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on 10-09-2002 21:11
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An analysis of the present Administration.
By Michael Moore
Regan Books
$24.95
277 PP.
Reviewed By Khalil Abdel Alim
The first reaction to this title is to consider it comedic at best and racist at worst. The author and his book are neither.
He was challenged by his publisher to revise some of the more critical aspects of his book about President Bush.
The book was printed and ready for release September 10 but was delayed because of the events of the next day. He refused and they threatened to pulp the 50,000 copies already printed. They relented and now it is a best seller in the original form.
Stupid White men is about the current malaise extant in America and the politicians, executives, and bureaucrats who are responsible for, who according to Michael Moore are white men assisted by, “ringers like Colin Powell, Interior Secretary Gale Norton and National Security Advisor Conoleeza Rice.”
The author is a revolutionary with his weapon of choice being words that many think but are afraid to utter. His designation “Stupid White Men” is dangerous because many of the people we need fear are not all men or white and they are not stupid-they know all too well what they are doing.
Moore is writing from an anti-establishment perspective. He is critical of the present administration-which, in his view, are the “Stupid White Men.” Bush won the election in his high opinion by a “Coup”. He states that Al Gore garnered 539,698 more votes than George W. Bush but was robbed of the election by the collusion of Katherine Harries who was Bush’s presidential campaign Chairwoman and Secretary of state, his brother’s state of Florida and the governor. Bush’s election was so unpopular among some Americans that he could not take the traditional last few blocks walk of the inaugural parade for fear of being pelted with eggs by angry demonstrators.
The author also reveals that President Bush’s grandfather, Prescott, allowed Nazi industrialist to hide $3 million of their funds in his bank in the late 1930s.
In the book, Moore makes the passing remark that his books should be taken out of the humor section because he is serious- that he is and so are all the subjects that he discusses; things that will make some white people uncomfortable if not angry.
He exposes the hypocrisy of white liberals who claim that they have black friends. According to Moore, few of them really do.
He writes of slavery and its oppressive, dehumanizing affect on Black people and the residual social and psychological manifestations today and of the anger and bitterness that Blacks harbor beneath their surface smiles. He also rails against the “genetically encoded sense of privilege” that many white people exhibit.
Michael Moore, who admits to being college’s dropout, writes of the “dumbing” of America-the lack of intellectual interest on the part of so many Americans and their great interest in television instead of reading.
He tells of how President Bush is representative of that problem and that he bragged in a speech at Yale that he had been a “C” student and that they should know that a “C” student could become president of the United States.
Moore tells how the schools of America are disaster zones in part because government makes them a low priory. And how congress, who make $145,100 while those responsible for the development of our children earn an average of $41,351, will not allocate enough money for education. President Bush proposed to cut spending for libraries by $39 million.
This book is so “in your face” that those who need the message may only get angry and defensive and retreat into their prejudices.
As Jack Nickolson said in the movie A Few Good Men: “You can’t handle the truth!” A White liberal who read the book acknowledged its truthfulness but trying to disparage it said that Moore repeated himself. He only repeatedly tells the truth about our society.
He also broaches the subject of misogyny - man’s historically universal penchant for oppression and abuse of women. He claims that nature is fighting back by producing more female than male babies. (There are also more women in college and earning degrees.) Moore points out that men have served two functions: providing sperm for reproduction and reaching things women can’t. Sperm banks solved the former and the aluminum ladder has solved the latter.
He is critical of the $3 billion a year that America gives to Israel and thinks that we should withhold it until Israel withdraws from Palestinian territory.
Moore documents how there is little difference between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. That Bill Clinton was the same as George W. Bush only Clinton served with charm, finesse, playing a saxophone, and singing the Negro National anthem.
It is good that Micheal Moore stood up to his publisher and that freedom of the press prevailed. Everything he wrote needs to be said and read.
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Last update : 10-09-2002 21:11
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