An anonymous tipster alerted us via the News tab to a possible racist/scandalous/nebulous slip of Michael Moore’s tongue. I sat through the entire, excruciating 10+ minute video at Breitbart.tv, only to discover that the controversial part is at the end; the video I posted below features the last eleven seconds of the entire segment and contains the relevant moment.
Link: sevenload.com
Well? What do you think? Racist or immature? Mispronounced or intentionally mangled? Or is this much ado about nothing? Comments on Breitbart were hot, heated and divided about whether or not Michael Moore started to channel Apu. What say you?
might as well make it 100% while were at it, and let the government decide who gets the most utility out of the dough. government is obviously the most competant organization in the world to do this. why do we need any income when the government is paying for everything! YAY!
its amazing that people still think like this….
I prefer when Mr. DeLong keeps his opinions to economics — his predictions tend to be more reliable that way 🙂
HMF did not argue for universal healthcare, although I really don’t see how people can look at the current system and say that it’s working. Privatization clearly hasn’t helped things, and Moore just addresses some of the most pressing and crucial issues facing Americans today. Among all my friends, this is our number one concern. It’s not our taxes, it’s not our rent, it’s not our retirement — it’s how the hell we are going to keep from going in the red if we get sick.
Maybe a product of America’s gun culture? 🙂 Actually, what was the takeaway of that movie? Access to guns is far too easy and the media feeds people’s paranoia. Sure, that I buy. The story about people leaving their doors unlocked in Canada (wtf??), and having higher gun ownership but lower gun violence, I had no idea what to make of.
I just thought the point was that we have a culture of violence in the U.S., and that instead of addressing some of the key features of violence among youth we blame it on things like Marilyn Manson? That was just the impression I got. 🙂
I totally didn’t realize Brad DeLong had lost so much weight! (just clicked on the blog) Wow.
the pronunciation was innocuous. However, Michael Moore is an unapologetic protectionist, which often manifests itself as racism and xenophobia.
Economists and predictions: now thats worth a good laugh (was the pun intended?)
Maybe he is the Mike Huckabee of Cal profs.
But his excoriation of political opinions is always spot-on, and he catches details that I would have totally missed even if I had the ability to absorb as much information as he seems to have. Again, as for the WaPo, who knows?
Pun intended, but not meant entirely in jest. Maybe I am partial since he was my department chair & prof, though 🙂
The smackdown is tonight..
Larry King 9pm EST
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/larry.king.live/ Geewpta vs. Scruffy Moore.
My bets on Moore, he has more fire. Can’t wait to see Gupta aquire another hole.
How will Larry say his name? Yeah. Thought so.
shalu: Yes Michael Moore’s films can be considered propaganda…but thank goodness he’s around to spread many truths that are often ignored in the mainstream media.
WHAT TRUTH? It’s biased documentary films. Not 100% of the time, but pretty darn close.
Oh, is Larry “suspender” King going to get a new one too because he bumped Moore for Paris the day she was released. Moore was so mad he couldn’t stop whining about it on his Daily Show appearance.
With Larry King, the interview will probably devolve into pap with Larry spewing something like, “So, when you get up in the morning and look at yourself in the mirror, how many sick Americans do you think of?” Thankfully, Moore’s blubbering (pun intended, I’m allowed to make weight cracks too!) outrage will probably overcome Larry’s inanity.
Brad’s analysis is usually spot on, and he seems to be able to tie together gads of seemingly unrelated information in really nuanced ways. That said, I rarely agree with his proscriptions/predictions.
Also, back on topic, while I generally find myself sighing at Mr. Moore, his documentary films are no more biased than the information we receive on American network (TV) news.
Camille: your concerns and friends’s concerns are valid. But the response, of reaching for govt control, is dangerous. Check this website: http://www.freemarketcure.com/ I know the website name has “free market” in it, but it has some informative faqs and links to reading material. It also has some emotionally manipulative videos, if that’s what people seek.
Most of the commonly made arguments for governmental coverage are bogus, and are tailored to manipulate us emotionally.
Comparing life expectancy between groups of diff. ethnicities and lifestyles?
Comparing spending between nations with different health requirements, different litigious behaviors of peoples? Governmental health expenditure is already 7% of GDP. How can increasing govt expenditure bring down costs?
Are health issues really that bad? Are the 45 million uninsured inclusive of very rich folks, very healthy young folks, very homeless destitute folks who anyway get free social services care?
Why are things so expensive if the insurance companies are rapacious?
I already have a low opinion of ability of people to put aside emotion and think with reason. Demagogues like Moore and Clinton who vilify this further with emotionally manipulative rhetoric make me despair for democracy.
Here’s a thumbrule: if you get angry or feel like crying after seeing an ad or a clip, chances are the person behind that ad is a bastard out to manipulate you.
Bah!
Mountainous, as in the attempt to re-engineer a molehill.
Forget Moore for a moment…
Ever heard an AB(C)D pronounce Venkatesh Vijayvardhan Vaithilingam’s name ?
