Shooting Michael Moore

American Thinker ^ | August 23, 2007 | Henry P. Wickham, Jr.

[neverdem]

In a variant of the Golden Rule, Kevin Leffler has recently done to Michael Moore what Michael Moore has done to so many others.  In Shooting Michael Moore Mr. Leffler produces a commendable documentary that shows Michael Moore to be something other than that self-anointed, compassionate advocate for the "little guy."

Echoing the format of Moore's first documentary, Roger and Me, Mr. Leffler, a former schoolmate and friend of Michael Moore, seeks out the elusive Moore.  It is quickly evident that Moore (not unlike Al Gore) does not appreciate confrontation or having the truth or the effects of his body of work challenged.  Moore wants applause and royalties, not debate.  It is amusing to see the champion of the ambush interview himself waddling away from Mr. Leffler's ambush interviews.

Michael Moore is certainly no Nazi.  However, what is interesting about his films is the extent to which they rapidly degenerate into slick propaganda, illustrative of principles enunciated by Joseph Goebbels:

"Arguments must therefore be crude, clear, and forcible, and appeal to the emotions and instincts, not the intellect."

Goebbels was merely elaborating Hitler's insight in Mein Kampf, where Hitler stated:

"All propaganda has to be popular and has to adapt its spiritual level to the perception of the least intelligent of those toward whom it intends to direct itself."

Contempt is the overriding sentiment of anyone producing propaganda in this spirit of Goebbels.  It is contempt for the truth, and it is contempt for the audience.  The body of Moore's work is larded with contempt. 

He disdains the people of Flint as he feigns deep sympathy.  Like Rosie O'Donnell he disparages American gun ownership while, like her, he has armed security.  He hates the rich while living as lavishly as any Kennedy.  He has contempt for the American people as he profits handsomely, to paraphrase Lenin, trying to sell us rope with which to hang ourselves. 

Moore's contempt for those in his films is manifest not only in the films themselves but in Moore's treatment of his subjects when the cameras stop.  Mr. Leffler effectively depicts this aspect of Moore's contempt.  Here are a few examples of what Mr.Leffler portrays:

Rhonda Britton and Fred Ross were prominently featured in Roger and Me.  Moore needed their consent to use their images in the movie.  Rhonda Britton is by her own admission barely literate.  Moore gave her $100.00 and a ride in a limousine, and he had her sign a waiver. (Surely he knew that she had no understanding of what she signed.)  Mr. Ross refused to sign Moore's waiver.  He had to sue Moore before he was paid substantially more than the exploited Rhonda Britton.  Moore solemnly tells us in the film that we are judged by "how we treat the least among us."  Indeed.

According to former cameraman, Bruce Schermer, Moore regularly instructed his cameramen to lie to their subjects.  They were told to pretend that they were from the local news station, or PBS, or the Discovery Channel.  They lied to Staff Sgt. Raymond Plouhar, Jr. claiming they were from the Discovery Channel.  For Fahrenheit 911 they filmed his recruiting efforts in Flint, Michigan.  Moore portrays some of the sales pitch to prospective recruits, followed by a quick cut to terrified Iraqi women, as if this is what Sgt. Plouhar were really promoting. 

The emotional reaction of Sergeant Plouhar's parents to the dishonesty toward and manipulation of their son by Moore is the most moving part of the film.  They must speak for Sgt. Plouhar because he was killed in Iraq fighting for everything Michael Moore holds in contempt.

Mr. and Mrs. Plouhar were able briefly to confront Michael Moore about his dishonesty and abuse of their son's service, and Mr. Leffler was able to film some of this confrontation.  In a response that can only be described as obscene, according to the Plouhars, Moore told them that there really is some consolation for them.  Moore told them that his use of Sgt. Plouhar in his movie gave the dead soldier "notoriety."   

Here is the essence of Moore's position: if he, the gifted Michael Moore, had not deceived Sgt. Plouhar and used him to disparage all that Sgt. Plouhar stood for, he would have died in Iraq relatively anonymously, known only to family and friends.  He would be just another war statistic.  But the great Michael Moore bestowed on Sgt. Plouhar "notoriety."

