Facts presented in Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 (so says letter writer)

TheyWon'tLetUsLink ^ | July 17, 2004 | Gary L. Vyne

[BJungNan]

This letter appeared in our local paper that will remain nameless since they don't want us linking to them. The letter writer raises three points.

It’s time to face the facts, folks

I am fed up with reading letters which criticize Michael Moore as an un-American socialist but never bother to rebut the specific points he makes in his film:

1) Why did the Bush family show such incredibly poor judgment by having cozy business dealings with the family of terrorist Osama bin Laden in Saudi Arabia over a period of many years?

2) Why did the Bush administration fall all over itself to get 142 Saudi nationals flown out of this country two days after 9/11? Why weren’t these Saudi nationals subjected to an intense checkup by the FBI over a period of weeks before being allowed to leave? What was the big rush to get them out of the country?

3) Congress and the White House have been gung-ho about the war in Iraq; so why is it that only one congressman out of 535 has a son fighting in that war?

These “patriots” are all for the war as long as someone else’s son or daughter risks death or serious injury.

[BJungNan]

I was surprised that all but this one letter were critical of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Moore.

[texasflower]

Every single one of his points is wrong.

[TheCrusader]

"3) Congress and the White House have been gung-ho about the war in Iraq; so why is it that only one congressman out of 535 has a son fighting in that war?"

If there were a draft this might be a semi legitimate question. But since our military is an all volunteer force, the question becomes less than rhetorical, it falls into the category of 'just plain stupid'. And when you consider it even further and realize that Congressmen don't control their adult sons' actions, the question drops down to the level of sheer insanity.

[meenie]

I wasn't aware there were more than one congressman with children fighting in Iraq.

[El Conservador]

1) Why did the Bush family show such incredibly poor judgment by having cozy business dealings with the family of terrorist Osama bin Laden in Saudi Arabia over a period of many years?

Because, at the time those dealings were set up, Osama bin Laden was just an religious zealot rich boy fighting in Afghanistan with Daddy's money, and not America's #1 enemy.

2) Why did the Bush administration fall all over itself to get 142 Saudi nationals flown out of this country two days after 9/11? Why weren’t these Saudi nationals subjected to an intense checkup by the FBI over a period of weeks before being allowed to leave? What was the big rush to get them out of the country?

The airspace was already open when the Saudis left. Besides, it was a private-contracted charter, not an US govt. plane, so the administration didn't take part on their departure.

3) Congress and the White House have been gung-ho about the war in Iraq; so why is it that only one congressman out of 535 has a son fighting in that war?

Why are you counting all of them??? Are you including all those congresspeople under 45, who most likely don't have children over 18??? Those over 70, whose children are most likely past military age??? Those who don't have children??? Hell, are you even including Tammy Baldwin (lesbian) and Barney Frank (gay)??? That's called intelectual dishonesty.

[KangarooJacqui]

It's time this letter-writer was taken out and shot for treason.

Michael Moore and all.

[norraad]

But that's exactly the problem, insanity rules!

Something all N A Z I ' S understand.

Emotions overide logic in stupid people & since there's always alot of them, that's how you rule.

"Now . , wolves . , & Ms. Lamb, shall we vote on lunch?"

[PhilDragoo]

Who let the dogs out? Richard A. Clark--the very Richard A. Clark who sings in the anti-Bush choir.

He has made it abundantly clear that he made the call to let the cleared people fly out.

Facts and Fattyweight are mutually exclusive.

[longtermmemmory]

BUT the entire movie will be shown in every college and highschool senior history class. (It has to be seniors due to the R rating.)

This infomercial is no different than the hollyweird attack piece "thereagans". I think we should start calling it Naziwood because hollywoods is so adept at using the tactics of the WWII nazis. (didn't they just give an oscar to a propagandist of hitler?)

[MJY1288]

1) Why did the Bush family show such incredibly poor judgment by having cozy business dealings with the family of terrorist Osama bin Laden in Saudi Arabia over a period of many years?

This one is easy... The Bush family has never had any business dealing with the bin Laden family, this accusation is based on the bin Laden family dealings with the Carlyle Group. The one big venture between the Carlyle group and the bin Laden family took place before George H.W. Bush became a member

2) Why did the Bush administration fall all over itself to get 142 Saudi nationals flown out of this country two days after 9/11? Why weren’t these Saudi nationals subjected to an intense checkup by the FBI over a period of weeks before being allowed to leave? What was the big rush to get them out of the country?

The bin laden family members here in the U.S. requested permission to leave the U.S. The FBI vetted each and everyone of them before they left the country, the request was approved by Richard Clark (Bush Basher) and advanced to the FBI

3) Congress and the White House have been gung-ho about the war in Iraq; so why is it that only one congressman out of 535 has a son fighting in that war?
These “patriots” are all for the war as long as someone else’s son or daughter risks death or serious injury.

