General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMUST-READ MICHAEL MOORE: "My 12 Years of Support For The Troops"
From Facebook:"My 12 Years of Support for the Troops "
Before I post my more general thoughts later today or tomorrow about the ruckus of the past week regarding the response to my heartfelt comment on twitter about my uncle who was killed in World War II by a sniper - and how I was taught to despise snipers of any stripe - I would like to address this one insane mantra that the right-wing has twisted my tweet into: "Michael Moore hates the troops."
Well, who would know better about hating our troops than those who supported sending them into a senseless war Iraq in the first place?
And, for 4,482 of them, a senseless, unnecessary and regrettable death.
If you supported that invasion, if you voted for George W. Bush and the Republicans and Democrats who backed this war, then you are the ones who have some 'splainin' to do. Not me. You.
Because only "haters" of our brave young men and women would recklessly send them into harm's way for something that had absolutely nothing to do with defending the United States of America. Nothing. Nothing to do with 9/11. Nothing. In fact, WE, the USA, were the ones who provided Saddam with his weapons in the 1980s that he used against the Kurds. We wanted him to use them against the Iranians, but you hand a crazy guy crazy weapons, something crazy is probably going to happen. Ask Osama bin Laden about that -- what he did with the crazy training, crazy money and crazy weapons that WE gave him. Oh wait. You can't ask him. Because the new president took him out. No 150,000 troop invasion necessary. Just 12 or so Navy SEALS and two and a half choppers.
Here's the truth they can't or won't report: I'M the one who has supported these troops - much more than the bloviators on Fox News. To prove it (and I know this is going to crush some of you out there), here's just a partial list of all the things I do and have done for those men and women who serve -- and I guarantee you, you've never heard any of this reported about what the real me does because, frankly, it messes up their little story of the fictional "Michael Moore" they've created for your hate and enjoyment (please feel free to cut, paste and send this to your conservative brother-in-law):
** I have an aggressive affirmative action policy specifically to hire Iraq and Afghanistan veterans at my film production company, my movie theaters in Michigan and my film festival. I have asked other businesses in my town (and nationwide) to join with me on this. http://www.traverseticker.com/story/michael-moore-asks-businesses-to-hire-a-vet . A vet was an editor on my films "Fahrenheit 9/11" and "Sicko" and a vet (who served in both Iraq AND Afghanistan) is the projectionist at my flagship theater in Michigan (to name a few).
** I also ask people to post a sign I designed and have made available: "I Shop Where Vets Work". Here's my policy and the poster: http://www.statetheatretc.org/veterans#opening (Can someone at Fox News send me your posted affirmative action program to hire Iraq and Afghanistan vets?)
** Since I opened my movie theaters in northern Michigan, this has been my admission policy: "Admission to all movies at my theaters is FREE, 365 days of the year, for ALL active duty military and their families."
** I allow local veterans support groups to use my theater to meet for PTSD issues, I host quarterly PTSD summits, and I've hosted a conference to start a jobs movement for vets in our town.
** I have raised tens of thousands of dollars through my website for groups that help veterans and wounded warriors: http://web.archive.org/web/20140829053240/http://fahrenheit911.com/soldiers/
** In the early years of the war I made all my books and DVDs available free of charge to all service members through BooksForSoldiers.com
** I produced and hosted a benefit for military families at the House of Blues that received national attention to their plight (raw clips here from the AP:
vimeo.com/117687290
** I will NOT do business with vendors who don't have a policy to hire vets.
** I gave voice to the troops who weren't being heard by publishing a book of their letters from the front lines in "Will They Every Trust Us Again?" (NY Times bestseller for 4 weeks)
** I regularly post blogs from troops http://www.ivaw.org/blog/ivaw-featured-michael-moore and I show and support many movies about what they've gone through in the past 12 years at my theaters.
