This was written before the war in Iraq started. Now it is finally over and the killing has stopped...for this time. USA is already threatening Syria for instance and who knows when the US will attack another country just because they do not obey all the rules the US sets up. When will they learn? When will the US learn that the only way forward for human kind is to try and get along without threats and violence?
Go Mike!
One of the best movies I have seen lately is Bowling for Columbine. If you haven't seen it, then go and see it! In the movie Michael Moore cleverly examines why the gun problem in the US is as bad as it is by viewing the problem from many different angles and he also touches on the subject on why the US behaves as it does on an international scale (as has been very evident the last few weeks) - another symptom of the big growing insecurity and fear in the US society, encouraged and accelerated by the media, but only on a much bigger and deadlier scale. Insecurities lead to hate and hate and fear gives power to those that speak for the use of force using the logic "if you strike first you'll be safe" or "better shoot first, then ask". It does not work in a society and it does not work globally. Aggression only leads to more aggression.
Michael Moore was awarded an academy award for best documentary the 23rd of March this year. Many probably also saw his anti-war speech on the podium which was met with both boos and cheers from the audience. Good one Mike! Apart from that criticism you can also read Michael's open letter to President George Bush on Michael's home page.
Thank you for taking a stand Mike! Perhaps not history's most well-polished speech but thanks for just standing up. (In Sweden we get the Academy Awards ceremony a few days after and in an edited shorter version and the american producer had of course chosen to censor Michael's speech - so much for the american freedom of speech - so it was completely cut away. Sweden is a free country and we don't censor like that so it was quite funny how they after the show added "...and for those who missed Michael Moore's speech....here it comes" and then they showed it.)
And to those of you who draw equal signs between being anti-war and pro-Saddam in the hope of silencing people criticising the war, please note that according to that weak logic you could draw equal signs between being pro-war and pro-killing of children and civilians. Probably no one being anti-war supports Saddam's oppression of the Iraqi people just like no one being pro-war (hopefully) wants the civilians in Iraq killed. Being against the war does not mean being pro Saddam. War is just no solution. The rethorical tricks of the Bush administration when they say "either you are with us or against us" is just weak, misguided propaganda. The world is not that simple, mr Bush, and if you had actually travelled outside your country before becoming president, you might have realized that.
Stop the war!
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