29 JANUARY 2015, Vol.2, No.4 > MICHALE MOORE vs. Movie 'American Sniper'!
The
POCAHONTAS CRIER
‘When the Righteous succeed the
people rejoice,
But when the bad govern, men groan!’
– Proverbs 29:2
MICHAEL MOORE vs. Movie
‘American Sniper’!
Controversy abounds as a new
Hollywood movie, ‘American
Sniper’, directed by Clint Eastwood has hit the American movie
theaters all across the country grossing over $200-Million in its first three
weeks. Part of the controversy is
whether or not the ‘sniper’, the late
Chris Kyle, a Navy SEAL, actually had 160+ ‘kills’
as he’s claimed to have had by the Navy since many of ‘the kills’ went ‘undocumented’,
meaning they were unconfirmed by military witnesses. And ironically, as
real life would have it, Chris himself was shot & killed at a shooting
range by a former Marine Veteran inflicted with PTSD who goes on trial in Texas next month. Nevertheless, a controversy has erupted in
many quarters as those in favor of the numerous-Wars have clashed with those
opposed to the never-ending-Wars and can be heard wherever folks gather who
have seen the film, from barbershops to mainline-corporate-news-services!
While Clint Eastwood portrays the ‘Sniper’ as
‘protecting’
fellow service members by killing anyone deemed a ‘threat’, the film also shows the
heavy price paid by all involved whether on or off the battlefield with PTSD
(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) – and of course the never-ending faces of
those being killed by the ‘Sniper’ and those spotting for him in majority
of cases.
For those that have been trained
in such skills to be called a ‘sniper’,
what does one do when ORDERED to pull the trigger and ‘take out the target’ instead of a
simple Order to just ‘kill’?
When the ORDER is given to ‘proceed’, it becomes a rather easy choice of ‘Just Following
Orders’ – but when the ORDER is given to ‘Use Your Own Discretion’ – then
THAT is the time the burden of taking-the-life of someone else becomes a ‘personal burden’
instead of just ‘military
business’! IT’S THOSE KILLS THAT REALLY COME BACK TO HAUNT IN THE YEARS
THAT FOLLOW…should the ‘sniper’
live to an older age! Those who have
served in the military, paramilitary, & Special Forces in the ‘60s, ‘70s
& ‘80s can easily relate to such circumstances since ‘Snipers’ in those years were both
feared & respected within military & civilian paramilitary ops since
all ‘Missions’ were ‘Top Secret’! ORDERS came from the ‘shadows’, without ‘names or
ranks’ over an earplug on a handheld radio to a trained ‘sniper’ or his ‘spotter’ expected to ‘carry out ORDERS without question’!
Nowadays ‘Snipers’ conduct their affairs BOTH on the ground within distances
of 300 – 10,000 yards (depending on caliber of weapon-in-hand), and in the air
via ‘Drones’ that target their
victims upwards to five (5) miles high – and as we’ve all seen on TV, far too
many VICTIMS of Drone-strikes have been members of weddings, funerals, and
family meetings because some ‘Idiota’
got or reported the wrong Intel! While
the kills of the ‘sniper’ on the
ground go unnoticed and unreported outside some obscure military Intel Report –
the mistakes & killings by ‘Drones’
are very much public-knowledge within minutes of any given incident – thanks to
Cell Phones!
At any rate, while there are
indeed many folks that need killing for the wrongs that they have done or are
conducting – the ‘sniper’
who pulls the trigger is left with the burden of believing he had to do what he
has done – and be able to live with that knowledge & belief for the
rest of his life! So it may not be an
easy task for some down the road as politically things change and the ‘Right becomes
Left & the Left become Right’ as has taken place this past
half-century! As seen below,
documentary-film-maker, Michael Moore, while questioning the ‘stupidity’ of taking America to War by
the ‘Bush-regime’ – just to steal Oil – Moore became embroiled in a
misdirection by the corporate-media as also being against the new Eastwood
film, ‘America
Sniper’ – when the facts speak otherwise.
The same can be said of actress, Whoopie
Goldberg, as she called the new film, ‘extraordinary’
for the exposure of the side of human-nature not normally captured on
film! The truth
is that WAR HURTS EVERYONE for what one does to someone else – THEY DO ALSO TO
THEMSELVES to one degree or another! Just
think of all those in the military, and as civilian doctors & mercenaries,
who have TORTURED OTHER PEOPLE TO DEATH! Is this really what ‘America is all about’? And THAT’S
exactly WHY those associated with the ‘Bush-regime’
cannot leave America
and travel abroad for fear of being arrested on International Warrants for
CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY! May the ‘LAW’ get
the All!
Meanwhile the following was
provided by the Internet Blog, ‘The Wrap’…
Michael Moore took what seems like another shot at the Iraq War film “American Sniper” on Twitter Sunday, and explained his position on the film and the war in an extended Facebook post.
