But I know how we got there - and I'm willing now to fight just as hard to stop these other wars if you won't, Mr. Obama.

Your call.

Yours,

Michael Moore
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
MichaelMoore.com

P.S. Just a thought, Mr. President. Can I ask that you go back and watch this movie I made - "Fahrenheit 9/11." There might be some answers there. I give you my permission to download it for free by going to this site: TorrentHound.com. Don't tell the studio I said it was ok! They've only made a half a billion $$ on it so far.

P.P.S. To everyone on my list: Thanks to your thousands of generous donations, we've raised over $60,000 for the Muslim community center near Ground Zero. This has made news around the world, that there are Americans who believe in our stated American principles.

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+22 # Guest 2010-09-15 19:20

I love the way you tell it like it is Michael.

+10 # Guest 2010-09-17 07:33

You are a true American hero! Our country has gone crazy and yours are some of the few sane words we hear, even now after the Bush/Cheney terror.

+4 # Guest 2010-09-19 05:23

This is so true, it is refreshing to hear Michael review with the nation how it came to be. I was one of the citizens marching in the streets against the war in 2002-2003. This is history that should not be forgotten, how America was bamboozled into an immoral and unnecessary war. We will pay the price for a generation, our youth killed and maimed, and our national treasury depleted. Will any politician own up to his or her culpability? I still read the New York Times, but I agree completely with Michael, that paper sold us down the river.

+15 # Guest 2010-09-15 19:35

this purge of "unamericans" continue - like getting rid of 90 year old Helen Thomas - www.israel-palestinenews.org/2010/06/as-israel-kills-and-maims-outrage-is.html

+13 # Guest 2010-09-15 20:56

Michael, while you are at and you are at it in the best way, getting the true history out before it is too late, will you do the same research in which Senators voted for W's first tax cut, remember democrats still owned the Senate.

thanks for all you do,
Lawrence

+19 # Guest 2010-09-15 21:00

No one remembers the war they supported after it went bad. Especially liberals. If you took a poll you'd be lucky to get 23% admitting to pushing the war -- and that would be the hard core Fox watchers.

This from the Chinese poet Han San, maybe 10th Century.

Drive fast through the ruined city
for there is but one reality to war
and this is it
toppled stone and the charred bones
of those who wanted war and those who didn't.

+11 # Guest 2010-09-16 08:11

Dave Haisley, "No one remembers the war they supported after it went bad." I read your post and realize you're anti-war too but just thought I'd throw in the idea that the Iraq war "never went bad." It was bad from the start. U.S. troops stood around and watched as Baghdad was burned and looted,includin g the Ministry of Antiquities.Of course we "religiously" guarded the buildings that held the topographical maps detailing where every stinking, blood stained drop of oil would be located.Two points about Moore's article,whom,by the way,I admire greatly.One,the reason so many "liberal" politicians backed the war initially was because it was political suicide for them not to. If you went into business selling U.S. flag lapel pins the day after 9/11 you ought to be a zillionaire by now. Two,9/11, which wasn't mentioned until deep in this article was a "false flag" operation orchestrated by the U.S. Government.The evidence is overwhelming. Want an idea for your next movie Mike. Call it "Groundless Zero"

+16 # Guest 2010-09-15 21:06

Right on--absolutely incredible piece of writing!

+26 # Guest 2010-09-15 21:13

Amazing how underestimated your brilliance has been and likely still is. When this all began you bravely uttered the simple truths that you perceived, and we can all go back over the record if we wish and confirm that you were 100% correct. You are correct now. I defy anyone to be able to accurately portray the war on Iraq as a success, to be able to demonstrate that the world is any safer, that Iraq is any better off, that we have accomplished one tangible good there and throughout all of this, made the world a measurably better place for anyone, even ourselves. You accurately foresaw the demise of the American spirit; you accurately portray the betrayal of the American left in significant numbers and the utter demise of credible journalism in America. I have agreed with you all along and share the same scorn in my little part of the world and I still don't really know what to do about this mess. You have however demonstrated one good start: never abandon the truth, no matter what.

+22 # Guest 2010-09-15 21:17

I've always liked you Mr. Moore. There are not many truly decent men such as yourself left in our sleazy culture. Americans fancy they are so generous and tolerant and/or accepting. That's a lot of b.s. We are the most immature and shallow culture ever. I
was one of the 30% who resisted this war. I don't vote for death.

+14 # Guest 2010-09-15 21:27

Michael, thank you. This article brings tears to my eyes. How can we as a country know so many truths and behave so ignorantly?

+18 # Guest 2010-09-15 21:33

Bush said when he was interviewed before his first election that Saddam was the man who tried to kill his Dad. I knew from the moment of that interview that Bush was going to war in order to avenge his father.

Why does no one talk about that interview? I know that other things played a part in the war but that was a very big motivator.

+9 # Guest 2010-09-16 09:47

[quote name="Bridget Watters"] Saddam was the man who tried to kill his Dad." Yes, I've heard the recording in 1999 and he specifically said, when asked what he would do differently from his father regarding Sadam, "Well, heh,heh, heh, A'm going to finish the job of getting rid of Sadam."

+18 # Guest 2010-09-15 21:40

I'm with you Mr. Moore. How did we ever arrive at believing we have the right to invade another sovereign country? Blows my mind. It's like Bob attacking John, his neighbor down the block, because he thinks John will attack him. If Bob did this, he would go to jail.

+12 # Guest 2010-09-15 22:10

Thanks for making some sense out of this crazy Journey America has been on and helping me get back on the right track.
Jeri

+15 # Guest 2010-09-15 22:19

well, the NATO allies haven't done too badly in the past decade. We have survived 2 unnecessary wars and are struggling out of a global depression that we created through our crass greed. An enormous number of people have died and/or lost everything, but they dont get much publicity so we can pretend all that didn't happen. We still do not know the truth about 9/11 and likely never will, which is why so many people no longer have any trust in their governments.