I have and I love it
Eco
They do have more taxes, and they also have more of that other thing, whats it called, oh yea, productivity.
And I wasn’t arguing particularly for universal healthcare, although I do think a system that guarantees a certain level of care (for example, the fire department does their best to put fires out, if you make $10,000 or $100,000 annually)
To the left of what?
HyperTree, I’m not arguing for universal (government) healthcare, and I don’t know for sure what the “solution” is. I’m just saying that I find Moore’s interviews compelling, and that health care is a major concern in the U.S., both for the insured and uninsured.
Yes, they are really that bad. I’m not saying this as someone wringing her hands, I say this as someone who: – Worked an avg. 25 hours/week throughout her college career to graduate debt-free – Took out an insurance policy after months of searching and went abroad – Got deathly sick and had to be medi-vac’d back to the U.S. for treatment and was under the impression that my health policy would cover this – is now $50,000 in debt, can no longer get ANY medical care (preventative or otherwise unless I pay out of pocket, which I have been doing for the past 5 months), and am struggling to find another insurer to help out despite the fact that I’ll have to pay yet another dividend.
I am employed, educated, low (health) risk aside from getting sick abroad, and relatively typical of the demographic who is currently being shafted by the health care system. And the worst part is that I’m not the only one. Health insurance exists for that reason — to help you out for really big trouble, not just to pay for primary care. It’s not the indigent who are lacking health care — at least many of them have access to Medicare/Medicaid; it’s the middle class and the working poor who are getting royally screwed.
Sanjay Gupta and Blitzer, and the rest of CNN, are nothing but apologists for the Bush Administration. They make me sick. And good for Michael Moore for calling them out. As someone mentioned on another blog about this exchange, how about a challenge to Dr. Gupta:
“Throw away your insurance card and live 6 months without insurance, 6 measley months without insurance. Then come talk about our healthcare system.”
I’d like to know what untruths, rajesh, are you referring to?
HMF, if I only work for one minute a day, you can bet your moore’s autographed picture that I’d have the world’s highest productivity.
Are you kidding me? LOL! Says who? do you have direct links to prove this?
Look according to most polls (do a google search, you will come up with a lot) most Americans would not mind paying higher taxes for universal coverage (and it is actually not clear if taxes have to necessarily go up). As for efficiency, all you have to do is compare medicare/medicaid (which are constantly under attack from those who will gain from complete privatization) with private provision…enough said about that (hint: the administrative, bureaucratic, and miscellaneous costs of private provision are mind boggling;). As for government spending on health care, what percentage is accounted for by the scandalously high drug costs in this country (relative to most others in the world)? The truth is that a large part of the “health care” budget is straight subsidies to corporations.
Thank you!
Camille, sorry to hear about that. It is sad that the legal tort system is not able to rein in the exploitative behaviors of the insurance companies. Have there been cases where somebody has successfully sued their insurance company?
Even a free-market fundamentalist like me (who albeit does not know enough about the health care situation) thinks that if people are not able to get a high-deductible health plan (plus a reasonably loose tax-exempt health savings account) then govt should do something along the lines of a last-ditch HDHP.
Rahul,
I would highly higly recommend that you and everyone else here buy a handgun (legaly), join the NRA and learn to shoot. It is a matter of being responsable for your own defense. The police cannot protect you.
Take advantage of The Second Amendment, because by doing so you contribute to national security, unless of course, you wish to join the military.
What other country allows it’s citizens as well as legal residents this protection and right? Look at England and the entire British Commonwealth, they are still subject people. It is not just the Commonwealth, in most countries the government do not allow their people to own firearms. However if you live in PR of NYC or PR of San Francisco this is not possible.
This is especialy relevant since 911, Michael More and whatever he muttered is not.
Isn’t that a tagline for male prostitutes? “One minute day, and world’s highest productivity”
Seriously though, it’s clear by your humorless attempts at comebacks, you don’t have a leg to stand on. How about you put aside the knee-jerk anti Michael moore response embedded in your head, like so many journalists embedded in Iraq, and take a realistic look at the issues SiCKO so vividly and clearly brings to light.
Rajesh, why me?
HMF, because demonizing Moore, whether it’s his weight problem or the facts he brings to life, is their only tactic. They don’t have anything else.
And Rajesh, man, I really feel sorry for you.
HMF, i protest. How can my knee jerk when I don’t have a leg, to stand on even.
It’s your phantom limb problem due to too much head-banging.
It’s ok, I’m just saying, the system is ridiculous. People have successfully sued, but you have to have the money to sue, or the money to find a lawyer (I know good lawyers will hold out for payment contingent on winning in this arena). Or you can be like me, and you can appeal the decision for months and months until your health insurance policy expires (and it was not a cheap policy!). The system is not set up to help folks who are in fragile positions, or middle-class people like me who are not in fragile conditions but do not have a lot of disposable cash.
