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September 24, 2008 at 18:46:25

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Michael's Brilliant Denial: A review of Slacker Uprising

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By Rady Ananda (about the author)     Page 1 of 2 page(s)

opednews.com     Permalink

For OpEdNews: Rady Ananda - Writer

Director Michael Moore
Producer Monica Hampton
100 minutes

This free release chronicles Michael Moore's 62-city tour in 2004.  It is his best effort, his slickest, most exciting, most inspirational film to date.  It is not bent on educating us about dark truths.  Instead, it's a rousing musical-speech-video tour aimed at Getting Out The Vote (GOTV).  The film seeks to reach the nation's youth with its strong anti-war message. It calls for a nonstop movement for universal health care, quality education, marital and reproductive freedom, racial equality, and fair labor standards.  Slacker Uprising is the best GOTV message on the market. 

Moore applauds the 21 million youth who voted in 2004 and blames their parents for reelecting Bush.  He slams mainstream media for lying to the public about the war in Iraq, but is pathologically silent on electoral cyber theft and Democrat wimplicity.  The film flays Republicans, our evil warlords, but never mentions that Democrats refuse to impeach BushCo, that they continually vote to fund the war, to shred the US Constitution, and, most recently, to squelch dissent with terrorizing brutality.  His lack of honest criticism of the Democratic Party dulls the brilliance of this motivational film.  The genius of Slacker Uprising serves the plutocracy as effectively as Moore's past films condemned it.

An instrumental When Johnny Comes Marching Home by Instant Death and Andrew Weiss opens the film, immediately commanding our attention. This song choice is subtle and effective in an antiwar film that salutes our troops.  Other musical appearances include REM, Eddie Vedder, Steve Earl, Joan Baez, and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine.  Takin' My Country Back by Honky Tonkers for Truth provides background as Moore arrives in Nashville.  Robert Ellis then performs Al Gore, a humorous foot tapper with a familiar tune.


Michael Moore during his 2004 Slacker Uprising Tour

Joan Baez sings Finlandia a cappella, which she introduced as Finland's national anthem:

This is my song
O gods of all the nations
A song of peace for lands so far away
This is my home, a country where my heart is
Here grew my hopes and dreams for all mankind
But other hearts in other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean
And sunlight shines on clover leaf and pine
But other lands have sunlight too and clover
And skies are ev'rywhere as blue as mine
O hear my prayer, o gods of all the nations
A song of peace for their lands and for mine

Most of the tour stops host large crowds in filled arenas, with hundreds and often thousands of loud, cheering youth.  But Moore is somber when visiting Kent State University.  He pays tribute to the four students who opposed the Viet Nam war and were murdered by the Ohio National Guard, on orders of then-Governor Jim Rhodes. 


Kent State U, May 4, 1970: Ohio National Guard kill unarmed war protesters

Back in 2004, Moore was promoting his film Fahrenheit 911 – a topic many are still trying to suppress.  He shows how San Diego successfully prevented him from speaking on campus in a 1,500 seat auditorium.  That speech-suppression effort became a boon for Michael, when the students moved his appearance to a sold-out 15,000 seat venue at the nearby Del Mar Fairgrounds. 


Sep.2 2008 RNC St Paul (by Matt Rourke, AP)

Not much has changed since May 4, 1970.  Free speech is still brutally, illegally, and unconstitutionally suppressed with force.

Roseanne Barr satirizes the neocon ideology and actor Vigo Morgenson gives a deadly serious speech, along with soldiers and parents of fallen soldiers.  A few military heavyweights also take the podium, including Colonel Ann Wright.

Organized Republicans invade his speeches, chanting "Four more years!" Moore quips, "You say four more years, but I hear four more wars."  His fans laugh the Bushites into submission.  A creepy segment shows organized youths standing, holding hands, and loudly intoning Christian prayers, while Moore tries to speak.  He effectively responds, "Hey, let me ask you a question.  What would Jesus bomb?"

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Well done, Rady. by Mark E. Smith on Wednesday, Sep 24, 2008 at 9:57:05 PM
keeping it real by Rady Ananda on Wednesday, Sep 24, 2008 at 10:55:52 PM
missing the point by Jim Eldon on Sunday, Sep 28, 2008 at 3:07:17 PM
Michael Moore must hear this message by Dave Berman on Wednesday, Sep 24, 2008 at 11:48:28 PM
For the campaign by Dave Berman on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 12:01:14 AM
Wimplicity by Rady Ananda on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 7:58:33 AM
Rigged elections by Ron R. on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 1:34:56 AM
Questions for you by Dave Berman on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 2:02:21 AM
If you don't vote you're just going to give it away by Ron R. on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 1:21:18 PM
Mark's side? by Ron R. on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 2:14:46 PM
Wide Margin talking point by Rady Ananda on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 8:15:26 AM
wide margin by Ron R. on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 1:26:53 PM
Bravo! by Rady Ananda on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 6:30:39 PM
Yeah I agree... by Ron R. on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 8:59:22 PM
ok, I'll bite by Rady Ananda on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 9:09:17 PM
ok by Ron R. on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 11:27:20 PM
totally agreed by Rady Ananda on Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 7:06:31 AM
They all Cheat! by Roger on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 1:32:55 PM
Here we agree by Dave Berman on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 3:04:51 PM
I don't understand this... by Ron R. on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 3:20:35 PM
Attack? by Dave Berman on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 4:16:02 PM
Sorry too... by Ron R. on Thursday, Sep 25, 2008 at 8:42:39 PM
Great Work, Rady!!! by Mark Adams on Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 4:45:21 PM
Participate in Parallel Polling! by Rady Ananda on Friday, Sep 26, 2008 at 7:14:57 PM
MICHAEL MOORE by Tom Degan on Saturday, Sep 27, 2008 at 7:54:42 AM
Voting for BS is BS by William Whitten on Wednesday, May 13, 2009 at 8:16:35 AM

 
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