The upside to this insanity is that the arms manufacturers are making huge profits!! They are ready for the next conflict! You can bet that NATO will be first in and last out! The Pentagon is so fortunate to have co-opted this totally irrelevant organization to join forces and rush into an invasion at any time the Pentagon wants to democratize some poor little country. If this is God's blessing on America, I am glad to be an atheist.

+12 # Guest 2010-09-15 22:33

When BushCheneyCo and the rest of all those who, as members of James Baker 111's Iraq Study Group, Baker as one of Nixon's "the Texans" (along with the Cubans and CIA Castro would-be killers turned Kennedy assassins).

In short,they did it to humdreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis as surely as Johnson reversed Kennedy's NSAM 263 withdrawal order, written 5 days before Kennedy's public execution by a lone nut on the wrong floor of the TSBD. The Military-Industrial-Complex posse of world-class bandits took care of both "covert ops,"

These indirect assassins may even be able to shoot straight. Especially when the wide-eye'd young of America do the shooting and killing for them.

Protest? There was no match for the 1960s and early 1970's. Young people committed acts of vandalism against the real estate and equipment owned by the corporate oligarchs. That is when Nixon threw his hands in the air and ordered the war in "Nam" to end. The people won the end of a war.

+6 # Guest 2010-09-15 22:36

Hear hear!

+4 # Guest 2010-09-15 22:41

Check you out, you are lookin sorta handsome there, Michael. Run for congress, you've got my vote. I'll read this later.

+14 # Guest 2010-09-15 22:57

It is easy looking back to say I was against the war, but I just stood back and let it happen. All those deaths, based on lies. Thank you,Michael, for your courage in speaking truth to all those who would curse you. Did not Jesus face similar spite in his travels of speaking truth to power?

+3 # Guest 2010-09-15 23:52

The so-called liberal establishment that supported the war on Iraq is of course heavily infested with Jews, who put the interests of Israel above all else including loyalty to the United States and its Constitution. That's all you need to know about it.

+11 # Guest 2010-09-16 01:07

Perhaps the 800 pound gorilla, AIPAC, had something to do with this all?

+7 # Guest 2010-09-16 09:31

AIPAC - and Saron "intelligence" about Iraq WMD was number one reasont - eretz ..
This is why we are sending each day $7 millions of arms to IS - to resell at profit.

+11 # Guest 2010-09-16 10:16

I went to a town hall meeting of a local Congressman who is a Jewish Democrat. The room was filled mostly with very old Jewish people, then there were those of us who oppose his support of war funding. It was a day or two after some sanctions on Iran were imposed. He was very gleeful about that and the audience applauded. He then went on about how dangerous Iran is, especially to Israel and he felt certain that Israel had the right to defend itself with whatever means, with or without America's help. It was not merely a subtle threat,
but a speech to garner support that America should not hesitate in a confrontation with Iran.

Of course a few of us in opposition, were able to disrupt, somewhat, his unconcealed bias for Israel and Zionism.

Activist that I know, want Israel's people to live and thrive, but that does not mean that we can't question their decisions, especially where it concerns the United States. A war with Iran would be more disastrous than Iraq.

+8 # Guest 2010-09-16 12:59

I support secular state Israel in 1948 UN borders - half of my books could be from Jewish authors - it is against my principles to divide people by religion. Today Israel government is controlled by biblical fanatics - in US these are Christian Zionists - so close to fanatics in power in Teheran. AIPAC pushing US on Iran is such an Iraq déjà vu - the same people, the same lies and yes worse than Iraq for the World. Clinton rhetoric re Iran is not better than Rice re Iraq. I dare Mr. Moore to make a documentary on AIPAC and our foreign policy.

+19 # Guest 2010-09-16 01:58

Thanks Mike for your latest and greatest anti war article. Keep it up. I just wish everyone would look on page 63 of the 2000 PNAC PDF where they write about the need for "a Pearl Harbor" to energize the American public to maintain the New American Century. They also need to know that the authors were Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Scooter Libby, Jeb Bush, etc. That knowledge would clarify the reasons for 9/11 and the real rasons for our wars.

+9 # Guest 2010-09-16 07:18

Thanks Dave for the reminder. This organization was created to start these Wars after taking over our Government.

"Project For The NEW AMERICAN CENTURY"

See wikipedia for full details about this organization that was formed in the 1990's.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_for_the_New_American_Century#Persons_associated_with_the_PNAC

+11 # Guest 2010-09-16 03:30

Mr. Moore is stating (re-stating) what many people posting here have declared: the system itself creates game players who are getting their piece of the pie or who are intimidated to the point of ignoring their own principles and knowledge of a given situation.

There are citizens who were swept into the emotion of the moment, encouraged by the propaganda, of course, and then there are those who did their own research, stood back to watch the attacks unfold, and even though angry, continue to be amazed at the overt changes in this country and its government.

Mr. Moore's words do underline the fact that citizens have no say, though. It is all celebrity power.

+12 # Guest 2010-09-16 03:39

Reading this is very satisfying but not nearly as satisfying as it would be to have Colin Powell actually own up to the disgraceful dance he did at the U.N. Soldiers love war - well, not soldiers so much as generals and other highly paid and rewarded military personnel who aren't getting their limbs shot off.

+2 # Guest 2010-09-16 03:59

The war in Iraq was totally about oil. Iraq was only producing 2 million barrels per day (2.0 MMBPD) even though they had the the second largest reserves on earth; oil prices were rising and our economy was sinking because of it. Iraqi oil production is now approaching 3.0 MMBPD, and is projected to reach 9.0 to 10.0 MMBPD within three years. The wells there are generally less than 3000 feet deep, there fore relatively cheap. We went to war for the western world economies. We either have had to go to was our open up drilling in our country; or let our economy die.

+4 # Guest 2010-09-16 04:01

Let's trade with the development at Ground 0 and move the Mosque to truly sacred ground. and add centers from all beliefs of the dead to that space. The present design for offices at G-0 would fit better with the strip clubs and mcdonalds, don't you think!
Actually, we have created so many G-0's in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now Pakistan that we would be able to use all the war energy in building centers to peace.

