Sunday, May 23, 2004
Stupid Golden Palms and other sorry excuses of an award
Repeat after me: the decision to award Michael Moore Palme d'Or for best film at the Cannes festival is not political. Not at all. It can't be, can it? The jury wouldn't stoop that low? Not Quentin Tarantino and friends...
In his acceptance speech Moore has this to say: "I want to make sure if I do nothing else for this year that those who have died in Iraq have not died in vain."
Is he talking about American soldiers by any chance, or "the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen," i.e. the brave Iraqi resistance?
Among the reactions
BY THE WAY: Moore has still got this offer on his website:
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In his acceptance speech Moore has this to say: "I want to make sure if I do nothing else for this year that those who have died in Iraq have not died in vain."
Is he talking about American soldiers by any chance, or "the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen," i.e. the brave Iraqi resistance?
Among the reactions
"The White House refused to be riled today by a decision to award the Cannes film festival's top prize to a documentary harshly critical of US President George W. Bush and his decision to invade Iraq.The media obviously hoped that the White House will be riled. Oh well, there will be another occasion, I'm sure.
" 'It's a free country. It's what makes America great. Everyone has the right to say what they want. And beyond that, we're not going to comment,' White House spokeswoman Suzy DeFrancis said."
BY THE WAY: Moore has still got this offer on his website:
"If you are a soldier currently serving in Iraq and would like a free copy of either Dude, Where's My Country or a Bowling for Columbine DVD, please send us an email including your full name, your address in Iraq and all other information we need in order to get it to you."Of course, as Suzy DeFrancis mentioned above, America is a free country - American soldiers have a right to read and watch whatever they want, and Michael Moore has a right to spend his money whichever way he wants to. I'm sure a percentage of the troops currently in Iraq don't want to be there; I'm also sure that there would be more who would no longer want to be there after being exposed to Moore's work. But that's not the point - they are in Iraq because of their orders, and these orders are not going to change because suddenly they would rather be somewhere else. So what exactly does Moore think he's going to achieve by demoralising the American troops serving in Iraq - a mutiny? mass disobedience? God only knows, but whatever it is it will do nothing to bring about Moore's objective of ending the war.
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