Along with a photo of a gravesite with an American flag, the documentary filmmaker tweeted a tribute to his uncle, a World War II veteran, who was killed by a sniper’s bullet.
The Oscar winner went into more detail in a lengthy Facebook post he titled “My 12 Years of Support for the Troops.”
He wrote: “Before I post my more general thoughts later today or tomorrow about the ruckus of the past week regarding the response to my heartfelt comment on Twitter about my uncle who was killed in World War II by a sniper – and how I was taught to despise snipers of any stripe – I would like to address this one insane mantra that the right-wing has twisted my tweet into: ‘Michael Moore hates the troops.'”
The director went on to criticize those who supported the war, writing: “Well, who would know better about hating our troops than those who supported sending them into a senseless war Iraq in the first place?”
Sunday’s social media posts came after Moore last week defended an earlier tweet that said “snipers aren’t heroes.” He came under attack when several websites wrote stories on his comments, prompting Moore to deny that he was weighing in on the debate surrounding Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper.”
Also Read: Bill Maher Blasts ‘American Sniper’ Chris Kyle as a
‘Psychopath': He’s No Eisenhower (Video)
But Moore and a number of others have been critical, saying the film wrongly glorifies Chris Kyle, the real-life Navy SEAL marksman whose autobiography is the basis of the film.
Below is the director’s Sunday Facebook post in its entirety.
“My 12 Years of Support for the Troops”
Before I post my more general thoughts later today or tomorrow about the ruckus of the past week regarding the response to my heartfelt comment on twitter about my uncle who was killed in World War II by a sniper – and how I was taught to despise snipers of any stripe – I would like to address this one insane mantra that the right-wing has twisted my tweet into: “Michael Moore hates the troops.”
Well, who would know better about hating our troops than those who supported sending them into a senseless war Iraq in the first place?
And, for 4,482 of them, a senseless, unnecessary and regrettable death.
If you supported that invasion, if you voted for George W. Bush and the Republicans and Democrats who backed this war, then you are the ones who have some ‘splainin’ to do. Not me. You.
Because only “haters” of our brave young men and women would recklessly send them into harm’s way for something that had absolutely nothing to do with defending the United States of America. Nothing. Nothing to do with 9/11. Nothing.
In fact, WE, the USA, were the ones who provided Saddam with his weapons in the 1980s that he used against the Kurds. We wanted him to use them against the Iranians, but you hand a crazy guy crazy weapons, something crazy is probably going to happen. Ask Osama bin Laden about that — what he did with the crazy training, crazy money and crazy weapons that WE gave him. Oh wait. You can’t ask him. Because the new president took him out. No 150,000 troop invasion necessary. Just 12 or so Navy SEALS and two and a half choppers.
Here’s the truth they can’t or won’t report: I’M the one who has supported these troops – much more than the bloviators on Fox News. To prove it (and I know this is going to crush some of you out there), here’s just a partial list of all the things I do and have done for those men and women who serve — and I guarantee you, you’ve never heard any of this reported about what the real me does because, frankly, it messes up their little story of the fictional “Michael Moore” they’ve created for your hate and enjoyment (please feel free to cut, paste and send this to your conservative brother-in-law):
** I have an aggressive affirmative action policy specifically to hire Iraq and Afghanistan veterans at my film production company, my movie theaters in Michigan and my film festival. I have asked other businesses in my town (and nationwide) to join with me on this. http://www.traverseticker.com/…/michael-moore-asks-business… . A vet was an editor on my films “Fahrenheit 9/11″ and “Sicko” and a vet (who served in both Iraq AND Afghanistan) is the projectionist at my flagship theater in Michigan (to name a few).
** I also ask people to post a sign I designed and have made available: “I Shop Where Vets Work”. Here’s my policy and the poster: http://www.statetheatretc.org/veterans#opening (Can someone at Fox News send me your posted affirmative action program to hire Iraq and Afghanistan vets?)
** Since I opened my movie theaters in northern Michigan, this has been my admission policy: “Admission to all movies at my theaters is FREE, 365 days of the year, for ALL active duty military and their families.”
** I allow local veterans support groups to use my theater to meet for PTSD issues, I host quarterly PTSD summits, and I’ve hosted a conference to start a jobs movement for vets in our town.