+12 # Guest 2010-09-16 04:04

No truth is absolute, but you come damn close...keep on being the voice of reason and keep on being a good example. Be Well.

-19 # Guest 2010-09-16 04:30

Hey , Is Mr Moore and Soros going to bail out the Castro Brothers and their little workers paradise?

+6 # Guest 2010-09-16 11:17

Quoting

Hey , Is Mr Moore and Soros going to bail out the Castro Brothers and their little workers paradise?

If it were their fault, I'd say they should bail out our unemployed workers paradise. Since it isn't, maybe the corporations should be forced to do this but then that would make me a socialist I suppose. Oh well. Let's pick on Castro instead while we stand in line for our unemployment checks.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-16 11:29

And that's related to Iraq how?

+6 # Guest 2010-09-16 04:31

Nicely done ... as nearly always.

-17 # Guest 2010-09-16 04:36

However, on the Muslim community and our American principles (I know this one voice is nerly meaningliess but ...) when is the double standard for Islam going to be dropped. We have seen what sharia law is--amputations, stonings, women little more than slaves. It is not just a "few whackos" who support Sharia--it is a large percentage of the Muslim population. If Jews in Israel or Christians here stoned to death a couple who had eloped, international opinion would be intensely negative. But when Muslims do it, the world turns a blind eyes.

+7 # Guest 2010-09-16 11:21

Yeah...like sharia law as you describe it is universally practiced in the Muslim world (it isn't by the way) and reflects the wishes of most Muslims. What you're seeing is what the most fundamentalist Christians and Jews would practice if not restrained by substantial members of their own community. More Islamophobia doesn't help. Know any Muslims personally? I do and most of them don't even come close to the stereotype. None do in fact. Visit a mosque sometime and read the Koran. You'll see.

+10 # Guest 2010-09-16 04:39

Well said Mr. Moore. The war, however, was just the first piece in the new mosaic of authoritarian / conservative America. Empire, world resource control, roll back of social programs, opulence at the top serfdom at the bottom were the final pieces to the new conservative mosaic. I am not ready to believe that the right has lost the game. The mob is ready to trash our most sacred rights given to us by the founding fathers in the constitution because of rampant unchecked xenophobia. For a look at the scarier side of the right's intentions, read Jane Mayer's "The Dark Side" for a look into how the rights of citizens were being wiped out by a group of creeps operating out of the commander-in creep's office, Dick Cheney.

-6 # Guest 2010-09-16 04:43

By the way Republican Dr Ron Paul for decades has opposed the war(s) and our interventionist policies long before most people even had a clue where Kuwait was much less Iraq or Iran or Afghanistan was located.

Pandering politicians on both sides of the isle are attracted to power for their own ends, power they did not earn and do not deserve.

Problem Mr Moore is when you support a government Frankenstein because you think it can give wonderful goodies like Free/cheap health care That monster tends to get lose in so many other areas like racist war on Drugs, propping up evil regimes (too long to list) massive crushing debt and Wars on countries that never harmed us.

+6 # Guest 2010-09-16 04:44

Dear Mr. Moore --

First of all, let me say that I am very sorry that you had to go through the terror of death threats and I am happy that you are still alive and full of pith with a strong voice.

However, perhaps you are expecting too much of liberals. Maybe you are too young to have heard Phil Ochs song, "Love me, I'm a Liberal," but hearing that song was a seminal experience of my early adolescence. It's exactly why everyone I knew who grew up in the 60's did not want to be known as a liberal. It's too easy to capitulate under the fear of pressure. Unfortunately, the signing onto war among liberals was a tragic breach of morals and intelligence, but not necessary unexpected.

Sincerely,

Marita Downes

+11 # Guest 2010-09-16 04:53

Yeah, I remember getting "shunned" by all the pro war folks. Common sense just went out the window. I think many Americans just love the patriotic crapola that the military drags out when they go to war. We want to win the superbowl of war. I don't think the men and women in Afghanistan and Iraq are very important to my fellow citizens. We only need them to kill, kill, kill.

+7 # Guest 2010-09-16 11:24

...yeah, I want to puke every time I see a huge vehicle with a "Support our Troops" ribbon decal on it. SURE I SUPPORT our troops, I feel for them for being so disregarded by our Industrial-Military Complex. (complex all right). I prefer to seem our "forces" protect our country and citizens by fixing our infrastructure each and every day. There are plenty of jobs over here and money to pay them....if we slow down on creating WARS, AND our country manufacturing something other than war machines. Thank you Michael for your truth and vision.

+5 # Guest 2010-09-16 04:53

Yeah - BUT! WHY did those liberals and generally "good" people go over to the dark side? Clinton and Kerry, for example? (The press and commentaries pretty much just follow, so let's look at the movers here.)
They fell in line w Bush/Cheney/neo-cons for the control of oil, yes, but mainly because the ISRAELIS wanted it. When are we ever going to wake up to the disastrous effect on America of following the Israeli mind-set of paranoia and dedication to the use of force?
And will the Iran debacle soon follow? Have we learned anything?

-3 # Guest 2010-09-17 09:39

Try looking at a Middle Eastern map and then complain about Israeli paranoia and use of force. Get real.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-17 18:44

Quoting

Try looking at a Middle Eastern map and then complain about Israeli paranoia and use of force. Get real.

Hmmm....it isn't the size that matters but how and what kinds of weapon is used.

+2 # Guest 2010-09-18 18:47

Look at a map of shrinking Palestine -
http://ifamericansknew.org/history/maps.html
and then complain about Israeli occupation.

+14 # Guest 2010-09-16 05:06

Hey, Michael..once again I am grateful that you have a forum in which to state the obvious. Thank you for not letting this die! I remember being just stunned the night they announced the beginning of
a war we started with all the evidence for it having been debunked; I was as unamerican that day as the rabid unwashed were patriots. Since then, we labor to keep them from revising the truth of what happened....the Crime of the young Century. We will never recover. I wont anyway! You go, Michael.

