Michael Moore. A Rebel and his Counter-Rebels

When on November 2nd in the year 2004 the world’s single left super-power’s citizens went to choose between incumbent George W. Bush and his challenger John F. Kerry to become the nation’s next president, the whole planet glanced excitedly at their TV in order to be informed as soon as possible about whom of the two would be the one to lead the United States of America in the forthcoming four years. Too much had been happening between 2000 and 2004, during the first period of the Bush administration in power. Events like the terror attacks on September 11th 2001, the resultant Afghanistan war and so-called war on terror and of course – most importantly – the invasion of Iraq which began in march 2003 and was suspected not to be waged due to the existence of Saddam’s mysterious “weapons of mass destruction”, but much more likely because of the country’s extensive oil fields, had been changing the world’s political consciousness and especially the view towards a western civilization that did not seem to stand for peace-keeping or democracy any more, as it was seen almost a whole century ago, but as a Goliath that was trying to raise a hegemony just to be able to fulfill his wishes no matter which non-allied country or people with a different culture suffered from this.
Yet it was not only abroad that vast forms of protest began to form themselves, but also in the U.S. One of this movement’s most polarizing phenomenons is meanwhile world-widely known and had not least co-motivated these developments in Europe and particularly in Germany: leftist writer, director and polemic Michael Moore.
As a vehement critic of his government’s policy, this man specially published a book and a film in the wider pre-election phase only with the goal of removing Bush from his presidency. This agitator, these two outputs and how his opponents try to prevent him from spreading his message shall be dealt with on the following pages.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Michael Moore
  • A Short Biography
• Michael Moore and his two most recent outputs
  • Dude, Where's My Country?
    • Plot
    • Author's intention and how it is expressed
  • Fahrenheit 9/11
    • Plot
    • Author's intention and how it is expressed
    • Some supposed attempts of deception
    • Distribution problems
• Actions of his opponents
  • Celsius 41.11
  • Michael Moore Is A Big Fat Stupid White Man
  • Internet offers
• Personal statement

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This text aims to analyze the work of Michael Moore, specifically his book "Dude, Where's My Country?" and his documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11." It explores his critical stance against the Bush administration and how his work aimed to influence the 2004 presidential election.

• Michael Moore's criticism of George W. Bush's policies
• The impact of Moore's work on public opinion and the election
• The strategies employed by Moore's opponents to counter his message
• The political climate and social consciousness surrounding the Iraq War
• The role of media and information in shaping public discourse

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The book "Dude, Where's My Country?" is structured in eleven main chapters, each addressing specific criticisms of the Bush administration.

• "7 Questions for George of Arabia" opens with a series of pointed questions about the Bush family's alleged connections to the bin Laden family and the Saudi royal family, questioning their role in the lead-up to the September 11th attacks.
• "Home of the Whopper" presents ten lies told by the Bush administration in the context of the Iraq War, each represented by a fictional menu item at a fast food restaurant.
• "Oil's Well That Ends Well" features a fictional conversation between the author and his great-granddaughter in the year 2054, exploring the consequences of unchecked resource consumption and environmental neglect.
• "The United States of BOO!" critiques the government's creation of a climate of fear and paranoia, highlighting the potential for abuse and misinterpretation of security measures.
• "How to Stop Terrorism? Stop Being Terrorists!" proposes an ironic 18-point program for homeland security, satirizing the administration's approach to national security.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The text focuses on Michael Moore, George W. Bush, the 2004 presidential election, the Iraq War, the September 11th attacks, media manipulation, political satire, social critique, and the role of public opinion in shaping political discourse.

Details

• Grade: 2-/10P.
• Author: Harry Körner (Author)
• Publication Year: 2005
• Pages: 19
• Catalog Number: V232775
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656496557
• ISBN (Book): 9783656695387
• Language: English
• Tags: michael moore rebel counter-rebels