Friends,
I have never seen a head so far up a Presidential ass (pardon my Falluja) than the one I saw last night at the "news conference" given by George W. Bush. He's still talking about finding "weapons of mass destruction" -- this time on Saddam's "turkey farm." Turkey indeed. Clearly the White House believes there are enough idiots in the 17 swing states who will buy this. I think they are in for a rude awakening.
I've been holed up for weeks in the editing room finishing my film ("Fahrenheit 911"). That's why you haven't heard from me lately. But after last night's Lyndon Johnson impersonation from the East Room -- essentially promising to send even more troops into the Iraq sinkhole -- I had to write you all a note.
First, can we stop the Orwellian language and start using the proper names for things? Those are not “contractors” in Iraq. They are not there to fix a roof or to pour concrete in a driveway. They are MERCENARIES and SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE. They are there for the money, and the money is very good if you live long enough to spend it.
Halliburton is not a "company" doing business in Iraq. It is a WAR PROFITEER, bilking millions from the pockets of average Americans. In past wars they would have been arrested -- or worse.
The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not "insurgents" or "terrorists" or "The Enemy." They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow -- and they will win. Get it, Mr. Bush? You closed down a friggin' weekly newspaper, you great giver of freedom and democracy! Then all hell broke loose. The paper only had 10,000 readers! Why are you smirking?
One year after we wiped the face of the Saddam statue with our American flag before yanking him down, it is now too dangerous for a single media person to go to that square in Baghdad and file a report on the wonderful one-year anniversary celebration. Of course, there is no celebration, and those brave blow-dried "embeds" can't even leave the safety of the fort in downtown Baghdad. They never actually SEE what is taking place across Iraq (most of the pictures we see on TV are shot by Arab media and some Europeans). When you watch a report "from Iraq" what you are getting is the press release handed out by the U.S. occupation force and repeated to you as "news."
I currently have two cameramen/reporters doing work for me in Iraq for my movie (unbeknownst to the Army). They are talking to soldiers and gathering the true sentiment about what is really going on. They Fed Ex the footage back to me each week. That's right, Fed Ex. Who said we haven't brought freedom to Iraq! The funniest story my guys tell me is how when they fly into Baghdad, they don't have to show a passport or go through immigration. Why not? Because they have not traveled from a foreign country -- they're coming from America TO America, a place that is ours, a new American territory called Iraq.
There is a lot of talk amongst Bush's opponents that we should turn this war over to the United Nations. Why should the other countries of this world, countries who tried to talk us out of this folly, now have to clean up our mess? I oppose the U.N. or anyone else risking the lives of their citizens to extract us from our debacle. I'm sorry, but the majority of Americans supported this war once it began and, sadly, that majority must now sacrifice their children until enough blood has been let that maybe -- just maybe -- God and the Iraqi people will forgive us in the end.
Until then, enjoy the "pacification" of Falluja, the "containment" of Sadr City, and the next Tet Offensive – oops, I mean, "terrorist attack by a small group of Baathist loyalists" (Hahaha! I love writing those words, Baathist loyalists, it makes me sound so Peter Jennings!) -- followed by a "news conference" where we will be told that we must "stay the course" because we are "winning the hearts and minds of the people."
I'll write again soon. Don't despair. Remember, the American people are not that stupid. Sure, we can be frightened into a war, but we always come around sooner or later -- and the one way this is NOT like Vietnam is that it hasn't taken the public four long years to figure out they were lied to.
Now if Bush would just quit speaking in public and giving me more free material for my movie, I can get back to work and get it done. I've got four weeks left 'til completion.