+8 # Guest 2010-09-16 05:09

Keep telling the truth as you see it...

+11 # Guest 2010-09-16 05:13

Thank whatever gods there be for Micharl Moore-- a couageous and creative man.

+7 # Guest 2010-09-16 05:29

Keep up the good work Michael.
Oh and by the way, Glenn Beck is just an actor hired by Rupert Murdoch to play a sociopath on TV. Don't be offended at him. It's Rupert Murdoch who's writing all those death threats.

+14 # Guest 2010-09-16 05:36

Michael you need to know I remember it this way too and I too spoke out against it. I'm 64 this month and lived the horror of Viet Nam and now to see this. Please keep speaking out and keep on doing what you are doing. You are our only hope in this vast nut house of Hawks.

+12 # Guest 2010-09-16 05:45

I smile with the clarity your words have etched in my memory. Thank you for reflecting on the horrors of warmongering. May we move to a more peaceful culture for our nation. War is an outdated response to conflict.

I honor your courage in living with the threats to your life.

Thank you for being, Robbie

+10 # Guest 2010-09-16 06:09

The New York Times is the house organ of the power elite. McClatchy actually did some reporting on the run up to the Iraq war. Their motto is "Truth to Power" and they lived up to it. The times should change their motto to " Stenographer to power," for they have certainly earned it.

+8 # Guest 2010-09-16 06:13

GO, GO MICHAEL!!!!!!!! ! I am with you 100 percent of the way. I am living on a fixed income and struggling financially but you have my prayer support - that should help a lot to keep you going on the RIGHT path - just where you are!!! Gratefully!!!

+17 # Guest 2010-09-16 06:18

I, too, was passionately against invading Iraq, and I can very well remember when my friends and family called me unpatriotic, un-American, and anti-troops when I voiced my opposition. I had always flown the American Flag in my yard, but I took it down almost 8 years ago because by flying it, I was afraid people driving by would think I was a Republican - after all only Republicans are patriotic! Living in the reddest of red states is perhaps the most frustrating experience of my lifetime. People here are just plain crazy. I'm a 67-year-old widow who feels such despair at what has become of our country - thanks primarily to right-wing crazies, "Faux News," and entertainers like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, et al. I don't know why I bother to vote - my vote certainly doesn't make a difference where I live. I have no representation in Oklahoma or in DC. I love your documentaries - keep 'em coming!

+2 # heraldmage 2010-09-16 20:39

Keep voting anyhow. I live in Texas feel the same way, but most people don't know the facts. They are so mesmerized by the right wing broadcast media's energetic message they don't bother to check the facts. When you show them the proof at first your lying but they will come around. No we have the sore looser TeaBagger to deal with. Their paid activist need to be exposed so they see whose message they really are supporting.

By not voting or boycotting the only thing that happens is your voice is not heard. If everyone who felt discouraged didn't vote Obama won't be in office. We didn't realize he was a diplomat not a politician. Now we need to elect Independents who will vote the will of the people or face Recall!

Keep voting!!!!

+7 # Guest 2010-09-16 06:26

'Bout time somebody famous with a mike said what I've been saying since 2001.

+9 # Guest 2010-09-16 06:35

There's only one Michael Moore.

What a pity.

Send more Moores.

+4 # Guest 2010-09-16 06:40

Yes!

+6 # Guest 2010-09-16 07:00

Michael Moore For PRESIDENT !!!!!

+7 # Guest 2010-09-16 07:01

What a lovely bunch of Michael Moore admirers! There is no value in your adoration without action. Donate your money to the Muslim community center. Get off your collective smug and self gratified fat asses and march, protest, be seen in your resistance to these obscene wars. Bring our children home, bring jobs home. Do not buy products made outside of the US borders. Yes you may have to do without the latest gadget.
Glad handing each other is just complicity in the crime that continues to detstroy civilization, ours and theirs.
Michael does not need more lipstick prints on his butt.

+2 # Guest 2010-09-16 11:25

...but he sure has earned them photonracer!

-4 # Guest 2010-09-16 17:41

Photonracer, You DO have a valid point here. "Evil flourishes when good men do nothing." Women too! I admire Moore as much as the next progressive/liberal but I've often wondered about something and I suppose I'll be cyber castrated for mentioning it. How much money has Moore made doing his films and personal appearances? I'm guessing quite a bit. What does he do with his money? He speaks often about the economic depravity that consumes his home of Flint, Michigan. Has he donated large sums of money to improve conditions there? If so I haven't heard about it and perhaps he does just that. I sometimes feel watching Moore and Olbermann, who I also like a lot, this strange "red alert" going off in the back of my head. Forgive an old school Star Trek guy. I mean guys like Moore and Olbermann, like their counterparts, say, O'Reilly and Beck all profit mightily from confronting one another. Celebrity worship can be blinding. All four of these men are no doubt millionaires. It takes two to tango.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-16 21:46

You raise a good point DaveW, but don't worry about being cyber castrated for asking. It would be interesting to hear from these guys on this. I know that the kind of security that Michael Moore has had to pay for is extremely expensive and he has probably footed the entire expense and I bet it is ongoing. Also, in his occupation the overhead is probably very high. I don't think he is making much on the speaker circuit. His work is not commercially supported and he probably has a payroll of some substance as he no doubt has a staff that he supports. He may even pay them well and he should. I don't know, but travel and security expenses, possibly very high insurance costs, actual business expenses (as being an activist does cost money) and the fee's he has to pay in advertising not to mention likely ongoing legal expenses, all must cost a great deal...in the six figures at least and probably more. I'm inclined to assume he is not being greedy at all but am curious myself.

