Michael Moore
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2010-03-17/michael-moore
Michael Moore at the State Theatre in Traverse City, Michigan
Geoffrey Vail Brown
Michael Moore is known for such controversial documentaries as "Sicko" and “Roger & Me.” His latest is "Capitalism: A Love Story," and he joins Diane to discuss lessons learned from the Great Recession and what he sees as the failures of modern capitalism.
Guests
Michael Moore
Director of "Fahrenheit 9/11," which won the Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. His other films include the Academy Award-winning "Bowling for Columbine" and "Roger And Me." He is also author of "Stupid White Men" and "Dude, Where's My Country?"
Comments
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First, thank you, Diane, for having Michael Moore on. He certainly has lead the way on both our prime issues of the day, health care and the banking industry, though he rarely has been heard on such mainstream media.
Second, for Michael, do you have any information on the involvement of George Bush's cousin, George Herbert Walker, former Global Head of Investment Management at Lehman Brothers, and his brother, Jeb Bush, Investment Consultant at Lehman Brothers, in the fraudulent accounting and collapse of the company, and what they walked away with?
I must add:
I look at the Wall Street leadership and the debacle they’ve caused for all of us with both sadness and anger...
But what else could be expected when the American people accepted 8 years with a President who made his first big chunk of money when he dumped all his stock in Harken Oil before the other stockholders could see the updated accounting report from Arthur Andersen – and a Vice President who dumped the bulk of his stock in Haliburton before the stockholders could see the damaging asbestos liabilities he’d brought to the company when he arranged for the purchase of Dresser Industries – and neither of these two men were ever held criminally responsible for these deeds, because of their connections. Thus, they lead the way in demonstrating the wealth that could be made by condoned fraud.
Meanwhile, they claimed a moral righteousness when their henchmen jailed that uppity Martha Stewart, for her supposed dishonesty with the Wall Street Boys.
Shame, shame.
Michael, thank you for your years of courageous patriotism.
Barbara Bellows-TerraNova,
Salt Lake City, Utah
It's great to see this photo on the website -- Michael in front of the State Theater. As a regular patron of the Traverse City Film Festival, I want to thank him for what he has done for NW Michigan and for expanding the audience for good film.
Ceteris Paribus - Buyer Beware is a comment I heard from a Goldman Sacks Vice President in an interview about the default swaps and other things they have been selling. You expect this from the Rolex you buy on the street corner for $50.00 not from Wall Street. Bernie Maddoff, Kenny Lay and the others all SHOUT FOR MORE REGULATION of Wall street
Or if that is the case I'll be pulling my money out of the markets as soon as I can.
Doug
Currently,Capitalism is killing us. We could be using some Capitalistic principles to form a revolution of green products. We could convert the empty factories to green production. We could outsmart the Chinese who are making everything out of plastic by producing Hemp and plant based products. Capitalism could work for us again.
However, this would require a consensus among our leaders.
Sadly, the Health Care Debate has shown us how powerful our current Capitalistic System is preventing us from moving forward. :(
Just like Communism, Capitalism can be taken too far, and we fall by the sword of our own greed.
Did you know that AllState car insurance overcharging people based on previous tenants, making the assumption that the current resident is responsible for the previous tenant, just because the address is the same? This happen to me and I paid almost triple for a monthly bill. How is this not theft?
I have been an AllState customer for 21 years.
Does Mr. Moore support the system of public health clinics throughout America?
Please ask Mr. Moore about some of his apparent hypocrisy. Mr. Moore has a compound on Torch Lake (one of the most exclusive resort areas in Michigan). It has been reported that he refers to this as his "cabin", when it definitiely does not meet what I think most peoples' ideas of a cabin would be. Also, there was a huge hulabaloo regarding Mr. Moore filing for Michigan film tax credits for his most recent venture.
Please ask Mr. Moore about some of his apparent hypocrisy. Mr. Moore has a compound on Torch Lake (one of the most exclusive resort areas in Michigan). It has been reported that he refers to this as his "cabin", when it definitiely does not meet what I think most peoples' ideas of a cabin would be. Also, there was a huge hulabaloo regarding Mr. Moore filing for Michigan film tax credits for his most recent venture.
Micheal Moore has used the very system he now decries, to get where he is. How convenient and how telling that he would bite the hand that literally fed him.
Michael - love your lament for St. Patrick's Day - How about getting a badge and serving an arrest warrant on CEO of B of A, or CItiBank, or WellsFargo?
Please ask Mr. Moore if he plans to do any more documentary work at the local level.
John Girdwood, Flint MI
Listening (streaming) right now in Davison MI!
The most wonderful thing about Capitalism is that those who have success tend to do something good for society in return. Mr Moore is doing the right thing by exposing the faults in our national systems.
If Capitalism were working well, 95% of the wealth would not be concentrated in 5% of the pop.
I come from Flint Michigan and attended Flint Powers high school ( a private catholic school), I never understood why everyone in my school went out of there way to verbaly beat up Mr Moore as I always thought he stood up for the downtrodden and I was always taught that being thy brothers keeper was the most noble of causes. As I get older I have come to belive that those "teachers" did me a favor by being so two faced about those issues that Mr Moore champions that it has brought me from a instituion instilled right wing attitude to my current FAR left thinking.
THANK YOU!
I do have to admit that i agree with Mr. Moore about religion
Thank you Michael for speaking and being heard in this country!!! During the Bush years you were the only voice of sanity that I could hear. I thank you so much for speaking out about the issues that we the PEOPLE care about. I'm not a liberal or conservative, I am the rarest breed of American of all - a moderate. Thank you for letting our voice be heard. I may not agree with everything you say, but as an American we have the right to speak and be heard. You are a great American, never forget that. What kind of country do we live in where it is un-American to question what your government, corporations, etc??? Keep up the good fight!!
