Something Moore
This morning, at breakfast, I finished reading Stupid White Men. Now that I’m fresh, awake and no longer behind on sleep, I feel compelled to say something more about that book…
I can see why it was a best seller in the UK even before it was published there. It’s a great book: its funny and thought provoking. I can relate to people who read it; then want to tell their friends to read it.
You should read Stupid White Men!
Moore isn’t just a political satirist, he’s a political activist. By writing like this he’s providing information, supprising information, shocking information, in a palletable form. If his book didn’t make me laugh now and then (I did not find it uproariously funny, but I did laugh now and then) I might have slammed it down in disgust. Especially if I was an Ameriucan voter.
Savy Kenyans constantly ask me why Blair jumped on board with Bush’s personal campaign to bomb Iraq. I normally feel like denying my citizenship and running away: “Who knows?, I’m not his mentor”. But since reading this book I have, in good scientific style, developed a theory — untested, unproven, unconventional. If Tony Blair is, as Moore suggests, a carbon copy of Bill Clinton … You haven’t read the book? Read it! Moore says Clinton’s Democrats are just Republicans who cry democratic wolf, while Bill Clinton is a charming and likable man whose charismatic personality enabled him to work his right-wing policies without being noticed. The current Republicans, he says, are a vehicle for industrialists to wield power over the most powerful country in the world; the Democrats are the same, paid for out of the same companies pockets. If Blair was being paid for, somehow, out of the same pockets, that woudl explain why we backed Bush’s war on Iraq. The consequences would be unsettling: Great Britain in the same unexcusable sorry state as the USA.
I don’t know. Go read the book then come post your own opinions here. I’m in bloody Kenya, which has its own problems.
Fede Says:
Mark,
im reading Paris after the Liberation. After Napoli, it’s france. Will read stupid white men eventually.
You got anything in the post yet???
fexxx
May 5th, 2004 at 2:59 pmMark Says:
Yes! got it. Sent you an SMS too but maybe it got lost as the server has been on and off a bit lately with the rain. MP3 CDs are great because they have just SO MUCH music on them. Yours has been making me laugh and I’m not even half way through yet. (2 days listening)
May 5th, 2004 at 3:35 pmtyg Says:
i’ve been "reading" this book since - erm, february i think … my dad bought me a copy … i must say i haven’t managed to get into it though … am i missing something???? I’m wstill stuck on something like page 10 …
May 5th, 2004 at 8:34 pmTom Says:
I thought it did get more compelling as it went on; or perhaps some topics were more exciting than others.
But I also found it not to be entirely balanced as an argument, sometimes making quite spurious claims. However, the imbalance does seem fair enough considering the relative super-heavyweight power of the other side of the battle.
On mp3 cds… Fede’s one making you laugh reminded me: I forgot whether the one I sent included "That Mitchell & Webb Sound" If it did, did you enjoy it?
May 5th, 2004 at 10:12 pmMark Says:
Yes, the first chapter has this big booring list of american officials. You can skip some of that and get on to the next bit.
And yes, some of the statiscits are very suspect. Like comparing absolute numbers of people who satisfy certain conditions in US and UK with no sign that he’s adjusted for population.
Yes got Mitchell & Webb sound. Heard a couple of those shows. Think I have a couple more! YEs very funny, thanks again Tom.
May 6th, 2004 at 11:32 amDrew Says:
****NEWSFLASH**** ****NEWSFLASH****
announced yesterday:
Disney Has Blocked the Distribution of Fahrenheit 9/11 Micheal Moores latest film.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php
Its shortlisted for Cannes in a week or two. I’m looking forward to seeing this one.
It discusses the Bush/Bin Laden family ties.
May 6th, 2004 at 1:05 pmIn other news: yesterday bush went on arabic TV to discuss the torture and killing of Iraqi prisoners by US troops - and did not apologise.
George W Bush Says:
Why Should I?
May 6th, 2004 at 1:43 pmI didn’t do it.
Lydia Says:
George, when did you learn to use a computer?
May 6th, 2004 at 3:05 pmChris, returning from the wilderness of assessments Says:
Sorry I’ve not been around recently… work’s been absolutely mental and sometimes I feel like I can hardly SEE when I get home from work about 7.30pm….
Quick comment on SWM and Blair:
Why should we need any conspiracy theory about Blair supporing the US? Isn’t he just showing his Thatcherite roots by continuing to be a lapdog of the USA?
SWM: Quite a few reviews I’ve read have commented how MM seems to happily ignore any concerns for factual accuracy to make his point… did you find that, or do you have to be an expert to spot that stuff?
Not that I’m not sympathetic to the cause (quite the opposite), but I’m just interested in the guy’s approach.
Chrisbean
May 7th, 2004 at 2:17 amMr Tonino Blair Says:
Mark,
I teached him how using the computers.
Mr President, pardon, prime minister
May 7th, 2004 at 5:16 pmSophia Says:
I have only skimmed Stupid White Men, because I found it simplistic.
But the argument that democrats are another version of Republicans is compelling: None of the Democratic candidates was really outspoken against the Iraq war, and the Democrats are not currently putting forward any well-thought, revolutionary policy on how to repair the mess the US and the UK have created. Also, the Democrats dumped their slightly radical candidate, Dean, in favour of Kerry. It is all very depressing.
Yes, Blair is another version of Clinton: Pursuing the imperailist agenda, while preaching the "high flying" words of democracy and freedom.
However, there is hope: Labour politicians, in the past, have been innovative and left-wing. Michael Morre is writing his books, and we are discussing…
May 8th, 2004 at 8:16 pmMark Says:
Stupid White Men (SWM) is simplistic, I think that’s why I found it compelling. My capacity for reading politics is not very high. Some found SWM uproadiously funny, but I did not. And there were bits I just wanted to skip (some of the lists).
I guess you have to be, if not an expert, then at least a bit more knowledgable than me to spot factual inexactitudes in SWM. However some of the statiscics did seem suspect. I remember we made a similar observation after watching Bowling For Columbine.
Most importantly its thought provoking. We are discussiing, beccause we are thinking.
This page is, I think, a wonderful example of how to start to act upon that provocation, and at the same time to keep a sense of humor. Thanks to all of my contributors.
May 9th, 2004 at 4:16 pm