The Moore's last sigh?*

"Boston, New York, DC, and the planes’ destination of California -- these were places that voted AGAINST Bush! Why kill them?" emailed the monomaniacal Michael Moore on September 12, 2001, Larry Ribstein of Ideoblog reminds us [via Ann Althouse at InstaPundit]:

Many families have been devastated tonight. This just is not right. They did not deserve to die. If someone did this to get back at Bush, then they did so by killing thousands of people who DID NOT VOTE for him! . . . Why kill anyone? Such insanity . . . Let’s mourn, let’s grieve, and when it’s appropriate let’s examine our contribution to the unsafe world we live in.

At the time, we dismissed Moore's hysterical rantings as loony left logorrhea. Now we know better. Looking back at the post-9/11 Moore mouthings, in the wake of the damage his demagoguery has done to the administration's and the nation's credibility among the weakest-minded of our own citizens and leftist fellow travelers around the world -- not to mention Osama's adoption of Moorish rhetoric in his latest Bush-bashing tape -- we realize that Michael Moore is right up there with George Soros trying to undermine our democracy. We, the citizens, are too stupid to figure things out for ourselves, of course. Moore is, in fact, telling all who will listen that Americans are "the stupidest people in the world." Soros and Moore know what is best for us, and each wants to be a kingmaker -- one via ill-begotten billions, the other with Riefenstahl-lite propaganda that assumes the cluelessness of its audience-- and each has made remarkable inroads while the rest of us were preoccupied trying to keep the world safe for democracy.

Could Osama -- ironically, without a shot -- by echoing Moore rhetoric in a tape viewed worldwide, be Moore's final undoing?

Update: InstaLanche. How sweet it is. Just checked our Site Meter stats, which usually hover around 25-75 at this hour of a Sunday, and suddenly, 1,000 pairs of eyes are reading this post! Update II: 2,904 visits in the last hour. Update III: Best month ever, with 33,000 for October, 11,750 of which came in a single day, yesterday from - where else -- the aforementioned InstaPundit nod.

*Reference to Andalusia, known as the Moor's last sigh after King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella drove the Moors across the Straight of Gibralter from Spain into North Africa.

Comments

[Kevin Murphy]

Actually, those are the places that voted for Clinton, who did, or continued, most of the things that OBL dislikes.

[fox2!]

At least Leni had production values, a claim I've never heard of Moore's maunderings.

[Niko]

Coincidentally, Moore had planned to release "Bowling for Columbine" on 9/11. His publisher pulled the flick, and Moore did some additional editing, mainly adding references to 9/11.

I saw the movie here in Germany in 2002, and during the scene in which Moore built a moral equivalence between 9/11 and Viet Nam I was nearly up and leaving the theater. But what shocked me most was that no one of my friends and relatives seemed to be bothered by that stunt.

Actually, I believe "Bowling for Columbine" was a test balloon for Moore. He simply wanted to see how far he could go, and with the Oscar in his back he subsequently shot the real flick: "Why America is Evil," aka Fahrenheit 9/11.

So blame Moore for the newt he has become. But blame the Academy and movie critics, too, for giving Moore the blessing of an honest film maker.

[Ron Russell]

You are dead on about Moore and Soros. What's really scary is half of voting Americans believe their garbage. However, it's not the whackos' last sigh -- it's their first deep breath. As corrupt and disgusting as these men are, all their pompous efforts will be like water over a duck's back if Bush wins this election. They will be back!

[Martin]

...What I couldn’t help but notice was the clear indication that Michael Moore’s criminally negligent and factually devoid piece of filth, Fahrenheit 9/11 plays more than a small part in Osama’s latest world view. The allusion to “My Pet Goat”, the anti-Saudi rants, the mention of the Patriot Act and the allegations of corruption come straight from the fat man’s demented cinematography.

I’m not sure what this ultimately says about Moore that hasn't already been said. I don’t necessarily blame him for having his ‘work’ expropriated by a mass-murdering lunatic, but I can’t help thinking that many Americans aren’t going to feel as charitable. And if this means the end of Moore's career as a sort of corpulent court jester for the Left, or indeed the end of his career full stop, then so be it. You sup with the devil ...

What I’m growing more and more sure of, however, is the fact that the F9/11 school of political discourse (lying liars and all that) might start to loose some of its attraction once people being to understand both how blatantly dishonest it is and how easily it energizes America’s enemies.

Once that becomes clear, the mythical “angry voter” itching to get to the polls to oust an evil President might not be so keen to hitch his wagon to Osama bin Laden’s horse.