+2 # Guest 2010-09-18 07:28

Daniel,Well I've only gotten 4 thumbs down so maybe I'm just "slapped"and not castrated.My Mom grew up in Montana and she told a interesting story that happened in '39.She and her boyfriend went to see a wrestling match in Great Falls.It was built up for weeks as a battle between two behemoths that "really" hated each. The match was filled with a lot of bogus displays of anger and hostility.After the match,Mom and boyfriend drove thirty miles to another town to eat and drink a bit. Guess who's at the bar,arm in arm, laughing and having a good old time.You guessed it,the two "bitter enemies" from the wrestling match.Do you ever wonder if Reid and McConnell get together for a martini after a "days work?" There were two Looney Toons characters in the fifties, Ralph and Sam.Ralph was the dumb coyote trying to kidnap,and presumably eat,Sam the sheepdog's flock. Ralph always takes a beating but they "clock" out together with Sam always saying,"see you tomorrow Ralph".I think Ralph's a Democrat.

0 # Guest 2010-09-18 22:53

Ha-ha! I think you're right DaveW! Yep, just slapped...a bit, but interesting question anyway.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-19 12:53

YES to all that you said, Daniel....AND Michael recently said on TV that he provides good health insurance for his employees. That no doubt costs a bundle!

+1 # Guest 2010-09-19 12:51

DaveW....I agree that it's easy to talk while pulling in the $$. However, I have heard M.Moore say that he and his wife donate large amounts of $$ (the amount is not our business) and the same with Keith Olbermann. If they are men of character, yes....that is happening, and I believe that it is.

+5 # Guest 2010-09-16 07:30

Way to go, Michael. You are right on all points, Please make another anti-war documentary and do what you can to pull together all of us anti-war groups. We need to pull together, share our knowledge, compassion, energy.
kathiemm@engagi ngpeace.com
http://engagingpeace.com

+8 # Guest 2010-09-16 07:55

For the record, I remember a great article in Harper's magazine in 2002 discrediting the "evidence" of WMDs and describing the propaganda machine in motion that was manipulating public opinion, and I remember thinking- if this information is out there, how come the senators and the Secretary of State don't seem to have access to it. Any statements by politicians that they "didn't know" is unacceptable when it was so easily available. And if not from our magazines, from magazines in the foreign press. I also want to acknowledge Pacifica Radio for their great work in those distressing years.

+9 # Guest 2010-09-16 08:46

I was living in Irleand during the lead-up to war, and joined the protesters in Dublin where up to 150,000 people gathered on the streets of Dublin, and millions more in 600 cities around the world, demonstrating against a possible war. the message was that the Irish people will not be swayed into supporting a Bush war.
Most of the placards carried messages that said "no blood for oil" or "no war on Iraq." Some were humorous; "a village in Texas is missing an idiot," "make tea, not war," and my favorite, a guy holding a chicken and a water pistol with a sign that said, "no war or the chicken gets it!" Some were disturbing - A U.S. flag with a swastika on it, upside down American flags with skull and crossbones, and references to Bush as Hitler. One placard declared, "Christ is Lord, Bush is mad." Some had silhouettes representing the children who would be killed in a war.
I'll wager few people in the US knew about this day of International Protest.

+8 # Guest 2010-09-16 10:44

Dee,

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of Americans took part in protest after protest, but our version of the Pravda didn't bother to report it, even though it now only takes a few dozen "morans" to make the tea-baggers appear to be a large movement.

This is a coordinated attack against the American citizenry. Regular citizens are not so coordinated. Even the tea-baggers are coordinated from the top (DICK ARMY and FOX "news") down, rather than the other way around.

+9 # Guest 2010-09-16 09:20

The news media was out way before the war, they left when George W. Bush and his thieves were selected President in 2000. All smiles and not one of them asking if the Supreme Court really had the power to select a President. Main stream media lost me way before the election as the lies were rampant and one could tell that it was all about the Corporations, not about real news. Now we have a Corpocracy where are elected officials are literally put into office by these controlling theives, they write the laws, control the passage and make policy that only makes them more and more money at the expense of everyone in our country. Will we ever see a democracy again in our country? At this point with a Corporate President and most all in the Congress bought off it seems unlikely. The Tea Baggers have one thing correct we do need to take back our country but that would be from the Corporate ass-holes that are sitting on 3 trillion dollars while people starve. So much for trickle down economics.

+6 # Guest 2010-09-16 09:28

Doesn't anyone remember Sen. Robert Byrd's speech against going to war in Iraq? Would that more Democrats and so-called liberals were as courageous! And, yes, Marita, I too am a big Phil Ochs fan. And please don't call me a liberal--I classify most of them as sell-outs.

+5 # Guest 2010-09-16 12:32

I never cared all that much for Robert Byrd but I do remember his courageous speech about the folly of Congress giving GWB a blank check to make war anywhere. Would that there were more voices like Byrd's in early 2003.

+8 # Guest 2010-09-16 09:29

I agree Michael, but now, people are frightened, unemployed with few prospects of getting a job any time soon and the "Right-Wing Nut Jobs" continue to fan the flames of fear and ignorance as evidenced by their recent Primary wins. These people (Angle, McDonnell, etc) have NO BUSINESS running for office. They are incompetent and unqualified and to elect MORE BOOBS to House and Senate seats at this critical time in our History is MADNESS. I hope SANE People will come out in droves in November and save us from the ignorance that has overtaken the, once Great, Party of Lincoln. He is surely spinning in his grave over what has happened to a Party that bears his name. We will be at eternal War if the Radical Right gets it's way. RePudiate them!

+6 # Guest 2010-09-16 10:37

"But how did they get away with it, considering they'd lost the presidential election by 543,895 votes?"

Another important question might be, "why can't President Obama get ANYTHING accomplished even though he WON the election?"

ANSWER: There's a difference between bush and President Obama. The difference is that bush didn't care what the American people wanted. He knew he could push his agenda down our throats and that if we didn't like it we'd be branded "traitors" against our country.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-16 10:38

CONTINUED..

President Obama doesn't have the commitment to even do the things he was elected to do for fear of angering the people who voted for bush and would just as soon see President Obama dead. Instead of calling anyone who disagrees with the President a traitor, the right has free reign to call the President HIMSELF a traitor without fear of reprisal.

