From fork-admin@xent.com Thu Oct 10 12:34:51 2002 Return-Path: Delivered-To: yyyy@localhost.example.com Received: from localhost (jalapeno [127.0.0.1]) by jmason.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 04BD316F20 for ; Thu, 10 Oct 2002 12:33:33 +0100 (IST) Received: from jalapeno [127.0.0.1] by localhost with IMAP (fetchmail-5.9.0) for jm@localhost (single-drop); Thu, 10 Oct 2002 12:33:33 +0100 (IST) Received: from xent.com ([64.161.22.236]) by dogma.slashnull.org (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id g9A6HqK11334 for ; Thu, 10 Oct 2002 07:17:53 +0100 Received: from lair.xent.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by xent.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id ACC8E2940B3; Wed, 9 Oct 2002 23:17:03 -0700 (PDT) Delivered-To: fork@example.com Received: from slc02.smtp.stsn.com (p5.n-usslc14.stsn.com [12.23.74.5]) by xent.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 783F529409A for ; Wed, 9 Oct 2002 23:16:05 -0700 (PDT) Received: from ianbell.com ([10.16.39.92]) by slc02.smtp.stsn.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(5.0.2195.3779); Thu, 10 Oct 2002 00:16:03 -0600 MIME-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v546) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed Subject: Fwd: [POLITICOS] Re: "Bowling for Columbine," Opens This Friday From: Ian Andrew Bell To: fork@example.com Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-Id: <1271ABB6-DC18-11D6-B3AB-0030657C53EA@ianbell.com> X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.546) X-Originalarrivaltime: 10 Oct 2002 06:16:04.0000 (UTC) FILETIME=[83132A00:01C27024] Sender: fork-admin@xent.com Errors-To: fork-admin@xent.com X-Beenthere: fork@example.com X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.11 Precedence: bulk List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: Friends of Rohit Khare List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 23:18:20 -0700 X-Spam-Status: No, hits=-0.9 required=5.0 tests=CLICK_BELOW,FWD_MSG,KNOWN_MAILING_LIST,QUOTED_EMAIL_TEXT, T_NONSENSE_FROM_00_10,T_NONSENSE_FROM_10_20, T_NONSENSE_FROM_20_30,T_NONSENSE_FROM_30_40, T_NONSENSE_FROM_40_50,T_NONSENSE_FROM_50_60, T_NONSENSE_FROM_60_70,T_NONSENSE_FROM_70_80, T_NONSENSE_FROM_80_90,T_NONSENSE_FROM_90_91, T_NONSENSE_FROM_91_92,T_NONSENSE_FROM_92_93, T_NONSENSE_FROM_93_94,T_NONSENSE_FROM_94_95, T_NONSENSE_FROM_95_96,T_NONSENSE_FROM_96_97, T_NONSENSE_FROM_97_98,T_NONSENSE_FROM_98_99, T_NONSENSE_FROM_99_100,T_QUOTED_EMAIL_TEXT,UNSUB_PAGE, USER_AGENT_APPLEMAIL version=2.50-cvs X-Spam-Level: Begin forwarded message: > From: Ian Andrew Bell > Date: Wed Oct 9, 2002 11:16:09 PM US/Pacific > To: mike@michaelmoore.com > Cc: foib@ianbell.com > Subject: [POLITICOS] Re: "Bowling for Columbine," Opens This Friday > > Michael, > > Why is it that people who consider voting in an election an > inconvenience would go to see a movie to show support for its message? > Don't get me wrong -- I think this is the case. People will go to > see your movie as much to be entertained and informed as they will to > express their malice and discontent towards not only the present > regime in America, but also the corrupt, empty, shallow pantomime > which cast them into power. > > In reality, today the voting that takes place via the act of > consumption far outweighs the impact caused by people going to a booth > and dimpling the appropriate chad, or some other such convoluted act > of free democratic expression. > > Why? Because in America, they believe in dollars. Dollars don't lie. > In practise, they are the last frontier of truth in America, > universally accepted as expressions of fear, desire, passion, and > need. Compared to the swing of the almighty buck, and Jeb Bush knows > this, a hanging chad has only the nethermost meaning. > > Given that fact, I modestly propose an entirely new, though wholly > logical, extension to the current democratic system in place in > America: > > I propose we augment, and effectively replace, the electoral system > with a political stock market. We should accept that Politicians are > entrepreneurs just like any other businessperson in America, and > embrace this fact in building an economic system which truly reflects > their intent. A politician should issue a constant number of shares > dependent upon his tenure in government. Those shares should be > traded on an open exchange, say the G.R.E.E.D. (short, of course, for > the "Global Realists' Electoral Exchange -- Democratic"). Politicians > we believe in will see their stocks rise higher as faith in their > ability to maintain office grows. As the truth about their embezzling > campaign funds for weekend trips to Maui with their interns is > revealed, of course, their fortunes will fall. > > This represents an opportunity for the market forces -- those same > forces which you intend to harness to express your own personal > protest -- to voice their opinion on the quality of America's > governance during the intervening four years between elections. > Elections themselves will in