Yours,
Michael Moore
mmflint@aol.com
www.michaelmoore.com
paris hilton charisma carpenter nicole richie asia carrera jennifer tilly holly marie combs sandra bullock eliza dushku christina milian oprah winfrey serena williams jodie foster denise richards sung hi lee kirsten dunst heart evangelista shania twain jennifer connelly samantha fox nikki nova michelle branch alicia silverstone sharon stone charlize theron hillary clinton brittany murphy danni ashe drew barrymore amanda bynes nicky hilton ali landry uma thurman stacy keibler tawnee stone avril lavigne shu qi oprah winfrey cher lacey chabert sandra bullock lucy liu kobe tai elisha cuthbert laura prepon nina hartley denise richards carnie wilson paulina rubio nicole kidman lindsay lohan bo derek fran drescher cindy margolis veronika zemanova erika eleniak julianne moore aria giovanni leeann tweeden karin taylor vanessa williams jennifer aniston brittany daniel estella warren amanda bynes gena lee nolin traci lord lacey chabert sheryl crow ali landry aishwarya rai sara evans katie holmes victoria silvstedt diane lane alicia silverstone elle macpherson daisy fuentes eva mendes natasha henstridge victoria beckham aishwarya rai melissa joan hart cameron diaz pam grier kobe tai alicia silverstone jennifer love hewitt jessica simpson sofia vergara halle berry jennifer garner sarah jessica parker pam grier alley baggett eva mendes amanda beard gabrielle union amy lee stacey dash karolina kurkova stacey dash farrah fawcett nina hartley karin taylor christina aguilera marg helgenberger cameron diaz petra verkaik jodie sweetin francine dee elisha cuthbert charlize theron dalene kurtis jamie lee curtis krista allen diane lane carrie fisher mila kunis sharon stone kari wuhrer sophia loren erika eleniak rachel hunter serena williams lisa rinna shannon tweed amanda tapping beverly mitchell tawnee stone christy canyon alley baggett
paris hilton charisma carpenter nicole richie asia carrera jennifer tilly holly marie combs sandra bullock eliza dushku christina milian oprah winfrey serena williams jodie foster denise richards sung hi lee kirsten dunst heart evangelista shania twain jennifer connelly samantha fox nikki nova michelle branch alicia silverstone sharon stone charlize theron hillary clinton brittany murphy danni ashe drew barrymore amanda bynes nicky hilton ali landry uma thurman stacy keibler tawnee stone avril lavigne shu qi oprah winfrey cher lacey chabert sandra bullock lucy liu kobe tai elisha cuthbert laura prepon nina hartley denise richards carnie wilson paulina rubio nicole kidman lindsay lohan bo derek fran drescher cindy margolis veronika zemanova erika eleniak julianne moore aria giovanni leeann tweeden karin taylor vanessa williams jennifer aniston brittany daniel estella warren amanda bynes gena lee nolin traci lord lacey chabert sheryl crow ali landry aishwarya rai sara evans katie holmes victoria silvstedt diane lane alicia silverstone elle macpherson daisy fuentes eva mendes natasha henstridge victoria beckham aishwarya rai melissa joan hart cameron diaz pam grier kobe tai alicia silverstone jennifer love hewitt jessica simpson sofia vergara halle berry jennifer garner sarah jessica parker pam grier alley baggett eva mendes amanda beard gabrielle union amy lee stacey dash karolina kurkova stacey dash farrah fawcett nina hartley karin taylor christina aguilera marg helgenberger cameron diaz petra verkaik jodie sweetin francine dee elisha cuthbert charlize theron dalene kurtis jamie lee curtis krista allen diane lane carrie fisher mila kunis sharon stone kari wuhrer sophia loren erika eleniak rachel hunter serena williams lisa rinna shannon tweed amanda tapping beverly mitchell tawnee stone christy canyon alley baggett
paris hilton charisma carpenter nicole richie asia carrera jennifer tilly holly marie combs sandra bullock eliza dushku christina milian oprah winfrey serena williams jodie foster denise richards sung hi lee kirsten dunst heart evangelista shania twain jennifer connelly samantha fox nikki nova michelle branch alicia silverstone sharon stone charlize theron hillary clinton brittany murphy danni ashe drew barrymore amanda bynes nicky hilton ali landry uma thurman stacy keibler tawnee stone avril lavigne shu qi oprah winfrey cher lacey chabert sandra bullock lucy liu kobe tai elisha cuthbert laura prepon nina hartley denise richards carnie wilson paulina rubio nicole kidman lindsay lohan bo derek fran drescher cindy margolis veronika zemanova erika eleniak julianne moore aria giovanni leeann tweeden karin taylor vanessa williams jennifer aniston brittany daniel estella warren amanda bynes gena lee nolin traci lord lacey chabert sheryl crow ali landry aishwarya rai sara evans katie holmes victoria silvstedt diane lane alicia silverstone elle macpherson daisy fuentes eva mendes natasha henstridge victoria beckham aishwarya rai melissa joan hart cameron diaz pam grier kobe tai alicia silverstone jennifer love hewitt jessica simpson sofia vergara halle berry jennifer garner sarah jessica parker pam grier alley baggett eva mendes amanda beard gabrielle union amy lee stacey dash karolina kurkova stacey dash farrah fawcett nina hartley karin taylor christina aguilera marg helgenberger cameron diaz petra verkaik jodie sweetin francine dee elisha cuthbert charlize theron dalene kurtis jamie lee curtis krista allen diane lane carrie fisher mila kunis sharon stone kari wuhrer sophia loren erika eleniak rachel hunter serena williams lisa rinna shannon tweed amanda tapping beverly mitchell tawnee stone christy canyon alley baggett