Michael Moore Statement on Canadian Election

[\/\/illy]

From www.michaelmoore.com:

Friday, January 20th, 2006

Michael Moore Statement on Canadian Election

Michael Moore is currently in production on his next movie. As an avid lover of all things Canadian, he has issued the following statement regarding Canada's upcoming election on Monday:

Oh, Canada -- you're not really going to elect a Conservative majority on Monday, are you? That's a joke, right? I know you have a great sense of humor, and certainly a well-developed sense of irony, but this is no longer funny. Maybe it's a new form of Canadian irony -- reverse irony! OK, now I get it. First, you have the courage to stand against the war in Iraq -- and then you elect a prime minister who's for it. You declare gay people have equal rights -- and then you elect a man who says they don't. You give your native peoples their own autonomy and their own territory -- and then you vote for a man who wants to cut aid to these poorest of your citizens. Wow, that is intense! Only Canadians could pull off a hat trick of humor like that. My hat's off to you.

Far be it from me, as an American, to suggest what you should do. You already have too many Americans telling you what to do. Well, actually, you've got just one American who keeps telling you to roll over and fetch and sit. I hope you don't feel this appeal of mine is too intrusive but I just couldn't sit by, as your friend, and say nothing. Yes, I agree, the Liberals have some 'splainin' to do. And yes, one party in power for more than a decade gets a little... long. But you have a parliamentary system (I'll bet you didn't know that -- see, that's why you need Americans telling you things!). There are ways at the polls to have your voices heard other than throwing the baby out with the bath water.

These are no ordinary times, and as you go to the polls on Monday, you do so while a man running the nation to the south of you is hoping you can lend him a hand by picking Stephen Harper because he's a man who shares his world view. Do you want to help George Bush by turning Canada into his latest conquest? Is that how you want millions of us down here to see you from now on? The next notch in the cowboy belt? C'mon, where's your Canadian pride? I mean, if you're going to reduce Canada to a cheap download of Bush & Co., then at least don't surrender so easily. Can't you wait until he threatens to bomb Regina? Make him work for it, for Pete's sake.

But seriously, I know you're not going to elect a guy who should really be running for governor of Utah. Whew! I knew it! You almost had me there. Very funny. Don't do that again. God, I love you, you crazy cold wonderful neighbors to my north. Don't ever change.

Michael Moore

(Mr. Moore is not available for interviews because he now needs to address the situation in Azerbaijan. But he could be talked into it for a couple of tickets to a Leaf's game.)

[phorbesie]

Exactly.

[shainhouse]

He's annoying, but I agree with him on this one./

[can-o-phish]

You know, I enjoy Michael Moore and his passion for a better life for the general population but this comment on our election kinda comes in a bit late for it to have any sort of impact at all if that's what some of it's intent was for.

If the polls are any indication of what the results will be tomorrow evening then it truly looks like it's a Convservative minority and a possible majority.

I don't know if anyone else caught CBC's Sunday this morning but one of the segments was with the, in no particular order , Liberal, NDP and Conservative party strategists and IMHO, as per usual, the Liberal & Conservative twits bickered like spoiled children and the only one who showed intelligence, patience and overall maturity was the NDP strategist.

Just my opinion but I see Canada as an apathetic country who can't see that there are several other choices besides a Liberal or Conservative government. There are many minority governments throughout the world that function well. If one doesn't care for the Liberal candidate, it seems that for most they choose the Conservative and pass on the NDP or Green candidate.

I would like nothing more than to have a minority Liberal government with a strong NDP opposition to keep them in check. And I should also state that I'd like to see a general cleansing of the Liberal caucus, sweep the dirty and corrupt ones out the door, but hard to say how many would be left as politics as a whole tends to have deep-rooted corruption no matter what the country.

My two cents and now I'm stepping down from the creaking, battered political soapbox.

Enjoy your Sunday and I hope that you all cast your ballots tomorrow.

[Tooly]

ill be voting for damn sure. probably a heady blend of lib(even though i dont want to, but hey it beats harper) and green

[Velvet]

I finally see why people don't like him.

[bokonon]

a touch condescending. i'm pretty sure every canadian over five knows about parliament. unlike the american school system, ours does actually teach about government. (even systems that oppose our own!)

[Baj]

great post Willy!

[YearsAlongTheSea]

Maybe a touch condiscending (Canadians tend to be sensitive, and he didn't get the memo) and way...... too late, but this is Michael Moore Ladies and Gents, you have to take a lot of what this man says with a grain of salt.

That out of the way, he hit the nail on the button.

[Lazlo]

ill be voting for damn sure. probably a heady blend of lib(even though i dont want to, but hey it beats harper) and green

How do you intend to vote for both the Liberal and Green parties.

[timouse]

ill be voting for damn sure. probably a heady blend of lib(even though i dont want to' date=' but hey it beats harper) and green[/quote']

How do you intend to vote for both the Liberal and Green parties.

how does that go? vote early and vote often.