Thank you - Suzanne Brazell - Birmingham Alabama
When Moore says healthcare should be a 'human right,' that means all taxpayers should pay for the care required for overweight movie producers who eat an unhealthy diet and admittedly don't exercise. If I take care of myself in order to stay healty and avoid needing healthcare services, why does he think it's my obligation to pay for the care of those who don't?
Why do liberals like Mr. Moore afraid of speaking the truth about their beliefs?..He's a radical liberal..now he claiming he's a conservative?...and play the race card....if you don't like obama it has to be race related...what a clown..
Thank you Diane for having Mr. Moore. I was trying to call in but the phones were busy. I wanted to point out that the current congress is not dealing with significant Health Care Reform, Consumer Credit protection, job loss overseas, home foreclosures, prescription drug increases, Insurance increases, and military personnel abuse. Should we be looking at a third party? Should x legislatures and congressmen be allowed to lobby for big corporations?
I am one of the many people (unemployed and in jeapardy of loosing my home) struggling to survive the current economic situation. I have tried to be responsible and conduct my life according to the "practices and rules of the system" and I don't like where I am at with regard to finances and having to protect myself from a system that is designed and dedicated to manipulating people to prey upon to serve the "God of Profit". If society fails then all the money that exists cannot support the qualification of providing "profit". Without the safeguards of eithics and integrity serving as the watchdogs of economics and commerce, then all efforts to change the system will be as futile as "building a house upon sand".
I've just recently become aware of Michael Moore through some emails I've recieved from friends who tend to be focused upon his political activities and the YouTube video links I've watched. I am developing a great respect for him and would like to be able to support the type of society that he envisions (I think) where ethics, justice, integrity and social responsibility play more important roles of influence relative to mere "Profit". (Besides, I need work and there doesn't appear to be much else happening out there.)
along the lines of the raw, plant based food, check out "The China Study" by Dr. T. Colin Campbell. Great stuff and it really shows the science behind what Mr. Moore has experience with his diet. As far as prices go however, skip the super market and try your local farmers markets or co-ops.... they are often times cheaper, local (good for economy) and most of the stuff is ORGANIC!!!
Michael's commentaries always raise the hair on my head, mostly because I can't cope with seeing things as they horrifically are. What really boggles me is that so many Americans don't see him that way. Earlier this AM on WGBH radio we had a short about how we don't want to talk about our income or finances, and that is a further indication of how hypersensitive Americans are about how they make or even spend their money, because so many of them don't actually generate real wealth or reward themselves proportionately.
Wow Diane, you should have Micheal Moore on once a week.
Thank You very much,
Joe Elden
I tuned into to the drshow late, and didn't know who this was. I listened for a few minutes, and wondered who this was who was so astute and brilliant; who was this person who I largely agreed with. To my surprise, it was Michael Moore! I pretty much agreed with Mr. Moore on many things, and found his humorous look at politics, health care and capitalism informative and thought-provoking. Thanks for having him on your show!
Please, let's not be naive. Clinton de-regged hedge funds in 1999, he played a huge part in our current financial instability as well as the Republican party. Both parties support corporations first, and see financial gains from them. The problem with government getting involved in health care is that they will keep their hands in it, and probably instigate further ruin ---this is what they do best. The only real solution to the political problems in the USA is to rid ourselves of the 2 party system. It's like a tennis game, with the power & energy being used to bat BS back and forth --accomplishing nothing. Both parties are corrupt.
At least 3 more parties should be introduced and funded to change the game -all with equal media and money.
I very much enjoy his films but find him thin skinned, esp. when, at the beginning of the broadcast, Diane soft-soaped the rest of the show by calming Moore down after he was described as provocative, which he very much is.
The rest of the show seemed tame and placating of Moore, ending with a friendly discussion of his physical health.
He is provocative because he makes us think, yes, but he is also provocative and controversial because of the manner in which he goes about this work.
Example: In "Bowling for Columbine," after driving up to the then NRA head Charleton Heston’s gate in front of his house and Heston inviting Moore to come to his house for an interview the next day, Moore pushed a picture of a dead child under Heston's nose, tried to get him to makes some sort of statement about how she died and his responsibility in her death and then yelling at him as Heston (rather politely I might add) walked out of the interview. All in the actor's own home!
Amen ! And, sustainable.
Michael, what will it take for the US to become a "post consumer society" such as the Scandinavian countries?
Thank you so much for an interesting, informative and heartfelt interview with Michael Moore.
Dear Jim,
How do you take care of yourself? Do you go get check-ups, or go to the doctor for various ailments that crop up? People who don't have insurance, can not do this.
You already pay for other people who don't have insurance and who need healthcare, through taxes. Part of your taxes (and mine) go to pay for the healthcare of others, except through a very, very inefficient system. Also, even when someone takes care of themselves, they could still contract a disease or be in an accident that puts them in the hospital, which racks up thousands of dollars. Without health insurance, they could lose their house etc. If we stream-lined the healthcare system, and made it more efficient; kept people out of emergency rooms who could, with insurance, go to a doctor; encouraged people to care for themselves by going to the doctor for check-ups; don't you think that would be better for all of us?
Last year, I paid about $2000 for health insurance, and my insurance carrier denied coverage, or short changed coverage on almost every thing; and I did not go very often to the doctor. I just threw that money away.
You would need to add Goldman Sach to your arrest warrant.