Fahrenheit 9/11 feat. M. Moore, GW Bush, Half-truths, hard facts...

I debated writing this movie up for quite a while. It's hard to be fair to a movie that in itself is not entirely fair. It's even harder to write a review that will not devolve into a political discussion... and maybe that's the beauty of it. Does the film make you ask questions? Yes. Does it make you talk to others about hard issues? Yes.
I think it's no secret that I, along with many others, are not happy with this administration, and mostly for reasons beyond 9/11. I haven't been happy with any administration since I started paying attention to politics. Yes, I am an angry, disenfranchised Dean supporter. But now, I'm off topic.
The film...
Moore clearly stated in his last book "Dude, Where's My Country?" that the goal of his film and book were regime change. Frightening enough that political discourse has now reached the point of opposing sides tossing words like "regime" and "traitor" around so cavalierly. And yet, as the film's release got closer, Moore's message to mass media became: " I think if the film gets people talking, whichever way they vote, I've done my job."
Moore is a shameless self-promoter, yes.
But for the most part, I like the guy. Why? It's nice to see someone rally support for the little guy in America. It's nice to see a citizen working hard to show that you can work around a broken system to create change.
Some of the high spots of the movie for discussion were disquieting to me, perhaps for different reasons than most.
Bush playing golf during the war didn't bother me as much as the fact that he was stupid enough to hold a press conference while doing so. We're in the information age now, the rules have changed. If you're going to be a leader, you should at least try to look concerned.
There's little made in the film of those Iraqis who are happy to be rid of Saddam. Moore focuses on the questionable behavior of some soldiers, the horror faced by some families, the confusion of some troops on the ground who are just there to follow orders. A compelling picture, but somewhat incomplete.

The film has reaffirmed my opinions about the whole conflict:
1. We don't belong in Iraq. We shouldn't have invaded. There was a strong possibility that a diplomatic solution would have worked. And, our military option was there, ready to go if needed.
2. Despite what the liberal media tells you, there are good things happening in Iraq. Saddam is gone. The threat of Saddam is gone. Umm...Saddam is gone. Really, we can't say much of anything positive until 5-10 years have passed. Will we prop up another horrible dictator in Saddam's place? Will the new government show the same tolerance towards women and Christians that Saddam did? (Tolerance being a relative term here...) Let's hope it all turns out right and people see our role as liberators instead of instigators.
3. Despite what the conservative media tells you, there are many horrible things happening in Iraq that are not "heat of the moment" things. They are war crimes. And we're responsible, like it or not.

The one thing I can encourage people to do is see the movie. But afterwards, get online, get to your local bookstore, do some research, and learn about how incredibly f'ed up your world really is. You'll feel helpless at first, but, right, left, or centrist, you'll realize there are things you can do to affect change. And for a take-home message, that ain't half bad.
Also, Dick Cheney is a robot. This is not stated in the film, but it was a headline on the Weekly World News, and I couldn't think of any other place to relay this message to you, my fellow Americans. Forewarned is forearmed, they say...
4 stars out of 5