Bush accomplished evil acts because he REALLY WANTED TO.

President Obama can't accomplish anything because he REALLY DOESN'T WANT TO.

+2 # Guest 2010-09-19 14:30

Billy Bob..Obama has accomplished a LOT -- Health Care, Financial Reform, Equal pay for Women----he just doesn't know how to sell it. Therefore, the Repubs have been able to convince the stupid electorate that he has done nothing, or that he is a Socialist. This is all about getting the message out there, and the DEMS are NOT doing it. I'm ashamed of them.

+6 # Guest 2010-09-16 10:47

Michael, great article but you have exaggerated the popular support for the war. Go to "Popular opinion in the United States on the invasion of Iraq" in Wikipedia. The support for going to war was quite weak and needed a substantial lying campaign to get to a majority -- even then only if the UN approved. Of course, if this was not listed as a choice, that is if there were only an up or down on the war a majority approved but never 70%. Support went up after the invasion as a lack of support was supposed to mean a lack of support for the troops. Among those who were exposed to and open to the facts, I suspect the support was less than 10%--cheney would be in that group. THE LIMITS OF ACCEPTABLE DISCOURSE ARE WHAT GOT US INTO THIS MESS -- NOT JUST THE CORPORATE MEDIA BUT THE WHOLE INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE AND ITS HISTORY. Keep up the good work.

+11 # Guest 2010-09-16 10:51

“There is no such thing, at this date of the world’s history, in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it. There is not one of you who dare to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print...and what folly is this toasting an independent press? We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities, and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes.” John Swinton, former Chief of Staff for the New York Times.

John Swinton was one of New York’s best-loved newspapermen, called by his peers “The Dean of his Profession.” He made this statement when asked to give a toast before the New York Press club in 1953.

+3 # Guest 2010-09-16 21:57

I must confess Jerry, that the quote you have provided simply puts a knot in my guts like nothing else I've read in awhile. It is so prescient, so perfect a statement of what the American media seems to be like, and frightening that it was said in 1953. If it was true then, has there been a time in my lifetime that the media was ever reliable for the truth? Evidently not. I heard too many people when young, saying that if it was on TV, it must be true. If it was in the paper, it had to be based on at least some truth. It seems even clearer to me now that the possibility of our media being a source of enlightenment for the masses to become better informed so as to make a stronger democracy, was subverted almost from the very beginning. The seeds of lies over the years have grown into the moral, spiritual, social and economic jungle of today and it is such a poisonous place. I grieve for the death of truth in the media and wonder to what level it ever lived.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-18 14:59

Jerry, Frightening quote. Some old proverbs to back it up. Welsh: "Truth is despised where it is not loved". English: "Truth's best ornament is nakedness". Dutch: "Truth has all the benefits of appearances without the disadvantages". Estonian: "Truth pricks the eye". French: "Nothing is beautiful but the truth". German: "What smoke is to the eyes, and vinegar to the teeth, is truth to the ears". Italian: "Truth may be bent but not broken". Latin: "Truth breeds hate, prosperity pride, safety danger, familiarity contempt". Polish: "Truth will not fill you and a lie will not choke you". Russian: "Even truth gets drowned when gold comes to the surface." Serbian: "People always chastise the fiddler of the truth with his own bow." Slovakian: "Truth begets hatred." Arabic: "When you first shoot the arrow of truth, dip its point in honey." Chinese: "Truth often hides in an ugly pool." Hebrew: "Truth is heavy, therefore few care to carry it." Bengali: "Truth has not branches. It supports itself."

+3 # Guest 2010-09-16 11:07

Its true: Much of the blame for Iraq falls on the left. Too many otherwise thoughtful people allowed themselves to be bamboozled into meek silence or complicity by the full court press of lies, fear, and intimidation practiced by GWB and his many apologists.

+2 # Guest 2010-09-16 12:38

Hey Bernard,
You mention the word, "Jews." I am a Messianic Jew, one who believes in Yeshua ha-Maschiach (Jesus, the Messiah). I came to that belief, not because of people who falsely blame Jews for every oil-based decision made by those Nixonian "Texans," whom Nixon, on tape, said were involved in "the Bay of Pigs thing." Nixon's WH Chief of Staff wrote that when Nixon used the phrase, "Bay of Pigs thing," he was actually referring to his (Nixon's) and the CIA's direct involvement in the assassination of President Kennedy.

The big hit was all about Kennedy's stopping a second attack by the US on Cuba. Castro had nationalized Zapata Offshore Oil Co's. oil rigs near Cuba.

This had nothing to do with Jews, other than mobster, Jack Ruby, being ordered to stop Lee Oswald from telling the truth about the big Texas oil, CIA, mob plot to get JFK out of their way. Oswald had infiltrated the kill-Kennedy CIA/mob plotters and reported the plot to the FBI.

+2 # Guest 2010-09-16 13:03

MR Moore; I think they found the WMDs in Cheney cellar. What a lying bunch of hypocrites Bush and company is.

+4 # Guest 2010-09-16 14:24

hey,

it's disheartening to read you mention nothing about amy goodman/democracynow.org and the fine work they've been doing for many years now, especially after she/they have supported and featured you (probably on more than one occasion, michael).
pacifica radio and those connected with its rise to prominence surely deserves more credit and recognition from you (michael), and all of us 'remaining' liberals who do 'get it'.

~ tj (ex pat).

+2 # Guest 2010-09-16 14:25

I had an email conversation with a guy. I told him I feared that hate speech was doing serious harm and that I felt it was coming mostly not from "liberals" but from "conservatives" (whatever those are). He thanked me for politeness, which could have meant insincerity, though I tried to couch my email to him in only respectful terms, as one citizen to another. And he said:
"you come from such a different viewopint and I honestly don't understand it. I'm assuming you're attacking Fox news as the network which promotes anger and hate, and I just don't see it. I actually watch the extremists from both MSNBC and FOX and some of those inbetween ... and you'll never hear the kind of hate speech on FOX that you hear on MSNBC. i.e. Olbermann in particular when he goes off on a specific Republican or Sarah Palin, calling them all the most vile names he can get away with on television."

