I think I saw this movie at the right time. Now, basically. Bush being a colossal *beep* up, the starting of wars, the culture of fear etc. It somehow feels more relevant now than ever before, especially in the wake of the U.S. Presidential elections.
Michael Moore, how did you ever know? :P
Lol...When I was watching this for the first time a year ago, I was like who does this remind me of??
shareBecause politics has always been exactly as it has been today, but people are stupid, and have a short memory.
This movie was precisely as relevant in 1995 as it is today, you just remember 1995 with your nostalgia glasses on. "Things are terrible today, so they *must* have been better before!"
Nah.
Things have always sucked. The government has always taken advantage of you.
If you think Obama is any different from W Bush, you haven't investigated their policies.
Hey...........hoss...... Lighten up..
shareNo, hoss is right. All this back-patting and self congratulating is pretty pathetic. "Oh, man, you thought that this was so f'ing relevant in today's society, too? That's exactly what I thought!!!". Yes, it's relevant today, and it would also have been relevant for most of the 20th century. Have you ever heard of the Spanish-American War at the turn of the century? Boom, same thing really, just going south of the border instead of north. The movie was made to be a really broad commentary on government policy and action; all these people viewing it as some sort of time-warp dig at Bush need to get a sense of perspective. And finally, based on their viewing of the movie through the lens of how much they hate George Bush (that interpretation never gets old), I think Hoss was pretty well cleared to shoot down their dreams of an Obama Utopia. The movie is about how wars come and go but governments never really change, so if you view it as being some kind of ultra-relevant commentary about the especially crappy Bush administration, you have completely missed the point.
Plus Michael Moore is a hack. Study history or economics, and it's pretty easy to see that his movies are jokes. At least this time it was intentional.
Bravo dpvannos, someone who actually has studied American history! And we can take its relevance back even to the 19th century. Take the Mexican-American War, 1846, America's most blatant act of imperialist aggression, fought for land that Mexico had already offered to sell. 20,000 Americans and over 50,000 Mexicans dead all because President Polk became impatient with the negotiations.
Bush was crappy, but when you study a little history you depressingly find that he wasn't even in the top ten worst.
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People have selective memories. They conveniently forget that, in hindsight, Bill Clinton also made some very foolish mistakes during his second term as President during the mid and late 90's, such as his mishandling of Osama Bin-Laden and his then emerging terrorist group Al-Qeada, which ultimately sent us heading down the path to 9/11. Sure, Bush wasn't the brightest but I do kind of feel that he was trying to over compensate for what Clinton should've done in the first place but didn't do.
I'M A TRAVELING SALESPERSON. I SELL BANJOS.
And if you just watched the movie, as I did, you should find it amazing how Mr. Moore (AKA mr. Hack) ripped on Universal Healthcare. Even Mike has reservations proved with the line givien by the candy striper - "You don't actually need a doctor until 2006...when you'll be given a kidney transplant."
I agree with the OP in that the movie mirrors actual life but don't be so ignorant to not realize other motifs in the movie.
BTW, unless you don't want to visit a doctor until 2016, vote No for any reform. Public option will not work in our society.
Bill Clinton also made some very foolish mistakes during his second term as President during the mid and late 90's, such as his mishandling of Osama Bin-Laden and his then emerging terrorist group Al-Qeada
I really love your use of Monica Lewinsky's quote as your signature. In the context of this discussion in particular, your usage of this quote says a great deal about your credibility.
"That mans' nuts!!! Grab 'em!"
Where did you get that bullroar from? OBL was Reagan's & Bush Sr's mistake and he was handled under their administrations, not Clinton's. The blowback just happened when it did, to Bush Jr. And nobody has 'selective memories' about this; it's most likely that you do.
shareYeah, we need more faked wars like WW 2. Only 70 million civilians killed in a war that would have gone on much longer or ended with Hitler, Tojo, Stalin, Musslini holding world power, but America at war is evil, isn't it. It just ended slavery, communism, nazism in the right hands.
shareAnd how did the US end WW2? By nuking the hell out of Japan. America, as you call it, was the first country to ever use the atomic bomb -- and not just one, but two, better safe than sorry, right?-- as a weapon of war. And also the only, so far. And now that we've gotten to play with it we don't want anyone else to because God Forbid someone, like those "crazy terrorists", would use it on us. Like we did on the Japanese at the end of your precious WW2, killing countless innocent people and scarring survivors for life. But that's ok, all those lives don't matter, right? America saved the world, and the Japanese have no right to be mad, huh? They had it coming, they were at war with America the free! America the mighty!
You're right. Your version is nicer. It's like a nice beddy-by story -- and also the average Hollywood rom-com -- : you need to be a bit naive or else maybe ignorant to stomach it.
"Nobody puts Baby in the corner!"
Quote: "And how did the US end WW2? By nuking the hell out of Japan..."
Keep in mind Japan attacked the U.S. AFTER promising peace. There would have been no war with Japan if it hadn't been for that attack on U.S. forces in Hawaii.
>>>"Take the Mexican-American War, 1846, America's most blatant act of imperialist aggression, fought for land that Mexico had already offered to sell">>>
Not even close to accurate. The Mexican government was overthrown by a General, who claimed to be the new president, and then tried to reclaim Texas through force. The US was acting in self-defense.
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If you think Obama is any different from W Bush, you haven't investigated their policiesTheir policies are similar because they answer to the same bosses among the billionaires of the world who control both the Republicans and Democrats. Obama is an anti-colonialist and hates the fact that we are in Iraq and Afghanistan. He can't pull us out because he isn't the one who ultimately calls the shots.
It's even more relevant in 2010. Obama does the exact same thing, following the same timetables that Bush did, in Iraq. Sends 30,000 more troops to Afhganistan and wins the Nobel Peace Prize! Does the President in Canadian Bacon win a Nobel Peace Prize?
shareNow that Russia has grown stronger and more independent over the last decade, the US finally has their most valued enemy back. Funniest scene in the movie was the US Joint Chief literally tackling the Russian premiere in a last ditch effort to antagonize him and the Russian calling him a "sore winner". The US has done everything it can think of to turn Russia into an enemy in past couple of years yet Putin still refers to the US as their "friends and partners". It must really burn the war mongers up! Stunningly prescient.
Thanks to Donald Trump, this movie is way more relevant now.
shareFrom the first line "God bless America again". And picking up surplus military supplies (like many police departments). And that is just in the first 4 minutes.
We all know that The more things change, the more they stay the same, but this is a bit too much. I dig it up because I want a laugh, but this is too depressingly close to reality.
And now here we are in 2017. Just watched after many years, still a funny movie, but there is now a bit of a chilling effect too.
shareThis comment hasn't aged well.
Trump was the 1st president in my life not to start a foreign war & decreased America's overseas military footprint. He was despised for that by the military industrial complex & even fellow Republicans Bush/Cheney, whose tenure this movie much more accurately predicted.
Thanks to dementia Joe, this movie is way more relevant now.
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