[PAA-Discuss] Another WikiLeaks Cable from the Bush Administration About My Movies ......
Juli3 at aol.com
Juli3 at aol.com
Sat Jan 15 11:24:33 EST 2011
old news, but still interesting;
Another WikiLeaks Cable from the Bush Administration About My Movies ...a
note from Michael Moore
Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010
Friends,
Twice within four days, my name has popped up in the Bush-era secret cables
uncovered by WikiLeaks. Lucky me. Though nowhere near as earth-shattering
as the uncovering of American misdeeds in Iraq and Afghanistan, these
classified cables provide a stunning and bizarre peek into the paranoid minds of
the Bush White House when it came to the subject of one Michael Francis
Moore.
And considering how WikiLeaks has released only 1,826 cables of its planned
drop of 251,287 -- and I've already played a starring role twice -- I can
only say I await with bemused anticipation how the moi-storyline will play
itself out.
The most recent secret cable revelation is in today's Guardian newspaper of
London. It's _entitled_
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/22/wikileaks-cables-michael-moore-nz) , "US Intervened in Michael Moore NZ
Screening." Oh yeah, baby! New Zealand! That's where we'll stop Moore and his band
of evildoers!
The date was July 30, 2004. 'Fahrenheit 9/11' was already a huge hit in the
United States. Just to give you an idea how huge, it had hit #1 at the box
office, the only documentary to have ever accomplished this feat, and had
made more on its opening weekend than 'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.'
But it was no easy path to get there. Disney (which owned Miramax) was
apoplectic when they saw the final cut. So they pulled the film from its
theatrical schedule. Then they put a permanent block on its release, insuring no
one would see it. But then the New York Times, in a front page story,
reported that the real reason Disney hated 'Fahrenheit' was they were worried
about the tax breaks it got in Jeb Bush's Florida for Disney World. This
caused some embarrassment, so Disney then sold 'Fahrenheit' to the Weinstein
Bros., who said they'd spend their own money to distribute it.
The release of the film caused concern at the White House, as this was the
re-election year. They hired a pollster who told them the film might tip
the election. That was enough for them to swing into action. Much of July was
a nonstop barrage of attacks on me and the movie. But that just resulted
in more tickets being sold.
Which brings us to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. There are few
nations on earth further away from us. A local chapter of the ruling Labor
Party apparently had decided to do a fundraising screening of 'Fahrenheit
9/11.' It was to be hosted by the Prime Minister's Cabinet Secretary for the
Environment.
Well, when the U.S. Embassy in Wellington got word of this, it was like all
heck broke loose. America was offended! Phone calls were made to the Prime
Minister! Then to the Cabinet Secretary! We ... are ... not ... happy!
Apparently, the Kiwis backed down and the Cabinet Secretary withdrew as the
host. A sigh of relief whiffed its way through the American embassy. Moore
stopped! The _cable back to Washington_
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/19257) showed the embassy had no problem taking
credit for putting the kabosh on yours truly:
"... it is probable that this potential fiasco may only have been averted
because of our phone calls -- it is apparent to us that neither the Minister
nor anyone else in the Labour government seems to have thought there was
anything wrong with a senior Minister hosting such an event."
So here's my question:
Really?
I mean, seriously -- really? This is how the Bush State Department was
spending its time -- on a single screening of 'Fahrenheit 9/11' in freakin'
New Zealand? Or maybe ... was this kind of interference happening just to New
Zealand? Call me crazy, but I gotta feelin' it doesn't stop there. Just as
a health insurance executive has now come forward as a whistleblower to
reveal the millions spent to smear 'Sicko,' I can't help wait for that day
when the whistleblower from the Bush White House comes forward to tell the
fascinating tale of how the Bush team believed they had to do something --
anything -- to stop 'Fahrenheit.' Or worse (like the "Plan B" the health
insurance companies discussed -- to "push Michael Moore off a cliff."). I
didn't want to think about what the Bush Plan B would be. Just wasn't worth the
crazy-making. So I ignored the things I'd hear, kept my head down and
motored on.
But, it does make you wonder. And I ask you, is it fair to pose the
question: If they were this focused on some insignificant screening in New
Zealand, what else were they up to? And I don't mean in regards to me. I mean
anyone who was on their enemies list ...
I can't wait to read more classified cables.
Yours,
Michael Moore
_MMFlint at aol.com_ (mailto:mmflint at aol.com)
_MichaelMoore.com_ (http://www.michaelmoore.com/)
P.S. Of course, given the _false claims_
(http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/mike-friends-blog/viva-wikileaks) the State Department made in the other
"secret" cable about my movie 'Sicko,' I guess anything was possible.
P.P.S. Don't miss the REAL revelations from just the first batch of
WikiLeaks cables. For instance, the Obama administration worked together with
Republicans to _kill an investigation_
(http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/12/wikileaks-cable-obama-quashed-torture-investigation) by Spain into Bush's
torture. Pfizer hired a private investigator to _dig up dirt_
(http://articles.cnn.com/2010-12-09/us/wikileaks.nigeria_1_trovan-pfizer-kano-state?_s=P
M:US) on the Attorney General of Nigeria. Bush's ambassador to France
planned to _"retaliate"_
(http://www.truth-out.org/wikileaks-us-ambassador-planned-retaliation-against-france-over-ban-monsanto-corn66131) against the
country for standing up to Monsanto. And we're less than 1% of the way
through ...
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