Posted on 6/23/2004, 5:21:30 PM by Mr. Silverback
I have a question for Freepers everywhere: Should we mobilize to Freep Michael Moore’s latest effort to ape “Triumph of the Will” or not? Let me share some pros and cons, and in post 1 I have a few freep suggestions for those who do go.
PRO: 1. Freeping Fahrenheit 9/11 would be consistent with what I call “Sykes Law of Speech,” named for radio host Charles Sykes: “The answer to bad speech is not censorship or silence, but good speech.”
2. We are much more informed about current events than many Americans, so we may be overestimating Moore’s reputation as a liar among the general public. Moore is currently promoting his movie as an “op-ed” piece and an op-ed film would be completely valid, but we all know that an op-ed is laughed at by people of every political flavor if it leaves the realm of opinion and heads straight into lying. Freeps could make a few of the attendees rethink things, and coverage of said Freeps could alert folks in the middle to just what sort of man Moore is.
3. Freeps pointing out Moore’s lies would help counter the talking point most used by libs in relation to this film: Conservatives want to censor the film and stifle dissent in a fascist manner. Just the lies in “Bowling for Columbine” alone would show why we believe Moore is a bad American and doesn’t deserve to be treated as a documentarian.
4. We would gain publicity for FR.
5. We get to make Moore and his fans look stupid.
6. Anything we do to puncture the bloated sense of moral superiority among the Dem base would help. The first wave of reductions we saw in the anti-war crowds came after it was revealed that Saddam was a torturecrat after all. Anyone who’s thinking, “Michael Moore is a great guy” or “He’s kind of a jerk, but he does us a service” will be confronted with that same cognitive dissonance if they’re alerted to his untruths.
CONS: There’s only one, but it’s a big one!
1. If the impact/potential box office of the film is overrated, we could end up wasting our time and maybe even fire up some Moore fans, they must hate Freepers something fierce. It may be better to just ignore the film.
ONE THING THAT IS NOT A CON: Please, let’s not have anybody posting any stuff about giving Moore free publicity. He’s so much from the liberal media as it is that I can’t imagine us making it worse.
So, what say you, Free Republic?
Here’s a sign that should be at every Freep: Michael Moore: Millionaire War Profiteer
A hand-out could include: All the lies in “Columbine” (plus his bizarre effort to pin a school shooting on Dick “America’s Oldest Teenager” Clark) The currently-known lies in “Fahrenheit” The famous lie in “Stupid White Men” about Fred Barnes not knowing what the Iliad is Etc., etc.
Post other ideas and links here if you’ve got them
As you may or may not know I am against the BJClinton freeps however I have no problem with this.
The clinton freeps for the book tour is the first time I have ever been against protest and have taken plenty of slack on my position.
Chapter leaders, please ping your lists and weigh in.
I would ignore the movie. It will come and go and all the liberal activists and whomever they can drag along will see it. It will die and be forgotten in a couple of weeks.
Respectful slack but slack none the less : )
I think BJCLinton is doing a good enough job on his own reinventing his legacy : )
I'm all for ignoring him.
The reviews speak for themselves.
I say we all get out just ONE TIME and in a true show of force.
Novemebr 2nd Nation wide!
I agree, just ignore it
Michael Moore is a fat slob. But let's not reward this knucklehead with any additional attention. He's already gotten far too much.
Just my opinion,
CD
I am coming around to your view on the Clinton freeps, but even when I totally disagreed with you (the opportunity to relate Kerry to Clinton is attractive to me) I think you should have gotten zero flack.
One of the reasons we should take the opportunity to hit Moore is that it's a Friday night or Saturday afternoon freep. No job conflicts, and Kerry is really hiding the last week or so.
I think the best response is to let as many people as possible see it. Look how this film is being excoriated, even by dedicated Leftists. The more people see this, the more people will see this left-wing lunacy for what it is.
We WANT this to be the image of the Left. Not only is it true to their character, but it is devastating for their reputation.
If Moore was a closet ultra-conservative he could not have done us a better favor than to make this movie.
Yes, Freep. It ticks off the DUers.
However, I think freeping the theaters rather than the movie is better. Send e-mails, send comments to newspapers.
Signs like "This theater and Hezbollah support Michael Moore's lies". This way the pressure is on the theaters and shows them as money-grubbing bottom feeders OR Lib lovers, which are the only reasons to show this film.
Point out it is not censureship but voting with your pocketbook. Point out MM hates America. Point out that MM lies to make a $.
Really sincerely what the enemy hopes for and why.
And then, DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
If there is a Freep, it should tie in graphic beheadings by all means, as to who and what the world faces in the Middle East.
By by and large, from a tactical point, I don't think a Freep is advisable.
I emailed Christopher Hitchens' review in Slate to local theatre owners. At least one is scheduled to show the film, but I want to get the word out about the usual lies from Moore.
Can y'all ping your lists?
I say ignore the bum and his braindead followers.
Ignore him. We have bigger fish to fry this year, even bigger than Jabba the Moore, and we need to keep our powder dry. The less attention he gets the better.
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