HMF, I thought for a couple of minutes, and don’t see why you asserted “One minute day, and world’s highest productivity” could be the tagline for male prostitutes. I fear that is most biased against the no doubt non-shoddy works of many diligent male prostitutes.
I was hoping to see something about LAL MASJID on here. Nobody got any articles etc?
Those carrying in-depth knowledge of male prostitutional diligence will always find a way to jerk.
I have had my reservations with Michael Moore in the past because he too often extrapolated too much from anecdotes. His analysis sometimes were too simple minded in the past. But you know what, I am glad he makes these kind of docs. I am smart enough to know when he errs and he gets on my nerves because I know he has the ability to be better. But we need more people with his knack for questioning the government to act as a check on the government. F911 and Bowling For Columbine, for all their faults, were still more on target than the mainstream media.
I have finally seen the entire clip of Moore tearing Wolf a new one. And he is absolutely correct. Wolf Blitzer and CNN were embarassing in the run up to the Iraq war and later. Even now CNN tries to be FOx lite by hiring idiots like Glenn Beck and Nancy Grace. CNN has been a spectacular failure in recent years. Michael Ware and Cafferty are the only guys who interest me on CNN. It seems like Christiane Amanpour is rarely on that network now.
Just noticed. SANJAY GUPTA and Michael MOORE face off tonight on LARRY KING LIVE at 9pm.
Camille: in general, free systems in democracies equilibriate to catering to the middle class. There must be some very strong legacy regulatory forces for this not to happen. I do not know what these are in the health care industry; but I hope they are fixed before Moore gets his way.
I do see the argument that in the meantime there ought to be some “net” for folks to fall back on.
“And Rajesh, man, I really feel sorry for you”. Thank you filmnyc the feeling is mutual.
Hypertree…oh my gupta… you are hilarious
Rahul, no doubt you’d be curious why I head-bang so; tis out of joy; thanks to HMF’s compassion even one-minute male prostitutes with phantom limbs like me can get free health care.
HyperTree, I understand the theory, but the reality of health care in America does not reflect that. It is in an insurance company’s interest to pay out as little as possible, especially for life-threatening illnesses or sicknesses. This is why they come up with any excuse possible to avoid payment, but there is also a huge lack of choice in the consumer market when it comes to ensuring minimum standards of coverage, regardless of whether you have a private (individual) plan or a private plan through your employer. The same issues that face HMOs also face those insured through PPOs (I had a PPO plan, not an HMO, and clearly am not doing any better for it). Then, when you throw in continuous coverage, mental health counseling/coverage, or primary care for women (e.g. funding for “wellness care” like your semi-annual/annual gyno visit), the picture is even more stark. At the end of the day, the health care system is not focused on care, it is focused on profits, and those profits are obtained by denying coverage, revoking coverage, failing to authorize necessary procedures, marking up drug costs, and only providing treatment to the wealthy. I’m sure there is political divergence on the last part, but I do think good health care is something that everyone should have access to, regardless of their incomes. I meet too many hardworking people who have destroyed their bodies and have no coverage for emergencies or for when things wear out (e.g. I have a friend whose father has been a baggage handler at an airport for 30 years, has never missed a day of work or come in late, and no longer has cartilage in his shoulder but continues to work and cannot afford treatment or retirement).
I think this is the crux of the matter regarding Micheal Moore. I think in some ways, its somewhat about the fact he’s from Flint, Michigan. Just from what I know about that city, it did not take a genius to show how that community, once pretty solid, just went through the ringers as fairly involved factors of economics played out in the city. Its almost in a way artistic how that area didn’t just experience a down-turn, but was left almost barren.
If you’re coming from the that experience, some of Moore’s actions, actually a lot of them, become more understandable. Will he mellow? Would he be Micheal Moore if he did? I think people would do better to take a look at things from less of a left/right position in this case, and almost see his story as a story of some guy from Flint, Michigan
This is spot-on as well, even if you have a pretty good job, its routinely the one of the biggest concerns out there. People are ok with making less than their parents, or not having a house for while, but, no one can just be ok with getting sick.
Rahul, I did not mean to single you out. I was speaking to everyone here.
i just saw the news tab, totally watching the two get it on. also, i thought manish from ultrabrown was going to be on cnn going against the whole 7-eleven and kwik-e-mart thang today. did they cancel that?
Thank you, Rajesh. I am a postal worker, so I am not allowed to own guns.
Thank god the gun-owners protect us! If it weren’t for them, why…we’d probably have murder rates like the UK or Japan!
This is silly. There was no “Apu channeling.”
Hypertree,
Good cop, Bad cop.
They do have more taxes, and they also have more of that other thing, whats it called, oh yea
Unemployment?
I don’t see anything racist about. Moore clearly does not like Sanjay Gupta, but if he were named Adam Johnson, I bet he would have said it with just as much contempt.
Did your arm cramp up, preventing you from quoting the full quote? Here’s a link back to the original. You’d never intentionally misquote someone, and not even provide a source to backup your claim, no that would be too irrational. It must have been a cramp, so I hope everything gets better.