** I took vets, soldiers and their families on a 60-city tour of the country so their concerns could be heard:
** I helped Iraq Vets against the War with "Operation Recovery" http://www.ivaw.org/operation-recovery and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-moore/how-bout-dinner-just-you_b_791535.html
** My movie, "Fahrenheit 9/11" - #1 selling/#1 rental on all military base PXs
** My books were the #1 requested books by troops from the nonprofit BooksForSoldiers.com
** I sit on the Advisory Board of the Pvt. Bradley (Chelsea) Manning Support Network
** From the Dept. of Irony: I only hire Navy SEALS and ex-special forces for when I need security - such as this week, when so-called supporters of those SEALs want me harmed.
** When my father passed away this year, in lieu of flowers I asked that donations by made in my dad's name to the veterans group, Veterans for Peace. Enough money was raised so that the Vietnam Vets chapter could build a home in Vietnam for a family still suffering from the effects of Agent Orange. It's being dedicated in my dad's name.
** I am currently showing "American Sniper" at my theater that I helped restore and that I program and help run in Manistee, MI. Not because I like it, but because, unlike the other side, I'm not a censor. I trust smart people and people of good heart will know what to do. You can't have a conversation about what Clint Eastwood is up to if you haven't seen what it is he's up to. And regardless where u are on the political spectrum, you'll see that every character in Clint's film comes out dead or permanently damaged. This ain't no John Wayne rah-rah pablum. Eastwood made maybe the greatest western ever - "Unforgiven" - but now it's sad seeing him talking to an empty chair on a stage or making an Iraq movie that Rolling Stone this week called, "too dumb to bother criticizing."
In the end, the thing I'm most proud of for what I've done for the troops was sticking my neck out 12 years ago to become a leading opponent to Bush and the war. I tried to save more lives than a sniper ever could hope to -- by preventing us from going to war in the first place. Well, I failed at that. But I've done everything else humanly possible to try and make it up to those troops when they return home -- that is, the ones lucky enough to return home.
So, Fox News and the other lazy media -- quit making shit up about me! You look ridiculous. If you want to have a debate with me about the ISSUES and the POLICIES, then let's have it. If you want to debate a movie that's trying to rewrite history, then let's have that. But when you hide behind falsehoods and then use them to try and manipulate the public, then all you are is afraid. Afraid of me, an unarmed American, and the truth I bring along as my sidekick. Only cowards have to lie. Be brave. Report the truth. It will feel good.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)louis-t
(23,284 posts)Stuart G
(38,414 posts)pa28
(6,145 posts)Will give the knee jerk Michael Moore haters on DU a little something to think about.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)erronis
(15,216 posts)Nor do they care. My guess is that many of them on this and other boards are nothing but shills (or robotic shills). Their main intent is to deflect meaningful discussion and to poison the well for anybody that wants to "think about".
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)MrMickeysMom
(20,453 posts)
ALWAYS!
stuffmatters
(2,574 posts)in snearingly denouncing critics of this movie as "unpatriotic", anti troops etc. It's the same MSM talking stooges who
never questioned the stupidity of this war or the government that lied America into it.
I noticed none of the MSM Sunday news(gasbag) shows booked Michael Moore. Too "equal timey" for any of them?
erronis
(15,216 posts)Every now and then you see some well-coiffed news-person speak outside of the scripted presentation. Rarely. And when it happens, unholy unshit takes place.
Other than a few truly user-supported media outlets (some PBS/NPR and some university stations), most of them take their marching orders from higher ups.
And the highest up is not some benevolent lord of fairness - unless you think that money == fairness.
stuffmatters
(2,574 posts)To the extent that these "well coiffed" news actors/actresses feel so secure that they frequently pepper their newscasts with the snide personal asides on everything from Occupy San Diego to the minimum wage hike.(voted through by our Democratic City Council). Barbara Lee Edwards (our local CBS) openly denounced graffiti ( "murderer" written across an Amer Sniper billboard in LA) it was just par for the course here. Not only that local CBS programmed this prattle of a story into our evening news, but that this newscaster felt ok just chiming in with her own moral outrage.
It happens here all the time on our local news & it's really disgusting. Amazingly San Diego is a demographically left leaning city, but
rightwing controls all the major newspapers, internet feeds and tv stations. Very frustrating.
Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) was founded by Iraq war veterans in July 2004 at the annual convention of Veterans for Peace (VFP) in Boston to give a voice to the large number of active duty service people and veterans who are against this war, but are under various pressures to remain silent.
From its inception, IVAW has called for:
Immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces in Iraq;
Reparations for the human and structural damages Iraq has suffered, and stopping the corporate pillaging of Iraq so that their people can control their own lives and future; and
Full benefits, adequate healthcare (including mental health), and other supports for returning servicemen and women.
http://www.ivaw.org/about
Cooley Hurd
(26,877 posts)CanSocDem
(3,286 posts)BlueStater
(7,596 posts)But there's a first for everything.
1+
mountain grammy
(26,605 posts)Bravo
SamKnause
(13,091 posts)Thank you Michael Moore.
BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)Instead of being a guy with a flag pin and a yellow ribbon on their car screaming about patriotism. Good work, Mr. Moore.
calimary
(81,179 posts)As usual, Michael Moore hits one outta the ballpark!
chrisa
(4,524 posts)probably continuously work towards cutting benefits and help for Veterans so CEOs of large corporations (especially the defense industry) can have a bigger chunk of the government budget dedicated to buying useless junk from them.
Why did Chris Kyle die in the first place? No one's talking about that. They're more interested in the cartoonish image created of his military service.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Lucky Luciano
(11,252 posts)Jack Rabbit
(45,984 posts)K/R
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)Who think MM is "against the troops"...all the disgusting Flush and Fux lies....... tempted to send this. But, nah...it wouldn't wake them up.
malaise
(268,844 posts)Great rant
K & R
spanone
(135,802 posts)valerief
(53,235 posts)blackspade
(10,056 posts)joanbarnes
(1,722 posts)The Wizard
(12,541 posts)praises lies and vilifies the truth. Everyone at Pox News should be donating their pay toward the benefit and well being of those damaged by Pox lies.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Logical
(22,457 posts)Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Way to go, Michael!
N_E_1 for Tennis
(9,712 posts)tenderfoot
(8,425 posts)BeanMusical
(4,389 posts)And there are also the ones who hate Michael Moore because he dared to criticize Obama who are nowhere to be seen in this thread.
Hissyspit
(45,788 posts)Fred Sanders
(23,946 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)I guess they could find nothing to concern troll about the article.
cp
(6,622 posts)Great response, Michael Moore! Thank you.
Skittles
(153,138 posts)senseless wars are OK, killing in a country we invaded for no reason is OK but OMG criticize propaganda disguised as a movie? BAD!!
AZ Progressive
(3,411 posts)One of the best responses I've ever seen....
xocet
(3,871 posts)Initech
(100,054 posts)mikekohr
(2,312 posts)allan01
(1,950 posts)and i am SO SICK AND TIRED OF BEING CALLED NON PATRIOTIC. how many of "those " folks been to the front line or served. if they havnt . SHUT UP and sit down. this guy puts me to shame . i always thank a vet .cop teacher nurse etc and have done so since a little boy. been doing this long since this was cool. what makes these idiots more patriotic than me ?
napkinz
(17,199 posts)nt
narnian60
(3,510 posts)so I can whip it out & show my Fox-watching mom next time she calls him, "nothing but a traitorous, fat slob."
Hissyspit
(45,788 posts)Deuce
(959 posts)Telcontar
(660 posts)** My movie, "Fahrenheit 9/11" - #1 selling/#1 rental on all military base PXs
I call bullshit
Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)Send it to everyone you know.
samsingh
(17,594 posts)Takket
(21,549 posts)enki23
(7,787 posts)The size of your flag pin, and all its attendants, is what matters.
Generic Other
(28,979 posts)It's why it makes me physically sick when I see him trashed here.
I have spent untold hours defending him at DU over the years. And I would willingly do so again.
Stephen Retired
(190 posts)Kick Generously Included
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)Hissyspit
(45,788 posts)Hissyspit
(45,788 posts)raven mad
(4,940 posts)I hope this goes viral! Bookmarked, kicked and - yep - old me printed it!
Michael Moore is a true !!!!!
Puglover
(16,380 posts)to drag out at the next DU Michael Moore hatefest.