Posted on 07/26/2004 6:54:44 AM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4
Michael Moore's film, Fahrenheit 9/11, is making the rounds here at U.S. bases in Kuwait. Some soldiers have received it already and are passing is around. The impact is devastating.
Here we are, soldiers of the 1st Armored Division, just days from finally returning home after over a year serving in Iraq, and Moore's film is shocking and crushing soldiers, making them feel ashamed. Moore has abused the First Amendment and is hurting us worse than the enemy has.
There are the young and impressionable soldiers, like those who joined the Army right out of high school. They aren't familiar w/ the college-type political debate environment, and they haven't been schooled in the full range of issues involved. They are vulnerable to being hurt by a vicious film like Moore's.
There are others who joined for reasons of money and other benefits, and never gave full thought to the issues. For them, seeing this film has jolted them grievously because they never even knew where some of these countries were that we have been serving in. Imagine the impact this film has on them.
And there are those who are hurting from being away from family and loved ones. They are burnt out, already hurting inside from 15 months of duty out here, and now to be hit w/ this film.. it is devastating.
Lastly, there are those like me, who want to explode in anger and rage at this abuse of the First Amendment and the way Moore has twisted reality so harshly.
Specialist Janecek, who is feeling depressed because a close family member is nearing the end of her life, just saw the film today. I saw him in the DFAC. He is devastated. "I feel shitty, ashamed, like this was all a lie." Not only is he looking at going straight to a funeral when he returns home, but now whatever pride he felt for serving here has been crushed by Moore's film. Specialist Everett earlier after seeing the film: "You'll be mad at shit for ever having come here."
And there are others. Mostly the comments are absolute shock at the close connections Moore makes between the Bush family and the Bin Laden family in Saudi Arabia. "Bush looks really really REALLY corrupt in this film. I just don't know what to think anymore," is a common comment to hear. Some of these soldiers are darn right ashamed tonight to be American soldiers, to have been apart of this whole mission in Iraq, and are angry over all that Moore has presented in his film.
We know this is all based on Moore's lies and deceptions. But we, I'm afraid, are a minority. Right now, just days away from what should be a proud and happy return from 15 months of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom, your U.S. soldiers are coming back ashamed and hurt because of Moore's work.
What these good yet impressionable soldiers don't realize is that twisting reality and manipulating the truth is something lawyers do every day in court for their clients. OJ Simpson, so clearly guilty in the ghastly murders, was able to get off because his lawyer team completely confused the issue. Now today, in typical fashion, Moore is doing the very same thing in this film. This is, frankly, the nature of political debate in a democracy -- especially when extremism is allowed to go unchecked.
Lt. Bischoff is so angry he could explode. He knows Moore's work is based on lies and distortions, but as he says, "the damage is done." Clearly, this is the type of thing we expect from angry leftists like Moore. What we didn't expect was the full impact this film is now having and how it has been embraced and supported by so many Hollywood elites. Lt. Bischoff says Moore's film is a work of deception, lies and distortions that when seen by those unfamiliar w/ the issues involved, has the effect of attacking the American peoples' resolve and focus in this war.
From what I've heard from the soldiers, the things that have them most shocked and upset them are the connections Moore makes between the Bush family and the Bin Ladens. The impression is that Bush is part of a conspiracy that supported the September 11th terrorist attacks. They speak of how Moore makes a convincing case all the way from the 2000 election to now that Bush and Cheney are all about making money. That the September 11th attacks were merely calculated by them as to how they would earn them more money. They speak of the Saudi who was a fellow soldier w/ Bush in the National Guard, and how Moore makes it all look like Bush is more beholden to Saudi interests than US interests.
Moore's commentary and striking video stunts, such as confronting politicians w/ enlistment papers for their kids, of course hurts and affects these soldiers out here badly. These are the ones who have sacrificed much to serve. Moore's stunt is powerful.
I sometimes want to be mad at my fellow soldiers for being susceptible to Moore's distortions, but I can't really blame them. These are good Americans, who have volunteered to serve our country. Nothing says they all have to be experts in Middle Eastern issues and history and politics to serve. That would be silly. ...But this is, of course, the vulnerability that Moore has exploited.
I wonder how damaging and shocking a Moore project would have been in the 1940s making such a video of Franklin Roosevelt. All the corruption and decadence in that administration would have fed such a project well. Or how damaging and shocking would such a Moore project have been to Lincoln, who wavered and shifted often in finding the right mediums and balances in pursuing the great causes of the Civil War. ...Need I even suggest the impact such would have had on Kennedy or Johnson and all their hypocrisies?
