Now here's a news headline that's more than a little disturbing...
Disney blocks distribution of Moore's new documentary
Associated Press
Los Angeles -- The Walt Disney Company is blocking its Miramax Films division from distributing Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, which criticizes President Bush's handling of Sept. 11 and connects the Bush family with Osama bin Laden's.
This is getting ridiculous. As if Disney, which is in turmoil over bad movies, poor leadership, and bad decisions (ie. parting ways with Pixar) could afford to not release a movie that would make money and generate great buzz. But now they're getting on the censorship bandwagon as well? You'd think that old 50s conformist Walt Disney himself were still alive and running the company!
Whether you like him or not, Michael Moore's work is provocative, thought-provoking, and immensely entertaining. He's not shy about his political colours, and he's not about to sit back and be an ineffectual liberal/socialist. He's as loud, obnoxious, and tenacious as any of those idiots (or feel free to insert explicitive of choice) on Fox News, or in the Republican Party (who's new slogan should be "Dig Up Ike!"). It's about time pin-head right-wing fanatics realize that they don't have the monopoly on free speech...or that free speech is only for those who don't criticize the government.
In one of his brilliant lines of dialogue (and I'm paraphrasing), Aaron Sorkin once wrote "I'm a citizen...and in this country it is not only our right to question our leaders, but our obligation." Michael Moore does that in pre-eminent style.
Those who disagree with him have the right to speak up...but no one has the right to silence opinions and ideas simply because they're critical. If they can't deal with it, they can always move to Russia or North Korea, where everyone can sing songs, march patriotically, and be happily conformist together.
