Spin Country

Ari Kaufman

Celebrities love animals. PETA's membership list is overflowing with celebs who will line up to speak for any animal cause (provided they are paid for it). Michael J. Fox loves animals so much that he once said he "values the life of an ant as much as his child's." As James Hirsen responded in his 2005 work, "Tales from the Left Coast," "I am sure Mike's kids would be happy to hear that."

Post Back to the Future and Family Ties, Mikey starred in the show "Spin City." I never watched the program, but judging from the title and ubiquitous clips, I can deduce the premise. Right now, via the Michael Moores, New York Timess and agenda-driven organizations like the ACLUs, NAACPs and moveon.orgs of our nation, we are experiencing a touch of "Spin Country." Based on a simple comparison of the size of a country versus that of a city, this can't be good for the brain of the average (Group Think) American.

Perhaps living in the most secular, uninformed, apathetic "Group Think" city in North America (Los Angeles) influenced my mindset on this last spring when I began contemplating this balderdash. Overall though, brainwashing and indoctrination know no restrictive landscape. Elementary schools are now the start, and it continues right through college and into most workplaces.

As a public school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, I had one friend in my former school that shared ideologies along my line of thinking. ONE...out of over 50. Thus, we get along well, and I co-authored many essays with him, which, when published, led to our demise as educators.

Upon making my acquaintance in the Fall of 2004, he said, "I was shocked but overjoyed to see your (anti-Liberal) bumper stickers. I figured you were just like every other teacher." We both knew what he meant. I surmised the same of him before we first spoke.

Far less than half of the nation genuinely disapproves of George W. Bush's running of the country, but the malaise toward America that hangs over our major cities is disturbing.

Having also read David Hardy and Jason Clarke's 2004 work, "Michael Moore IS a Big, Fat, Stupid White Man," it is obvious that Moore is still winning at least one battle: the battle over public opinion of the uninformed, naive masses.

Moore knows Americans are generally ignorant and gullible, and has wisely pounced on that, using grief-stricken mothers like Cindy Sheehan to accompany him in hypocritical laughter all the way to the bank.

How many people (not just wannabe hippie college students) do Moore's $35,000 a pop speeches draw? Tens of thousands. How many people saw Fahrenheit 9/11 (a film based upon 95% made-up, cut and pasted slander and libel)? Tens of Millions. How many copies did "Dude, where's my Country," "Downsize This!" and "Stupid White Men" sell? Millions, somehow.

Now, how many ordinary denizens have seen Fahrenhype 9/11, the documentary that disproves Moore's entire film and driveling attacks of our President? How many have read the book I just mentioned by Hardy and Clarke? How many, hours after seeing Moore's Crockumentary, bothered to read Christopher Hitchens' commentary in Slate? Seemingly few, and all the more discouraging as Hitchens' piece turned out to be the most severe appraisal of his film, out of the millions published. And Hitchens was once a Communist who wrote for "The Nation." Like me, 9/11 "changed everything" for him. We both ask that you pardon the cliché.

Lastly, how many knew of the industrious 28 year-old from Minnesota who traveled the country, on his own credit card (not on stolen money from a lawsuit like Michael Moore did in Roger and Me back in 1989) during the summer of 2004, making the documentary, "Michael Moore Hates America?" Perhaps some of the readers of this site, but in America, VERY few, surely.

And Mike WILSON's documentary spews no hate. It's a film about how great America is.

Will anything change, though? Hopefully. Fox News still dominates the airwaves; President Bush won re-election easily, and Conservative books sales still outperform their counterparts from the left.

But Michael Moore is captivating. Educated and non-educated folk like to challenge the President, his Cabinet and "evil" corporations such as the health care industry. (the topic of his next "documentary.")

Seemingly, it must make them feel smugly superior. And after all, who doesn't like some narcissism with their whine?


Ari Kaufman is a freelance writer and former public schoolteacher now temporarily in Jupiter, Florida.