[sid]

Good thing Moore was wrong and Bush didn't sit and read a book after being told of the second attack. I remember it soo clearly now.. And that Patriot act, glad that doesn't exist either, that Moore guy is crazy, next thing you know he will have pictures of Bush and Saudis getting cozy together, how dare he.

[Martin]

Would you have preferred Bush to have charged out of the classroom in an angry storm, therby offering Moore the footage he would require to paint the President as a reactionary cowboy bent on revenge?

Or would you consider a few thoughtful moments in the midst of a developing crisis (the likes of which few could comprehend at 9:16 that Tuesday morning) a better strategy to execute while sitting in front of a group of schoolchildren?

And, just as an aside, are you seriously suggesting OBL has some sort of moral issue with the Patriot Act? Or, just possibly, could he be leveraging Moore's paranoia into a theme he knows will resonate with those already opposed to the President - and how does that make you feel?

[Don Raymond]

Was it bad translation or was it UBL's mis-characterization of American Life that he thought W was listening to a little girl talk about "her pet goat"? I mean, he knew they had flight schools in Florida but does he think we have goats in every back yard? And which angle was more reprehensible to UBL-that the leader of the free world was spending his critical time listening to a child-or a girl, no less?

[Cody]

Would I rather have the President storm out and take action? HELL YES. Do I care about what a bunch of school children think when 3,000 Americans are in the process of being murdered. HELL NO. The President has spent the last three years trying to compensate for the fact he didn't get off his ass faster when he got the message. Bush would LOVE IT if Moore portrayed him as "reactionary cowboy bent on revenge." That's an image the President wants. The reality is the worst mass-murderer in our country's history is not dead, captured or even scared of us. He's actually mocking our President on television. So maybe Bush has convinced you that he's winning the war on terror, but the terrorists don't think so.

[Rayonic]

Yeesh, can you get anymore hostile, "sid"?
Bush was stuck in a classroom while the Secret Service worked out an escape route. Even Teresa Heinz Kerry agrees that there wasn't anything he could really do.

And Bush and the Saudis "getting cozy"? It's called diplomacy -- look it up!

[Bob Diethrich]

I am so glad someone has brought up that vile e mail sent on September 12. I remember it very well.

Up to that point I kind of liked Moore, despite being libertarian and a Republican. While I did not agree with him always I did think he did "stick up for the little guy." I liked parts of TV Nation even.

A friend sent me that reeking piece of solid human exrement on the afternoon of September 12. I shook with literal rage at that post, and will curse him to his dying day.

[Richard]

Moore is a madman turned loose on the countryside. His factual gyrations have motivated a political constituency hell-bent on destroying the republican party and her candidate. And all of this is to regain Executive and Congressional power for the likes of their baby-killing, ACLU, PLO loving pals. Moore is a disease that needs curing.

[dis]

Remarkable sarcasm, the extraordinary wit is simply breathtaking. Amazing how hung up on the Bush reading these loudmouth dipshits are. They hate when Bush does anything and they hate when he does nothing, you just can't win with these assclowns.

[Steven Brockerman. MS]

Michael Moore is the product of a culture that rejects objectivity -- in academe (Kant, Sartre, Rosenblatt, Derrida, Foucault, Fish, Chompsky, etc.); in journalism (the list is endless); in science (intelligent design, nonlocality, etc. Stay tuned for more.); and in politics (Dean, etc.) -- and embraces nihilism instead -- in art (Pollock, to name one of thousands); in literature (Joyce, etc.); in film (Tarantino, etc.).

In ten years, perhaps five, Moore will look clean compared with what will be slithering around then.

And the alternative being offered? Mysticism.

Hello Dark Ages.

[Julie]

Storm out and take what action Cody? Sid?

I do realize that a great number of people confuse running about making lots of noise with actually *doing* something. I doubt he heard the rest of the story, for all that he was sitting there. I don't doubt that when he did leave the room that he'd determined the initial steps that he had to make. The most important leadership action of them all is to project calm and confidence rather than panic.

Still, no matter what he'd done, the people who already hated him would have found fault with it.

Admit that, at least.

For myself, I was favorably impressed when I heard of it. Having spent some small time in the military, I've experience with calm vs. excitable NCO's or officers and I know with whom I feel safer.

[John "F" Kerry]

If I had been President of the United States on September 11, I would have thrown that "My Pet Goat" book to the floor, put on my magic hat, and lept into action. I would have parachuted myself over the plane heading towards the World Trade Center (I would have known through my superior intellect that the plane heading for the White House was about to be re-taken by the passengers) and I would have personally slit the terrorists throats with my own teeth and piloted the plane to safety. Then I would have lept from the plane, joined the NYFD and personally saw to it that each and every captive on the first tower made it down safely. I would have held up the collapsing columns with my bare hands if necessary. And I would have done all of that in less than forty minutes. In the next two weeks I would have personally led the invasion into Afganistan and captured Osama myself. And I would have captured 100% of their leadership, not just 75%. And I would have done it for half as much money as Bush spent and would have provided guaranteed heath care for all Americans.

