Monday, June 28, 2004
I went to Fahrenheit 9/11 on Friday
It felt like a Democratic party pep rally.
In the theater where I saw it, the audience was cheering, jeering, and applauding wildly on key with the points that Moore was trying to make.
I found this slightly startling as some of the cheers came in points that, the 9/11 report testimony rationally explained, but for which Moore was trying to paint an ugly picture.
For me, several points like this counteracted the entire persuasive success of this film to change my opinions. If I can't trust the accuracy of information that I can collaborate, how can I trust the information that I can't easily collaborate?
What did strike me, something that hadn't sunk in for me before, is how emotional and deep the divide is between the extreme right and extreme left. I suspect that I would have been mobbed if I had stood up after the movie and yelled "This movie contained lies and I am still voting Republican." (btw, I am not voting Republican, and I am not voting Democrat, but I am voting)
After some discussion online, I have had numerous people request that I don't "throw away my vote" on a third party. To the contrary, I believe that if you don't like the current direction of government, voting for a major party is throwing away your vote. So many of the people that I talk to are completely disgusted with both major parties that if we all actually voted the way we believe, we would likely end up with a 3rd party president!
Read, listen, think for yourself, discuss it with people you know, make up your own mind and gain some more understanding of others.
In the theater where I saw it, the audience was cheering, jeering, and applauding wildly on key with the points that Moore was trying to make.
I found this slightly startling as some of the cheers came in points that, the 9/11 report testimony rationally explained, but for which Moore was trying to paint an ugly picture.
For me, several points like this counteracted the entire persuasive success of this film to change my opinions. If I can't trust the accuracy of information that I can collaborate, how can I trust the information that I can't easily collaborate?
What did strike me, something that hadn't sunk in for me before, is how emotional and deep the divide is between the extreme right and extreme left. I suspect that I would have been mobbed if I had stood up after the movie and yelled "This movie contained lies and I am still voting Republican." (btw, I am not voting Republican, and I am not voting Democrat, but I am voting)
After some discussion online, I have had numerous people request that I don't "throw away my vote" on a third party. To the contrary, I believe that if you don't like the current direction of government, voting for a major party is throwing away your vote. So many of the people that I talk to are completely disgusted with both major parties that if we all actually voted the way we believe, we would likely end up with a 3rd party president!
Read, listen, think for yourself, discuss it with people you know, make up your own mind and gain some more understanding of others.
Sunday, June 20, 2004
Busy
So, I have been busy lately. Sorry for the lack of posts.
I have been gardening, walking more, helping friends move, and customizing a couple 1U rackmount cases so I can mount an EPIA fan-less mini-itx motherboard, associated power supply, and hard drive in each.
I'm going to try to update this at least once a week...We'll see how well that works. I may just be posting links to some of my recent photos for a little while.
I have been gardening, walking more, helping friends move, and customizing a couple 1U rackmount cases so I can mount an EPIA fan-less mini-itx motherboard, associated power supply, and hard drive in each.
I'm going to try to update this at least once a week...We'll see how well that works. I may just be posting links to some of my recent photos for a little while.