+6 # Guest 2010-09-16 16:52

It's obvious the dude cannot think for himself. The different with FOX and MSNBC is one of intelligence and reality. Republicans are vile in many ways. First, remember the family values, christian value, bible values, all kinds of values? Later it showed they were the most hypocrites in the entire world. Now they have embraced bigotry, racism, fascism and just about everything that is anti-humanity. All they think is money, money, money and couldn't care less who lives, who dies, who suffers, women and children first, folks!

A low down dirty polecat has more moral and family values than the entire right conservatives in America, be it republican, Christian, KKK, White hate groups and Nazism.

Olbermann is not saying that, many of us in the USA say it!

That's reality!

+1 # Guest 2010-09-16 22:08

Well, California Girl, it sure is evident that he doesn't much pay attention and doesn't listen to ditto-head himself very often and the vast array of audio/visual hatemongers out there. If Olberman and MSNBC can be accused of expressing strong opinions and convictions, as Keith does so often, if that is what constitutes hate speech maybe he has a point. But my experience is that truth telling always runs the risk of being labeled as vitriol, name calling and all that. If describing swine in a manner that omits mention of how offensive they smell and seem when they live in poorly maintained pens resulting in their lying in their own offal can be done without it sounding derogatory in some manner, I have yet to find a way. Just how do you say that something smells, looks like or intellectually tastes like "pig s**t" when in fact, that's exactly how it seems without offending someone? Beats me. If being PC means we have to say nice things about what is factually vile, well, what do you say?

+5 # Guest 2010-09-16 16:41

There were many of us who opposed the war from the beginning, especially after Bush threw out, before their job was finished, the people investigating whether there were in fact WMD. I had my doubt before, but that sealed it.

The day the war started my liberal, caring church held a service and many in the congregation came to hold each other and pray for a quick end.

There was plenty of evidence to doubt the truth of the administration's reasons (?) for war.

+6 # Guest 2010-09-16 18:35

Can we start a Public Movement to Re-Open the 9/11 Investigation to get to find out the REAL Criminals who plotted the horrible crime to humanity?

+4 # heraldmage 2010-09-16 20:13

Great article Michael to bad the wars not really over. We still have 50K troops supposedly training but they ran their own mission a couple of days ago killed more Iraqis. Than there's the mercenaries 7K more. Plus we are building at least 2 maybe 4 new permanent bases. Oh, lets not forget the 18 football field long USA embassy/resort providing secure gov't/corporate entertainment outside the public eye. It has a golf course, swimming pools, hotel, restaurants, everything you could want paid for by USA taxpayers. The Iraq money drain continues. For the Iraqis we leave nothing but death & destruction while converting Iraq to capitalism.
Under Saddam Iraqis had free world class health care, & education through college, food, clean water & a roof.
Its time we close down the corporate playground, bring everyone home pay reparation & let the Iraqis rebuild their country, decide what form of gov't & economic system they want without USA help.
Until everyone's home the wars not over

+6 # Guest 2010-09-16 22:34

Many years ago I discovered a Michael Moore film called Roger & Me. I was so in awe of this truthful documentary that I watched it again as soon as it ended. Since that day I have appreciated all Michael Moore films. They simply tell the truth in a very entertaining and direct way. Michael Moore is a real American hero. Thank you Michael...for caring about all of us. I respect you. I sleep a little better at night just knowing you are out there. Thank you.

+2 # Guest 2010-09-17 03:40

I got in a fight with my husband when we were listening to Colin Powell because I said are you kidding- you honestly believe that nonsense he is spouting , holding up a little vial , telling you there are mobile semis driving round randomly. I told him the NYT had already reported that the aluminum tubes were the wrong size to purify uranium but exactly the the right size for his missiles and Colin Powell is telling you the opposite? He said I should just shut up I didn't know what I was talking about and if there were no WMD's he would vote for the democrat in the next election (he is a die hard republican). Well guess who won?

+1 # Guest 2010-09-17 03:41

Oh BTW Michael you are letting obambi get away with calling the war over when we have 50,000 troops still there, god knows how many contractors, and wwhen it was George Dubya that was forced into the agreement to leave Iraq by this timetable by the Iraqi government itself otherwise the spineless leaders who call themselves democrats would never have pulled out even that many lest they be called wimps by the powers that be - the republicans. So I wouldn't be too hopeful about the wimpiest of wimps commander in chief pretend guy we have in charge now.

+5 # Guest 2010-09-17 04:45

Thanks for your honesty, Michael.
We must stand up to the fearful
proponents of military might
with brave and loving respect

and reduce their funding

channeling our assistance
to help the oppressed
without guns

Keep up the good work
with love
d

+5 # Guest 2010-09-17 08:54

the empire - neocon/AIPAC coup - was born in 1980 with puppet Reagan by defeating Jimmy Carter. Carter was the last moral and not "money culture" bought president.
Now it is who has more money has media, has votes and wins. No principles, no ideas, no morals - just money, money, money - profit from death. From the rich, by the rich, to the rich 2% - more like feudalism than democracy. And going down the drain like the last military empire Soviets - wining war in Afghanistan?

+3 # Guest 2010-09-17 11:36

Gracias, Michael. I love your work and your courage.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-19 18:01

Ditto

+2 # Guest 2010-09-17 16:00

Fear ensures that people make emotional decisions, and that is exactly what the president did after 9/11. There's a great book out called "Aftershock" saying how different many governments have taken advantage of chaos to manipulate nations into decisions that benefit the elite and harm the disadvantaged.