In a cheap imitation of Shakespeare's 55^th Sonnet, where he promised immortality to his beloved through his art, Michael Moore sees himself generously conferring fame and celebrity on a dead American soldier whom Moore really despises. Evidently, America needs no Homer or Thucydides when it has Moore. Service to Michael Moore's interests certainly trumps sacrifice for one's country. There must be a special circle in hell for the crude and swinish soul who could believe that supposed "notoriety" would soothe Sergeant Plouhar's grieving parents. 

I suspect that Moore is too thick to understand the real implications of his use of the word "notoriety." It means to be famous or known in an unfavorable light. Moore did all that he could to cast Sgt. Plouhar in an unfavorable light.  So here is one of those rare moments when Moore was actually honest about what he did, although this honesty was probably unintentional.

Mr. Leffler touches on many of the other seemingly countless sordid aspects of Michael Moore.  Among others, we hear of all the inflated and empty promises to the people of Flint, Michigan.  We learn of Moore's chiseling on his taxes and his violation of environmental laws.  We learn from Mr. Leffler that the worst terror-supporting state in the world, Iran, partially lifted its embargo against American films.  This was done by Iran so that Moore's Fahrenheit 911 could be shown to Iranian audiences.  Move over Tokyo Rose... way over.        

What becomes clear as one watches Mr. Leffler's film is that Michael Moore really believes that his behavior, his sense of ethics, the means by which he amasses and retains his huge personal fortune are subject to no standards, scrutiny, or judgment beyond those of Michael Moore himself.  Propagandists masquerading as "artists" evidently get a free pass in the universe of Michael Moore.    

For Moore, as for others who have excelled at propaganda, truth is, by definition, that which furthers a favored political objective.  If someone's eviction had nothing to do with General Motors' plant closings as Moore misrepresents in Roger and Me, or if a soldier's heinous injuries were not a result of enemy action as Moore implies in Fahrenheit 911, or if Moore publicly promises to hire blacks to make a political point in Stupid White Men, then hires none, he simply defines truth accordingly.  Amassing a personal fortune and promoting his inane political views justify any means. It is the cynical elasticity of Moore's "truth" that provides these means.

Mr. Leffler does not have pretensions of being a professional filmmaker.  The film has its flaws.  Like all of Moore's films, it too runs too long and at times belabors points.  He could have strengthened his case of Moore's lying to Sergeant Plouhar had he tracked down the second Marine who was exploited by Michael Moore.  Some of his points have been made by others in the print media. 

However, as we sometimes fight fire with fire, there are times to fight film with film.  Shooting Michael Moore is a worthy rebuttal to Michael's Moore's pomposity, avarice, and dishonesty.  The film helps us understand why Michael Moore, so filled with contempt for much of what is good, is himself so utterly contemptible.

For more information on the film, go to ShootingMichaelMoore.com.  

Send comments to:  HWickham@LNLattorneys.com  

[CaliGirl-R]

Mr. and Mrs. Plouhar were able briefly to confront Michael Moore about his dishonesty and abuse of their son’s service, and Mr. Leffler was able to film some of this confrontation. In a response that can only be described as obscene, according to the Plouhars, Moore told them that there really is some consolation for them. Moore told them that his use of Sgt. Plouhar in his movie gave the dead soldier “notoriety.”

Ouch, that was hard to read. MM will get his. Karma and all of that. It’ll catch up to him.

[weegee]

Michael Moore is NO different than Axis Sally or Lord Haw Haw. The only difference between those two American born Nazi propagandists is one swung from a rope and the other sat in prison for the better part of a decade.

[mrsmel]

Good article, lays out in black and white, everything we instinctively knew about this empty and contemptible man. I’ve had a silly woman from Australia, of all places, on a Christian forum, berating America’s “oppression” of the poor and sick, based on this worm’s propoganda. And that was ALL she knew about our healthcare and treatment of the needy.