[Lazlo]

I don't know if Tooly is even allowed to vote, being American in all.

Do you have dual citizenship wook?

[YearsAlongTheSea]

I hear (word on the street) that you can only vote once.

[The Chameleon]

I love Micael Moore, and I pretty much think he is on point 99% of time. Someone please explain why some people dislike him/find him annoying? (assuming your not consevative/republican). I don't see the negative to this guy.

[Birdy]

I love Micael Moore, and I pretty much think he is on point 99% of time. Someone please explain why some people dislike him/find him annoying? (assuming your not consevative/republican). I don't see the negative to this guy.

because he doesn't really know shit and talks alot. especially during those moments when all you really want is quiet.

[\/\/illy]

I love Micael Moore' date=' and I pretty much think he is on point 99% of time. Someone please explain why some people dislike him/find him annoying? (assuming your not consevative/republican). I don't see the negative to this guy.

[/quote']

because he doesn't really know shit and talks alot. especially during those moments when all you really want is quiet.

The Chameleon said, "assuming your not consevative/republican."

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

because he doesn't really know shit

He has an army of researchers working for him to get him the data he works with himself. He also has an army of lawyers making sure that he doesn't spout just any shit, because there are some enormously high-powered lawyers out there with rifles trained on him for the first slip-up. This was all especially important, for reasons of sheer gravity, when he was making F9/11.

especially during those moments when all you really want is quiet.

Moore's whole schtick is, as I think Mencken used to say, to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. Power works most seamlessly in conditions of silence, when no one speaks out against it. Bring on the noise, I say.

[\/\/illy]

Power works most seamlessly in conditions of silence, when no one speaks out against it. Bring on the noise, I say.

You are a beautiful and wise man. I miss you down this way. Be well.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

. You're way too kind (you wouldn't be saying that if you were one of my students this afternoon ). Missing you too, Willy - see you this Saturday?

[Hartamophone]

I love Micael Moore, and I pretty much think he is on point 99% of time. Someone please explain why some people dislike him/find him annoying? (assuming your not consevative/republican). I don't see the negative to this guy.

I am certainly not conservative/republican, but I have a lot of issues with how Michael Moore gets his message out. The first example that comes to mind is how in Bowling for Columbine he paraded around with the two kids who had been shot as if he were their best friend, when you could visibly see how uncomfortable they (especially the one who was in the wheelchair, I forget his name) were with the situation. I think that oftentimes he openly exploits the very people he is trying to "help" (war mothers, violence victims, school teachers), in the name of sensationalism and creating a buzz around his films.

Also, he used to own stock in Haliburton, which gives him a few undesirable hypocrisy points in my book.

[Thorgnor]

I used to cheat on my girlfriends, does that mean that you wouldn't believe me when I say that it hurts people's feelings?

[Hartamophone]

I used to cheat on my girlfriends, does that mean that you wouldn't believe me when I say that it hurts people's feelings?

No, although I think most would agree that it would be hypocritical of you to act "holier than thou" towards people who continue to cheat without owning up to your past. I just find the "Micheal Moore can do no wrong" school of political thought a tad frustrating.

[Thorgnor]

Fair enough but what does owning up mean in Moore's context? I'm pretty sure that owning stock doesn't make someone privvy to the inside workings of the boardroom... especially in the case of massive, multi-national oil giants running in corrupt fashion.

[The Chameleon]

All is fair in lover and war. Whatever tactics work to damage/cast scrutiny to the republicans/conservative right is fine by me.

Furthermore if the kids in bowling for columbine really were uncomfortable they wouldn't have appeared in the film. No one was forcing them.

[Hartamophone]

Fair enough but what does owning up mean in Moore's context? I'm pretty sure that owning stock doesn't make someone privvy to the inside workings of the boardroom... especially in the case of massive, multi-national oil giants running in corrupt fashion.

While I'm sure he wasn't privy to the inner workings of the boardrooms, I take issue with someone blasting a company that he has made money off of, as well as bragging about how he doesn't own any stocks at all, when he has had hundreds of shares in the past.

Repenting is one thing, but that's not something that I've ever seen him do in the context of having made money from being a part-owner of Haliburton. I agree with his message, but think he's a little too quick to act like his sh!t doesn't stink.

Furthermore if the kids in bowling for columbine really were uncomfortable they wouldn't have appeared in the film. No one was forcing them.

Watch it again and tell me that they, especially the one who can no longer walk, don't look extremely uncomfortable at having all that attention put on them, especially with all the other media around when the K-Mart lady was making the announcement.

I also think that his use of sobbing mothers (F 9/11) and the bereaved school teacher in Bowling for Columbine leans towards sensationalism. I'm sure the far Right could find just as many crying relatives of 9/11 victims to support their own cause.

Edited January 23, 2006 by Guest