| Mike Moore's "Stupid White Men" | |
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19 Apr 2002 @ 17:24, by John Finn
Dear Friends,
I woke up in Tampa, Florida, yesterday, picked up the Sunday newspaper, and there it was: the New York Times today had declared that, for the fourth week in a row, "Stupid White Men" is the #1 book in the country. I am out of explanations at this point as to how this thing has stayed atop on the Times bestseller list for a month. I've been informed that the book is now in its 19th printing. Also, it remains #1 in Canada, and it has gone to #1 this week in Britain and Ireland, according to the Sunday Times of London.
All this has occurred in spite of a virtual press blackout on the book. Or maybe because of it. The more the book is ignored by the media, the better it does. So, if you are a newspaper editor or a TV producer, PLEASE do NOT pay any attention to this book! Just because more Americans are reading it than any other book in the country for the past month should NOT persuade you to ask crazy questions of yourselves like, "How can this be happening when the 'President' has the highest approval ratings ever?" Just concern yourselves with repeating your mantra of the past 7 months - "America Loves Bush! America Loves Bush!" It's a comforting mantra, one that seems to bring you solace at a time of journalistic confusion. It's also simple and easy to repeat - and it means that you don't have to go out and do the work you are supposed to do (like rooting out the Enron-backed criminals in the White House or finding out what really happened before and after September 11th ).
The front page of the Tampa Tribune yesterday was all ablaze with the news about the convention of Florida's Democrats on Saturday in Orlando. There was a color photo of a smiling, waving Al Gore. Lieberman was there and so was Kerry and a host of other stars of the Democratic Party. About 2,500 Floridians were in attendance.
But in Tampa, on that same night, I was looking out from the stage at the Sun Dome at a crowd of nearly 7,000 people who had come to the "Democracy Rising" rally organized by Ralph Nader. Tampa has now produced the largest crowd of the book tour (I signed the 2000th book of the evening somewhere around 2am). This is 3 times the crowd that the Democrats got and, again, there is virtually no coverage.
But remember - it NO LONGER MATTERS that most of the media ignores the real news. It no longer matters because much of the media has chosen to make itself irrelevant through its lazy reporting, sleazy presentation, its obedience to the corporate agenda, and all the blowhard pundits who scream out their useless opinions. A political shift has occurred in the country and the media has completely missed it. We have become a nation where the majority of citizens are very liberal and progressive on the issues. The majority of Americans now call themselves pro-environment, pro-choice, pro-labor, and anti-Big Business. 154 million out of the 200 million voters in this country did NOT cast a vote for George W. Bush. That is the America in which we now live. Liberal, progressive, and sick of the stupid white men who run the country.
Hey, here's something that you haven't seen on the Fox Nuisance Channel - there are now over 140 college campuses in the U.S. with an active student Green organization. The Green kids in Florida are everywhere and their numbers are among the largest. You wouldn't think so, not after the blame that was heaped on the Greens for causing Gore to "lose" Florida. But they are building a mass movement, and the turnout I saw in Tampa was proof to me that there is a ruckus afoot in America, and if it's rockin' in a place like central Florida, then it's happening just down the street from where you live.
The Democrats could have stopped this. They could have spent the past two years fighting to raise the minimum wage or to lower the amount of pollutants spewed into the air or to call for a Special Prosecutor to investigate Bush and Enron.
But, no. The Democrats have spent their time trying to act like Republicans, thinking that's how they will win back the House this November. Note to Democrats: You will not win the House by being your usual weak, lame-o selves. The Greens will deny you the chance you have had to take charge. Until you get a clue, the Greens will thrive and grow. You want to avoid a repeat of 2000? Fight for the working people of this country! You want to stop the Greens? Act like a real Democrat! Stand up for something! Do the math: A couple of thousand in Orlando come to see the stars of the Democratic Party, while, at the same exact moment, nearly three times that number is in Tampa to cheer on a progressive agenda - which is greater? If the Democrats can't add 2 2, then they are doomed.
