Lucye Rafferty/The Hoya Nearly 500 people waited over 90 minutes to hear Michael Moore last Friday.
Michael Moore, the best-selling author of Stupid White Men and the Academy Award winner for Best Documentary in 2002 for Bowling for Columbine, addressed an enthusiastic crowd of 500 students and community members in Gaston Hall last Friday.
Wearing his usual attire of a baseball cap and sport coat, Moore was greeted with a standing ovation, despite being over an hour late. Apologizing for his tardiness, Moore handed out a few free copies of his new book, Dude, Where’s My Country? to students, many of whom had missed midterms and work to attend his speech.
Moore questioned the Christian values of the Republicans in the current administration.
“Their policy is in conflict with their religion,” oore said, asking how Republicans can endorse sending Americans abroad just so a few corporations, such as defense contractor Halliburton, can reap large profits.
“These kids in the army offer to risk and give up their lives to defend us,” he said. “This is an incredible gift to those who don’t serve and I find it despicable and immoral to take their good faith and use them so that Bush and his associates can enrich themselves.”
Moore proposed, sarcastically, that for every American soldier killed in Iraq, Halliburton must slay one mid-level executive. oore said he felt that because Halliburton was profiting from the deaths in Iraq, the company should be willing to sacrifice as well.
Moore harshly criticized the Bush administration’s callous attitude toward the loss of life in Iraq.
Moore called this un-American and accused the administration of “serial lying.” Moore said that Bush could get away with these lies because Americans are a trusting people, although he added that they have begun to see the truth. Moore said he believes Americans will sink into their own cynicism or will rise up if the lies do not stop, and he said he hopes for the latter.
“I want an angry electorate,” he said.
Moore said he believed the California recall was an example of what can happen when politicians do not perform and the voters get angry. Noting how President Bush steered clear of the entire recall issue, Moore said it is because President Bush fears a “recall” himself next November.
Moore said the only reason Bush still has a chance to retain the White House is because the Democratic Party is a “miserable, pathetic excuse for a party.”
“At least the Republicans have the courage of their convictions,” he said. “Americans want a leader who leads, and Republicans look like leaders.”
Moore said that the majority of Americans are liberal on the issues, and that the only reason the Democrats cannot win the presidency in 2004 is because the wrong people are running.
“Democrats can’t even win when they win,” oore said, referring to Al Gore in the 2000 election.
Although he would not endorse one candidate, Moore said he would like to see a debate between President Bush and presidential candidate and retired General Wesley Clark, if only to hear Bush have to address his responses to “the General.”
Moore then read a selection from his new book. Moore chose to read from the chapter entitled “Jesus W. Christ,” a chapter written in the voice of God.
Moore feigned fear over his text selection, telling the audience to warn him if they saw a lightening bolt come down through the ceiling of Gaston Hall.
Moore finished off his speech with a long question and answer session. Responding to questions, Moore spoke briefly of his new documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11, which will be out before the 2004 election and centers around the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and the ties between the Bush and bin Laden families.
Moore said he does not plan on running for political office, but encouraged the students at the event to be active because politics is not “a spectator sport.”
When asked about his immense popularity abroad, Moore attributed his success to the fact that Europeans “like to see a sane person from America,” proof that all Americans are not like those in the White House.
When one audience member asked Moore if he could say one positive thing about America, Moore responded that that is what he had been doing for the past hour and that “every criticism is an attempt to make this country a better place.”
Moore’s trip to Georgetown was part of his 35 city, 25 day book tour, promoting his latest book Dude, Where’s My County? The book was released on Oct. 7 and is a direct follow-up to his last Stupid White Men. The speech was sponsored by the Georgetown University Lecture Fund, Progressive Coalition, College Democrats and GU PeaceAction.