** I have raised tens of thousands of dollars through my website for groups that help veterans and wounded warriors: http://web.archive.org/…/20140829053240/ & http://fa…/soldiers/
** In the early years of the war I made all my books and DVDs available free of charge to all service members through www.BooksForSoldiers.com
** I produced and hosted a benefit for military families at the House of Blues that received national attention to their plight (raw clips here from the AP: https://vimeo.com/117687290 )
** I will NOT do business with vendors who don’t have a policy to hire vets.
** I gave voice to the troops who weren’t being heard by publishing a book of their letters from the front lines in “Will They Ever Trust Us Again?” (NY Times bestseller for 4 weeks)
** I regularly post blogs from troops http://www.ivaw.org/blog/ivaw-featured-michael-moore and I show and support many movies about what they’ve gone through in the past 12 years at my theaters.
** I took vets, soldiers and their families on a 60-city tour of the country so their concerns could be heard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm3IsgoBNc0
** I helped Iraq Vets against the War with “Operation Recovery” http://www.ivaw.org/operation-recovery and http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/how-bout-dinner-just-you _b_…
** My movie, “Fahrenheit 9/11″ – #1 selling/#1 rental on all military base PXs
** My books were the #1 requested books by troops from the nonprofit www.BooksForSoldiers.com
** I sit on the Advisory Board of the Pvt. Bradley (Chelsea) Manning Support Network.
** From the Dept. of Irony: I only hire Navy SEALS and ex-special forces for when I need security – such as this week, when so-called supporters of those SEALs want me harmed.
** When my father passed away this year, in lieu of flowers I asked that donations by made in my dad’s name to the veterans group, Veterans for Peace. Enough money was raised so that the Vietnam Vets chapter could build a home in Vietnam for a family still suffering from the effects of Agent Orange. It’s being dedicated in my dad’s name.
** I am currently showing “American Sniper” at my theater that I helped restore and that I program and help run in Manistee, MI. Not because I like it, but because, unlike the other side, I’m not a censor. I trust smart people and people of good heart will know what to do. You can’t have a conversation about what Clint Eastwood is up to if you haven’t seen what it is he’s up to. And regardless where u are on the political spectrum, you’ll see that every character in Clint’s film comes out dead or permanently damaged. This ain’t no John Wayne rah-rah pabulum. Eastwood made maybe the greatest western ever – “Unforgiven” – but now it’s sad seeing him talking to an empty chair on a stage or making an Iraq movie that Rolling Stone this week called, “too dumb to bother criticizing.”
In the end, the thing I’m most proud of for what I’ve done for the troops was sticking my neck out 12 years ago to become a leading opponent to Bush and the war. I tried to save more lives than a sniper ever could hope to — by preventing us from going to war in the first place. Well, I failed at that. But I’ve done everything else humanly possible to try and make it up to those troops when they return home — that is, the ones lucky enough to return home.
So, Fox News and the other lazy media — quit making shit up about me! You look ridiculous. If you want to have a debate with me about the ISSUES and the POLICIES, then let’s have it. If you want to debate a movie that’s trying to rewrite history, then let’s have that. But when you hide behind falsehoods and then use them to try and manipulate the public, then all you are is afraid. Afraid of me, an unarmed American, and the truth I bring along as my sidekick. Only cowards have to lie. Be brave. Report the truth. It will feel good.”
Last but not least by a long shot,
former Navy SEAL and former Governor of Minnesota,
Jesse Ventura, has condemned the film saying Kyle was ‘No Hero’! Ventura won $1.8 million in a defamation lawsuit last year
against the estate of the late Chris Kyle,
the SEAL protagonist of the movie, which has sparked debate over whether
snipers should be considered heroes. Ventura
said Wednesday he won’t see the film partly because Kyle is no hero to him. "A hero must be honorable, must have honor. And you can’t have Honor if you’re a liar. There is no Honor in lying," Ventura told The
Associated Press from his winter home in Baja
California, Mexico. Ventura also
dismissed the movie as propaganda because it conveys the false idea that Iraq had
something to do with the 9/11 attacks.
The former wrestler is now working on the second season of his online-only
political talk show Off the Grid at www.Ora.tv , which
he records in Mexico, where he lives in a solar-powered home with a satellite
Internet connection.
To say the least, Hollywood has
ALWAYS taken great leave on its own to EXAGGERATE or SPIN any given story this
way or that to suit its purposes, whether for propaganda purposes or not and at
the expense of Truth & History!
While the movie, ‘American Sniper’, is meant to be an EMOTIONAL ROLLER-COASTER for the audience in this
Age of one ‘Oil
War’ after another in the Middle-East – the new movie, ‘EXODUS’,
takes great liberty diverting AWAY from the actual Biblical account in order to
present a ‘war-movie’ about ancient
times when Moses lead the Israelites out-of-Egypt! The movie shows Moses as a young, vivant
WARRIOR without a ‘staff’, while the
Biblical account claims Moses was 80 years & older! Either way the ‘special effects’ experts really know how to do their jobs…&
then some!
ONE WAY OR ANOTHER…WE ALL REAP WHAT WE HAVE SOWN…&
then some!
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
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