effect become meaningless, as they are > now, since their outcome will be influenced by the stock price of each > and every congressman, senator, and presidential candidate. > > Just think of the coverage that could be given on MSNBC! "Strom > Thurman (STROM: news - quotes) was down 15% today on fears that his > latest heart operation will render him unable to attend Senate Armed > Services committee meetings until November.." This would provide > rejuvenating content to the econo-political news sector, which has > found post-economic-bubble coverage to be both tiresome and > deoressing. The establishment of this new stock exchange would of > course create jobs for newly unemployed (and governmentally retrained) > IT systems engineers who could, after passing the electoral securities > exam, become floor traders. > > This would also allow for a convenient and very public method by which > candidates could raise capital in the public markets to support their > multi-billion-dollar campaigns. The requirement for the support of > legions of spin doctors, permanent campaign managers, and investor > relations personnel would also create jobs -- perhaps even a new > practice for Ernst & Young, Arthur Anderson, et al. Insider trading > scandals and misleading revenue declarations would of course catch > Martha Stewart as an unwitting beneficiary, thus spreading her > influence to politics. > > Dividends, if there are any on record, at the close of a politician's > career could be paid to current shareholders based on the holdings. > Pensions funds could provide the institutional investment support > necessary to underpin even the biggest dogs among the Beltway set. > Union funds, brokerages, and even pump-and-dump houses could benefit > from meteoric rises in conservative candidates running in the > Southeast, and the Bush Governmet would be allowed to place Social > Security bets where they really mattered. investors who lose their > retirement, life savings, and support could rest assured that they > were indeed robbed by crooks rather than poor investors. > > Although there's no way to protect any of these for Worldcom-like > crashes, ambitious, inspired, District Attorneys could file criminal > suits against Candidates and Campaign Managers who underperform > expectations, thus assuring investors that their logic was not faulty > -- instead, they were merely defrauded by crooks and thieves. > > On the whole, I believe the system could work. I could certainly work > as well as our beloved securities trading industry and, given the > American electoral system's success at effectively expressing the will > of the people, it certainly couldn't do any worse... > > In the meantime, Mike, I think I'll go see your movie and try to > depose the President. > > -Ian. > > > > On Wednesday, October 9, 2002, at 03:53 PM, Michael Moore's Mailing > List wrote: > >> October 9, 2002 >> >> My Film, "Bowling for Columbine," Opens This Friday >> >> Dear friends, fans, and fellow evildoers: >> >> I am very happy and excited to tell you that this Friday, October 11, >> my >> new >> film, "Bowling for Columbine," will open in New York and Los Angeles. >> >> It is, I promise, the last thing the Bushies want projected on the >> movie >> screens across America this week. The film is, first and foremost, a >> devastating indictment of the violence that is done in our name for >> profit >> and power -- and no one, in all the advance screenings I have >> attended, has >> left the theatre with anything short of rage. I truly believe this >> film has >> the potential to rock the nation and get people energized to do >> something. >> >> This is not good news for Junior and Company. Not when they are >> trying to >> drag us into another war. Not when a crazed sniper is exercising his >> constitutional right to own a high-powered rifle. Not when John >> Ashcroft is >> still prohibiting the FBI from looking through the gun background >> check >> files to see if any of the 19 hijackers or their associates purchased >> any >> weapons prior to 9/11 -- because THAT, we are told, would "violate" >> these >> terrorists' sacred Second Amendment rights! >> >> Yes, I believe this movie can create a lot of havoc -- but I will >> need ALL >> of you to help me do this. Are you game? >> >> Last February 5th, I wrote to tell you about a book I had written and >> how >> the publisher had decided to dump it because they were afraid to >> publish >> anything critical of Bush after 9/11. I appealed to you to save >> "Stupid >> White Men" from the shredder and to go out and buy it. I promised you >> would >> not regret it, and that the book would not only be a great read but an >> important organizing tool in gumming up the plans of George W. Bush. >> >> Within 24 hours, the book went to #1 on the Amazon best seller list. >> By the >> fifth day, the book was already into its 9th printing. The publisher >> was >> torn between its desire to kill the book or make a wad of money. >> Greed won >> out, and this Sunday the book enters its 31st week on the New York >> Times >> best seller list -- and its 32nd printing. This is all because of >> you, my >> crazy and loyal friends. You made this happen, against all the odds. >> >> Now I would like to ask you again to help me with my latest work, >> "Bowling >> for Columbine." It's a movie that many critics have already called my >> best >> film to date. They may be right. It is certainly the most provocative >> thing >> I have ever done. I have spent three years on it and, I have to say, >> it >> cuts >> deeper, harder and funnier that anything I have given you so far. >> >> The movie opens this Friday in New York and Los Angeles, and then in >> 8 more >> cities next week. How it does in these first ten cities will determine >> whether or not the rest of the country gets to see it. That is the >> nutty >> way >> our films are released. If it doesn't have a big opening weekend, you >> can >> kiss the film good-bye. Therefore, this weekend, this film must be >> seen by >> millions of Americans. Can you help me make that happen? >> >> "Bowling for Columbine" is not a film simply about guns or school >> shootings. >> That is only the starting point for my 2-hour journey into the dark >> soul of >> a country that is both victim and master of an enormous amount of >> violence, >> both at home and around the world. With this movie I have broadened my >> canvas to paint a portrait of our nation at the beginning of the 21st >> century, a nation that seems hell-bent on killing first and asking >> questions >> later. It is a movie about the state sponsored acts of violence and >> terrorism against our own poor, and how we have created a culture of >> fear >> that is based on the racial dilemma we continue to ignore. And it's a >> devastating comedy. >> >> This film is going to upset some pretty big apple carts. No film has >> EVER >> said the things I am saying in "Bowling for Columbine." I expect to be >> attacked. I expect certain theatres will not show it for fear of >> retribution. I expect that this movie will be a bitter pill for many >> to >> swallow. >> >> This is why I need your help. Movies live or die based on what >> happens at >> the box office the first weekend of its release. I need you, if you >> live in >> the New York or L.A. area, to go see "Bowling for Columbine" this >> Friday >> and >> Saturday -- and take as many family members and friends with you as >> possible. I guarantee you will not be disappointed -- and you may >> just see >> one of the best films of the year. >> >> Monday night in Times Square, "Bowling for Columbine" had its >> premiere. The >> crowd was amazing, as it was this past Saturday night at the Chicago >> Film >> Festival. The audience kept laughing or hooting or applauding so loud >> throughout the film that it was hard to hear the next line. >> >> The hate mail, the threats, the promises of retribution have already >> started >> to roll in to the distributor of this movie, United Artists. They are >> not >> backing down. But how long will this last? I need all of you in the >> New >> York >> tri-state and southern California areas to go see "Bowling for >> Columbine" >> THIS weekend -- the rest of you can see it in a couple of weeks when >> it >> comes to your town. A strong opening not only means that the rest of >> America >> will see this film, it means that a good number of people who see it >> are >> going to leave the film angry enough to get active and get involved. >> If it >> does poorly, I will have a difficult time finding the funding for the >> movie >> I want to make next -- a film about 9/11 and how Bush is using that >> tragic >> day as a cover for his right-wing agenda. >> >> Don't let that happen. Don't let the NRA have one more success by >> stopping >> the wider distribution of this movie. And, together, let us not remain >> silent in our opposition to Bush's phony war against Iraq. >> >> If you live in New York, you can see it at the Lincoln Plaza, the >> Sunshine >> and the Loews 19th St. In L.A., you can catch it at the Sunset 5, the >> Westwood Regent, Laemmle Sunset, Laemmle Towncenter (Encino), Landmark >> Rialto (Pasadena), and Regal University (Irvine). Also, please >> forward this >> to your other friends and tell them to go see "Bowling for Columbine" >> this >> weekend. >> >> And finally, don't miss our new website www.bowlingforcolumbine.com >> >> Thank you for your help with this. I feel so honored and privileged >> to have >> so many people interested in my work. Last January I was getting >> 70,000 >> hits >> a month on my website. Last month, I got 17 million hits. This alone >> speaks >> volumes about the vast majority all of us belong to who are sick and >> tired >> of what is going on and are longing for an alternative source of >> information. >> >> I hope that you enjoy "Bowling for Columbine." >> >> Thank you again... >> >> Yours, >> >> Michael Moore >> >> --- >> >> If you wish to be be unsubscribed from this mailing list, please >> click the >> link below and follow the instructions. >> >> http://www.michaelmoore.com/mailing/unsubscribe.php >