Nobody was "gung-ho" about going to war with Iraq, on Jan 29th, 2002 President Bush told the world who was a threat to the world and those nations were Iraq, Iran and North Korea, he labeled the an "Axis of Evil" and as it turns out, he was spot on. The number one responsibility of the Cammander-in-Chief is to protect the country, after 9/11 all those who harbored and supported terrorist organizations were put on notice, this President would be derelict in his duties if he was to factor in how many Congressman had children or relatives that might be in harms way before deciding whether or not he should go to war to eliminate a sworn enemy of the United States.

These liberals on the left better get used to being upset over being out of power, because their decision to politicize the War on Terror is going to keep them out of power for a generation or better

[longtermmemmory]

They will repeat the lies more and more as we get to November.

The rank and file democrats think kerry is moderate because his wife is rich. Many are union members. These union members with their pension funds should remember kerry has spent a lifetime spending other people's money.

What will they do if kerry lets the Euro become the world's currency of choice, will union members just accept a pension fund ravaged from inflation. It is more complex I know, but at some point the rank and file are not only being lied to their faces, they are lying to themselves.

[BJungNan]

In case it was not clear and so I don't get confused with the person that wrote the letter, I just posted it for discussion.

[bad company]

I bevieve there are five with another going next month.

[dandi]

"I am fed up with reading letters which criticize Michael Moore as an un-American socialist but never bother to rebut the specific points he makes in his film"

Yeah, well, I am fed up with people who make this statement. I don't know about the letter writers this person is referring to, but in-depth rebuttals are available everywhere, especially on the internet. All it would take is for this individual to put down the Kool-Aid and pull his head out of his rectum and read them. Also, I haven't heard of one instance of Mikey siccing his lawyers on them for libel, as he threatened to do.

[L.N. Smithee]

I am at a Kinko's computer right now, and I am paying to respond to this, so I will only address the question that is most easily answered (actually, all of them are easy -- you just are letting Michael MOOre do your thinking for you).

3) Congress and the White House have been gung-ho about the war in Iraq; so why is it that only one congressman out of 535 has a son fighting in that war?

Presuming that is a fact (and if your source is MOOre, I don't believe it is), because...

• We have a volunteer service, not conscripted service;
• Children of congressmembers that could volunteer to go into the service either have chosen not to or cannot, and
• No member of congress can force his or her children into the armed services (see first reason).

Now that you have one answer to that question, ask yourself this: What is it that Michael MOOre is doing to make the United States or any other country a better place?

[MJY1288]

I'm not sure I agree with you that rank and file democrats think Kerry is a moderate. Democrats in the south who are everyday blue collar workers and not affiliated with the liberal elite, most definitely consider John Kerry as a left wing liberal.

What makes me believe that this election will not be close is the one poll result that we hardly see reported, is the question:

Who would do a better job protecting America?

President Bush has a 20 point lead in that category and on election day that will be a major factor in the landslide victory I believe will happen on November 2nd

[El Conservador]

I know.

My answer was intended for whoever wrote the letter.

[BJungNan]

My answer was intended for whoever wrote the letter.

Well, after I get all these replies sorted into a concise, well crafted letter to the editor he will have your answer. LOL

[Keisha]

Kerry, to me, as a Catholic his age, just continued being an enemy of the rich, even though he is rich, sort of masochistic to justify to himself that he is "forgiven" .He warped his Catholicism and his actions are so anti-Catholic, he had the nerve to challenge the Pope, that portrays him as selfish, and EVIL, if you are a traitor to your religion in a big way, how could he be trusted? You need to be Catholic educated to know what I am talking about, trust me, he is nothing but a favor for the socialist party. He is the leader of the elite, the best thing that could happen is if he was excommunicated, Marc Balesteri , Canon judge is working on that, or to say, Kerry is a heretic.

[Swordmaker]

Let's take the last one:

) Congress and the White House have been gung-ho about the war in Iraq; so why is it that only one congressman out of 535 has a son fighting in that war?

There are 535 members of the United States Congress.

The current population estimate of the United States for July 2004 is 293,027,571.

There are currently approximately 135,000 troops in Iraq.

Therefore there is only ONE soldier in Iraq for every 2171 persons in the United States.

The average family size in the United States as of the last census is 3.4 persons. Assuming that the Congress is a representative (pun intended) sample of America, there should be 1819 persons (535 x 3.4) in their families including themselves, spouses and any children. That means there is only a 83% chance that there is ONE SOLDIER in Iraq amoung ALL of them. Since we are talking children of Congress persons, then we are talking about a sample of 749 Congressional children (535 x 1.4). The odds that even one of them is in Iraq is less than 35%. !!!

Since there IS at least ONE congressional child in Iraq, we can make the conclusion that members of Congress are THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY to have children in Iraq than the population in general!