Friday, April 9, 2021

Michael Moore: Standing Up to the Systems Which Dumb Down, Divide, Disinform, Distract, and Disempower

As always, deepest bow of gratitude, respect, affection, and appreciation for Michael Moore. So spot on. I’ve long had a picture of us together up on my fridge from one of the times that Michael came to Portland. And in 2003 when I saw Michael for a second time and disclosed that I was a Grosse Pointe girl, but had escaped and moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1975, he said he’d "forgive me." 😉

Michael Moore is not perfect, but then I’ve long let go of the illusions that any of us are or the need to put anyone up on a pedestal. What I so appreciate and bow to with the deepest gratitude for is for all of those whose lifetimes inspire me with their relentless truth-telling, courage and compassion, and fierce fight for a more just, caring, and peaceful nation and world. Molly
 
 
I do feel bad for people who don’t understand irony or satire. Who don’t get the sardonic statement. Who don’t know what the word “sardonic” means. But I decided decades ago to never explain my satire because I wanted to believe people were in fact smart enough to get it. Or I at least wanted them to know that I BELIEVED they were either smart enough to get it or would figure it out. That, despite how hard the system tried to make them ignorant or keep them stupid — by making our schools their lowest priority, by shitting on teachers instead of thanking them for their service to our country, by eliminating civics classes so they wouldn’t understand how to fight back, by closing libraries, closing local newspapers, addicting children to screens, making sure the news media covered very little actual news, and removing the teaching of critical thinking from our society — this has been the blueprint for the dumbing down of America and for turning us into an Idiot Nation. Keep the people ignorant, frightened and demoralized and you’ve got them right where you want them — supporting a system where the rich know best, blaming “the other” for your troubles and woes, acknowledging you are powerless and should just give in and fight everyone else for the few crumbs thrown your way.
Satire. Sarcasm. Irony. Brutal, informed humor. These are our weapons. We bring this system to its knees with laughter, ridicule and wit. The sardonic masses. Yes. Go ahead and look it up. We can do this.
(photos from “Bowling for Columbine”: 1. Visiting a bank offering free guns to open an account. 2. Interviewing the manager of the Lockheed-Martin Missile Factory in Littleton, Colorado - home of Columbine High School. 3. Me with my gun the bank gave me. 4. In Colorado at the premiere of “Columbine” with my “mentors” - Werner Herzog and Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam.)
 
Michael Moore
 

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