+2 # Guest 2010-09-17 19:35

Robert Byrd spoke elegantly and passionately against the vote eventually taken by the Senate that green-lighted invasion of Iraq. Before the vote, I wrote one of my Democrat senators, Diane Feinstein, not to give Bush authority to invade. Years later she said that no one could have known at that time that Bush would use that vote as permission to invade. That was a lie to cover a criminal failure of political courage. My Democrat congresswoman, Ellen Tauscher, now an important member of the Obama Administration, acted with similar opportunism (I'd written her ahead of time, too), and later tried to cover herself with a lie much as Feinstein did. Jim Lehrer, as the policy setter at the NewsHour, was worse than useless; guess he doesn't know anything unless he reads it in the NY TIMES. Once when the NewsHour inadvertently featured a reporter in Iraq who told, early on, how sour things were going, Jim actually got on the news the next day and apologized for giving the war a bad name! Useless!

+1 # Guest 2010-09-18 08:53

I have also "liberal" friend who is hooked on NY Times and completely brainwashed by AIPAC propaganda.
And now the same crime/lies are repeated going into the new war with Iran.
Even secretary of state - Hillary -repeats all options (war) are on the table. New administration with new Neocons and the same war agenda.

+4 # Guest 2010-09-18 10:05

C'mon Michael, I love you because you know the macro-picture-you know the NYTimes has always represented corporate interests & helps manufacture consent for all the wars. "Good" ineffectual liberals? What we need are good dissidents. The problems are systemic. Get rid of the current structure don't reform it. Corporations have more rights than people. Until that changes, NYTimes & Al Franken will continue to be misguided in their support. Because they are the system & still believe in it.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-18 18:38

The problems are systemic. We have a trickle down economy for the last 30 years. We created rich monsters - with mantra to maximize profit at any cost - and war is VERY profitable. The money culture system does not work - going down the drain, loosing, aka Soviet Union.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-18 20:56

I definitely agree with your view. I also want to add the name of another strong voice---dennis kucinich.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-19 02:56

My thoughts back then until now. And it's not over. This society has so major leaks in education it could happen anytime again.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-19 04:20

Hi Michael: Per usual, I'm having one devil of a time getting a comment through to you. This one has to do with my first hand witnessing of another big newspaper's (San Francisco Chronicle) helping to push us into war by false reporting, i.e. huge underestimate of numbers of anti-war activists present at huge San Francisco rally. The Chronicle finally was forced to retract when a determined photographer's secretly made photo from atop a closed off nearby tall building proved the 'mess' media's reporting of persons participating to be way, way off the actual number present.

Under the guise of 'national security', all planes and helicopters, including craft belonging to the press, had been banned from flight anywhere near the area.

Lies in the nation's press - sound familiar?

+2 # Guest 2010-09-19 05:06

Sadly, the NYTimes was far from alone in being a major newspaper in a progressive city that helped push us into war in Iraq...

Just one more example, there was the San Francisco Chronicle, who, along with the other local 'mess media', greatly under reported numbers of local residents present at an anti-war rally just prior to our entry into the war. Under guise of 'national security', all aircraft, including that belonging to local press, was banned from the area. Local authorities were quoted as guesstimating 45,000 in attendance. Only when secretly secured photos appeared, limited in view but still showing far more present than reported, was the Chronicle and others forced to up their attendance estimate to over l00,000, still well below the approx. 200,000 estimated present by great numbers/math people present that day.

Michael Moore, dear truth teller, please stay brave and determined. God help us all, truth is rare these days.

+2 # Guest 2010-09-19 12:54

Thank you for reminding us about this history, as I fear it could easily repeat itself again. So many Democratic politicians are so afraid of criticisms from Republicans that they jump on board with belligerent and ineffective policies. I even had congressional staffer tell me once that his boss wouldn't sponsor a bill because "Republicans will say it's about cutting off funding for the troops." Republicans will say a lot of things, and Democrats need to stop letting that dictate their behavior.

I wish Al Franken had learned as much from this lesson as it seems in the article. Unfortunately, he's still supporting the war in Afghanistan and voted against Sen. Feingold's rather modest amendment that would have required the president to come up with a timeline for military withdrawal from Afghanistan. http://is.gd/fitSQ

+2 # Guest 2010-09-19 13:30

I have been a registered Republican for 50 years and I for one was certain that G.W. and Cheney were pushing the invasion for the petroleum industry and every thing they said publicly was to capitalize on the 9/11 attacks. Their internal data from the CIA and other sources clearly stated that Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11 and there was clearly no evidence of Iraqi WMDs.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-20 05:55

At least Michael Moore cannot and will not be silenced and I am thankful for that. I love my country and will ALWAYS be a patriot, but right now there's a big crack in the face of the American Dream and it must be healed some how. We Americans are to blame and we must become part of a positive solution. No one is perfect, but Michael is knocking himself out to help keep us honest.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-20 06:07

Weapons of mass destruction and American "intelligence" sources...lies, lies, lies. What a horrendous joke with an even worse punchline. The guilty go free, the guilty get rich and LOTS of people die for them. The Bush family, the family of Saud, OIL...it doesn't take rocket science to connect those dots.

+1 # Guest 2010-09-20 10:47

Blessings on you Mr.Moore!

Thank you for explaining the situation so we can hear it.
Women were against all wars since time immemorial.. But we are just ignored. Peace loving males are called Pussies. You have daughters right? When are they stepping into your shoes? We need you to either clone or make your kids pick up the flag of peace. Right on Mr.Moore!

0 # Guest 2010-09-20 12:06

Sir,
how about Kosovo? Where were you then, in Disney Land?
Complete the list of warmongers please:
Blaire, Clinton, Clinton2, Friedman, Cohen, Clark, Fischer, Scharping, Reinhardt...

+1 # Guest 2010-09-21 06:41

This is a powerful 'gathering' of info
re the on-set of the Iraq war, etc. My
grandson is there now, and I pray he will
be safe.
The stats re Afghanistan are enough to
make withdrawl the 'road best traveled'.
But men are running things. If our Congress were 50% female, it would be done!
There is a mind-set - in men - that
doesn't allow them the honorable thing
to do - where lives are involved - unless
it is personal - and so - wars go on -
they happen - our children and others'
die - because we make mistakes.
God help us!

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