Moore is hurting us, hurting America, and today I can tell you he is hurting your soldiers. I don't know what to ask, except that good people out there find ways to organize information so that we can better counter Moore's impact. Is there anyone in Hollywood who is willing to stand up and make a similar film to counter Moore's? I know good people w/ integrity in the film industry don't want to be seen as pushing a political agenda in movies. But this is EXACTLY what Moore and the radical leftists in Hollywood have done. Is there no way to put together a response to them?
I hope more people will arm themselves w/ the facts and the realities of the situation out here and in the world at large. Our political arena is taking a big hit from this film by Moore, and it should tell us all something when terrorist groups like Hezbollah are distributing it around to their own people.
I think it is sad and unfortunate that at this last hour of a long and difficult deployment, so many soldiers are being made to feel ashamed and "shitty" for having ever served in this whole mission. Moore has abused the First Amendment. This is his right, and we soldiers have defended that right, but we who know better should NOT just sit back and let such enemies w/in our own country get by w/ such assaults unanswered.
ping
Michael Moore should be hung for treason. He is a sick sorry bass turd.
That just breaks my heart, that these guys are now ashamed of the great job they did and are doing.
Damn that fat ass Moore. That's all I can say. I hope he is damn proud of what he's done. I'd kick his ass if I saw him.
"That just breaks my heart, that these guys are now ashamed of the great job they did and are doing."
Mission accomplished, Mike.
Moore, like many leftists, is a master propagandist. I don't think he is abusing the First Amendment, he is just being the anti-American scum he has always been.
a) Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully makes or conveys false reports or false statements with intent to interfere with the operation or success of the military or naval forces of the United States or to promote the success of its enemies; or Whoever, when the United States is at war, willfully causes or attempts to cause insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty, in the military or naval forces of the United States, or willfully obstructs the recruiting or enlistment service of the United States, to the injury of the service or the United States, or attempts to do so - Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
Soldiers like this need to send letters to every newspaper they can, every media outlet. Get on Fox if necessary. Get out there and pound the message home that Moore and his cronies are nothing but seditious ba$tards hiding behind the protections of the Constitution that soldiers like this are dying to defend.
I wish a group of them would dump Moore's lard butt into a latrine, where he belongs.
I wonder where "Mr. Vietnam Veteran," Kerry is when "his cadre of brothers" is being defamed and demoralized in the field?
Oh, that's right. Kerry did the same thing in the early seventies.
I find it hard to believe that American soldiers are this easily swayed by one documentary.
People forget that the same propaganda worked during the Vietnam War. President Johnson's ties to "big oil" were linked by the leftist media to Shell Oil and to the rubber plantations in Indo-China that were "off limits" and supposed to be immune to attack. The rules of engagement included penalties for damaging oil and rubber resources ... or so many believed, at least.
That's basically what happened to Johnson (Kennedy was already dead), and later Nixon. with the Viet Nam War at the poing of being won, "public opinion" decided that it was best to cut and run. It appears that Moore is helping to produce the same sort of disenchanted, medal-tossing Kerry-like vets as Viet Nam produced.
Too bad these brave guys aren't bright enough to know scheiss from shinola. The Armed Forces in WW2 were subjected to the morale-lowering broadcasts of Tokyo Rose and Lord Haw-Haw. Moore is more of the same. Our guys need some training from the Military on how not to become easy marks for enemy propagandists.
Bump
IMHO, most, short of parental or other caring intervention and deprgogramming, or extraordinary perception, have beed conditioned to be swayed by such things.
I wish we could get word back to Specialist Roche that much of America sees right through the lies and deceptions of Moore's spewage. Moore has put this stuff into a twisted context of his own choosing. I'd like for those who are over there serving us to know that there are plenty of us back home not only proud of what they've done, but also detest what Moore has done. He may be proud of his work, but I wouldn't be if I were him.
Come on, think of what they hear from the press then this. They are just young men and women, they aren't seasoned politicians.
The same propaganda was used in WWII only then our media didn't side with the propagandist.
Also posted here:
The inhumane reign of Saddam Hussein: Pt. 3 - USA Today, LA Times
We need to send Spc. Roche some good stuff to counter the truly hurtful, hateful, destructive, cruel, lies being spread by our blind and reckless fellow Americans.
Prayers and tears for our honorable warriors and their just cause.
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