[mkjessup]

The pathetic sack o’ sh*t named Michael Moore gets a mild taste of his own medicine.

I would not wish his impending bad karma on my worst enemy.

[Pontiac]

Shooting Michael Moore is a worthy rebuttal to Michael's Moore's pomposity, avarice, and dishonesty. The film helps us understand why Michael Moore, so filled with contempt for much of what is good, is himself so utterly contemptible.

Having seen Moore interviewed and as a panelist on television several times berating capitalism it is obvious to any discerning observer that the man is a dyed in the wool capitalist.

All of his films are written with his audience in mind.

Moore is selling his audience (the loony far left) the raw red meat of America Hating communist propaganda that it wants.

The pity is that he is making millions with lies half truths and poor artistic values.

There must be someone out there that could do it better. But if there is they are probably have better morals than to waste their talent producing lies.

[nathanbedford]

Like your Australian friend, I have had much the same experience here in Germany. My children attend German schools and are routinely exposed to Michael Moore's films which are treated as though they were real documentaries. Most of my neighbors' opinions about the subjects dealt with in these films comes from the films themselves.

For a time I took to carrying a printout, 50 pages in length, in my car so I would have available a scene by scene refutation of Fahrenheit 9/11 with which to rebut the patent absurdities which infect the thinking of otherwise well educated Germans

[Candor7]

Shooting Michael Moore?

I was disappointed on reading the 1st paragraph. I was hoping thet the Islamic Fascists had issued a fatwa against him.

Well, I can wait.

[Nathan Zachary]

Until the Micheal Moores are held accountable for their treasonous acts against this country in the courts, there will continue to be many more Micheal Moores long after this fat POS is dead.

It is a CRIME what Moore, media, and others are doing. But it's also a crime that nothing is done about it, that those who are supposed to uphold the laws in this country don't. That other media doesn't expose these treasonous liars for what they are, instead, they promote them because they serve their political agendas.

[Hardastarboard]

Michael Moore is the Leni Reifenstahl of the Democrat Party, AD 2007.

[cgbg]

I guess my tagline belongs on this thread.

:-)

[wgflyer]

MM is particularly effective overseas with people who are fed this kind of tripe daily in their local and national news. Most of the world’s news outlets are leftist and hate America for it’s success. MM simply distills and amplifies what these media put forth, and thus confirms what foreigners already “know” about the USA. Thus, they accept it without question. They live in the dark.

[cricket]

Since learning of Kevin Leffler’s documentary; have wondered if. ..or when, we might see him on Larry King (been there yet?) Or interviewed on Today. . .For that matter; and I don’t always catch all the programs; but has he even guested on Hannity/Colmes or O’Reilly? (surely. . .)

[gunner03]

My own cousin from Germany has the same view. This is what they want to believe about the US.

[TexasRepublic]

I never read past the title! :-)

[Sneakyuser]

“Until the Micheal Moores are held accountable for their treasonous acts against this country in the courts, there will continue to be many more Micheal Moores long after this fat POS is dead.

It is a CRIME what Moore, media, and others are doing. But it’s also a crime that nothing is done about it, that those who are supposed to uphold the laws in this country don’t. That other media doesn’t expose these treasonous liars for what they are, instead, they promote them because they serve their political agendas.”

THIS is the greater point. No idiotic idea or statement by the left, and sometimes the right when they don’t old up their conservative ideals, would last long if the proper follow-up questions are asked.

Where are the investigative/feature stories on what the “rich” PAY in taxes? Columns about living under dictators? Articles about exceptional student performance in inner city PRIVATE schools that spend about half what public schools do...where are those stories?
Deaths caused by banning DDT - nothing to see here folks.

We can all name a dozen more examples of how the media, even with a little bias - they’re human too - can make people really understand the system and the habits of the truly successful.

When we do locate great stories and columns, they’re usually heard on talk radio or Fox News or from the ‘net. And the media is trying to inhibit people from gaining these golden nuggets whenever they can.