From Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary:

Main Entry: pro·pa·gan·da
Pronunciation: “prä-p&-’gan-d&, “prO-
Function: noun
(Etymology and first definition removed; see them here:http://m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=propaganda)
2 : the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person
3 : ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one’s cause or to damage an opposing cause; also : a public action having such an effect

Hmm. That looks exactly like what Michael Moore is doing with F 9/11. Even if we don’t agree that whether or not it was fact or rumor, we don’t have to, because the definition encomapasses both. Hell, Moore -admits- that it’s propaganda when he says he’s doing it to stop the right wing.

Ignorance runs rampant in this country!

The opening part just made me want to scream, “I want my America back”! It was stolen from us, and I hope we can get it back before it is too late. (In many ways, it’s already too late. Much irreversible harm has been done to the American psyche, and the fact that Bush is still leading in the polls is an abomination.) Several other parts of the movie provoke a very strong emotional reaction as well, even on a third viewing.

There are a few aspects of the movie that were imperfect, however. Most notably the advertising campaign. If I had been in charge of promoting the movie, I would put together 3-4 different spots that sum up the top thought-provoking points the film makes: the Saudi influence, the way the Bush Administration used fear to push their agenda, the Patriot Act, the stolen election, etc. Instead we all see the scene with Bush on the golf course a thousand times over. Slip-ups like that are forgivable of Bush (and can be found on any public figure), and they weaken the message of the movie. I don’t care what Wolfowitz does with his comb! Etc.

I think Fahrenheit 9/11 could have been an even better movie than it turned out to be. Like other Moore films, it ranges from brilliant to silly, and I wonder if the silly parts are there to give the movie more range among the less politically literate demographic, who would otherwise find the movie boring. A necessary evil, I guess. It would be great if the DVD version would have a “pop-ups” option with the clarifications, attributions, and additional facts that the movie missed or could have additionally benefited from.

This movie, love it or hate it, is a monolith to free speech, and the campaign to harass theaters into not showing the movie was an embarrassment to America. The good news, it seems, is that not a single theater was swayed.

I’ve heard that there are a couple of rebuttal movies on their way out, and that is a good thing. The self-hating individual that I am, I just might go and see them. It is healthy for a person’s thought process to explore the things s\he doesn’t agree with. For example, seeing The Passion was an interesting experience, though what little respect I had for Christianity has plummeted as the result. (Heck, I even forced myself to read two of Bill O’Reilly’s books, through vomit, psychosomatic blindness, and all. Yes, F-9/11 is biased, all documentaries express an opinion. But having that loony on TV claiming to be “fair and balanced” is an impossibility of reason.) Anyway, I think Michael Moore should be challenged, and I think his work would evolve as the result.

To a lot of young people, Michael Moore is also a symbol of something they could become, and I think the ease of digital film-making and the Internet will enable a lot of people to follow in his footsteps. (Hey, Marc, hehe, you need a guy to follow you around with a camera?)

In the mean time, I will continue to encourage people to see Fahrenheit 9/11. Michael Moore’s work is accomplished and is accessible to everyone (as are the works of Al Franken and several other writers). And some people who are mature enough should also be encouraged to graduate to the next level, like for example the works of Noam Chomsky.

~~Alex~~