I should also mention that Tampa is the command headquarters for the war on Afghanistan. It's all done via remote control from the comfort of Florida's beautiful Gulf coast. How many civilians have we killed now? I believe the last number I read, it was more than the civilians who died on September 11th. Oh, I know the Bush boys over at Macdill Air Force Base have their rationalization as to why, in wartime, sometimes civilians have to die. The terrorists of 9-11 had their rationalizations, too. Everybody's got their rationalizations. Well, here's mine - there is NO rationalization for the killing of other human beings except in the rare and extreme cases of true self-defense.
Today is the beginning of National Library Week. As many of you know by now, it was a single librarian who saved my book from the corporate shredder. In the next day or so, I will send you another letter telling you about what she did and what you can do to support the libraries of this country.
Thanks again to everyone for your support. I'm in Oklahoma City and Norman, Oklahoma, tonight (4/15). I head to Canada to the University of Toronto tomorrow night (Tuesday), and I'll be in the Northwest later in the week. Hope to see many of you there.
Yours,
Michael Moore Author Filmmaker Detroit Tigers fan
www.michaelmoore.com
Write me at: stupidwhitemen@aol.com
TO ORDER "STUPID WHITE MEN," GO TO...
[link]
... or here ... [link]
TO ORDER SEASON TWO OF "THE AWFUL TRUTH," GO TO... [link]
PS. I have just landed in Dallas and turned on the TV. A representative from the humanitarian aid group, Oxfam, is describing the massacre of Palestinian civilians and children by the Israeli army in the Jenin refugee camp. It is shocking and horrifying when terrorism is committed by desperate suicide bombers. It's beyond belief when that terrorism is committed as an organized act by an avowed democratic state. Twenty Palestinians lined up against a wall and executed? Ten-year old children burned to death after soldiers set their homes on fire? Are we funding this? Yes, bring to justice those specific individuals who have committed acts of murder against Israelis citizens. But execute the innocent? Has everyone gone insane? What are we going to do to put a stop to this? For God's sake, we can't wait for Bush to find out where the West Bank is located on a map.
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Category: Information
5 comments
19 Apr 2002 @ 17:49 by tdeane : Thanks, Finny!
Again, welcome home! Well, I know what the first phone call I am going to make tomorrow morning will be: It will be to our public library to see if they have Mike Moore's book, and of course I will be asking why if they don't. Of course the media won't promote his book! No one would read their papers or watch network television news (and possibly network television in general) ever again, if they read the book (unless they just wanted the comics). Too bad I was unaware of his presence 20 min. from us when he was in Tampa. Hearing him speak would have been worth a recluse like me leaving our apartment. Much love ~ Tricia
19 Apr 2002 @ 18:36 by istvan : Something is happening
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0419-01.htm
[ http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0419-01.htm ]
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0419-06.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines02/0419-06.htm
22 Apr 2002 @ 01:43 by : Mmmm let me look at a copy!
Thanks for the news, Finny.
Now here´s a book that a fellow ´stupid white man´ can remember the name of when he goes into a book shop!
Cheers
Brian
24 Apr 2002 @ 14:46 by : Ken Wilbur
Ergo have you read any of Wilbur. I'm responding to a comment (in your profil) about heiracy. he outlines in "A Brief History of Everthing" a refreshing look at heiracies.
24 Mar 2003 @ 12:50 by Rod Turner @161.49.21.100 : Mike Moore is a fat fucking loser
Here is what I sent him.. He better hope he never gets in a room with any marines..
Hey fat boy...
I can bet you wouldnt last 2 minutes in the real world..
The best thing you can do for this country is to get several cases of HOHO's and eat your self to death. By looking at you, your already half the way there..
You better hope your Mercedies never breaks down in my neighborhood.
You fat stupid peice of shit.
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