[Sissy Willis]

John "F" Kerry for president!!!

[capt joe]

Do sid and cody think that tactical actions require the micro management of the president? Do they think nothing can be done without the president's vetting every action? What a recipe for disaster that would be? The only reason for the president to be pulled immediately out of the class is if the plane was going to hit the school or he was about to trigger a nucleur response. Were we supposed to have nuked someone that day? Who?

Also, I remember that day quite well. I remember seeing the whispering in his ear about what had just happened. The guy was really aching to get out of there. Even if he wanted to get out, the secret service control his movements. There were numerous action plans triggered, and all of them would have had the secret service lock down the area, figure out a safe path, and get the alternates (VP, senate leaders) under protection. Once these plans were started then Bush would have been pulled out of the school.

But the most important thing for the lefties is how come OBL's talking points are identical to yours?

[cathy]

Sid, one thing I have never understood about you people who obviously believe Bush should have done something, other than continue reading with grade school children on that morning have yet to say exactly what it is he should have done...WHAT DO YOU THINK HE SHOULD HAVE DONE? No one knew exactly what was going on until the second plane hit, and by that time we already had two F-15 fighter planes heading toward the towers, but they were too late. Is your problem that Bush wasn't personally flying those planes?

Also, it shows a great lack of knowledge about how our Govt. works when you guys start bitching about this. Do you not know that we have "SECRET SERVICE MEN" or what their job description is? I think they are paid well to PROTECT the President of the United States! He wouldn't have been allowed to leave that school any sooner than he did no matter what, and YOU KNOW IT!!!

Then again, you have Senator Kerry who by his own admission on Larry King Live stated that he sat for 40 minutes from the time the second plane hit the towers until the plane hit the Pentagon "UNABLE TO THINK"

2 things you need to do: #1. Tell us what the hell it is that President Bush could have done that would have changed the course of that day. #2 When you go to the polls on Tues. ask yourself if you REALLY want to elect a Senator that was "unable to think" on Sept. 11th. 2001 as the President of the United States in charge of your family's safety?

[Bernard]

Don't just do something, John; stand there (and posture).

[Abu Qa'Qa]

Cody,Sid

I'm delighted with our president's performance at the school. There really was nothing he could do other than push the big button, and even you should agree he didn't have enough information to do that. So, we have a DoD, we have the FBI, we have all the state and local police and first responder organizations. We have the VP always on backup if the president is out of pocket, the Congress was in session so he didn't have to order them back to work. What exactly would you have had him do?

Was the entire country paralyzed because the president hadn't handed out work assignments.

My guess that even once back on AF1, he was primarily receiving information from all over, not directing individual actions.

What phone calls should he have made that weren't already being made? In short, aren't you just bitching about something because your Dear Leader Michael Moore told you to?

[Jmanny]

Cody.....Sid.....Can't hear ya, any response on what the President should have done?

Thought so, don't have the answers to that so you just rant and don't respond..typical lib reaction.

[TDC]

This reminds me of all those (mostly on the left) who whine about Bush squandering the 'united country' we had right after 9-11. All you have to do is read Moore's garbage from 9-12 ( which incidentally, I think he removed from his website ) to realize the country wasn't really united, and that no matter what -- even experiencing terrorist attacks on our country -- you cannot unite the entire country.

Was our country united when we had America-haters like Moore putting out this nonsense? Was our country united when we have professors saying that 'whoever has the nerve to do that (the terrorist attacks) has my vote? Is the country united when those on the left still stick their heads in the ground when confronted with the threat of terrorism? Some of them still don't seem to get it today. If that's what it means 'to be united' then I guess I'm glad it's not that way...

[krkrjak]

It certainly would not cause me any personal grief to learn that Mr Moore had choked to death on a ham sandwich or such, but I suspect such an occurrence would have wails of sorrow heard through out leftie ville for days.Changing topic just a bit. When Kerry stated that he was not changed by 9-11 it made me wonder what magnitude of a terrorist attack on the USA would it take for him to be changed. Would a nuke going off in NYC do the trick or would that just be one of those nuisances he had referred to?

[Don Meaker]

Michael Moore was once an honest film guy: second unit director, I believe for Raiders of the lost Arc.

I think somehow he crossed a few wires, being offended that his "good work" was being overlooked, and he decided to explore the uses of special effects in documentaries. That sacrifices truth, and leads to error.