Sorry, but I would think HR 676 or S 703 would be preferable to HR 3200. Come on Moore!

Mr. Moore,

Please be sure you can get a showing of your fabulous movie at all the businesses that will be opening up early on Black Friday. lol

Oh yeah, and have you started having viewings shown at senior centers and community centers nationwide? PBS may be a good place to show your film as a special presentation on Thanksgiving!

Can't wait 'til I can bring my dvd player to the Emergency rooms to show the people waiting...

The biggest, and most important, story today is the story Sy Hersh covered about Obama's war with the Pentagon. I would suggest that there is only one thing for this administration, with the support of the public, to do and that is retire all the generals, and as many of the influencers as possible from the Pentagon and CIA and NSA. To rid those monoliths of all the vermin crawling around their corridors should be the only thing we demand, and, if it happened, all the other problems would fall into place. We do not have a Commander-in-Chief in our country today; the military regime now runs our nation and most of the world.

MICHAEL MOORE = FRAUD

MICHAEL MOORE = NEOLIBERAL GATEKEEPER AND OBAMA BOOTLICKER!!!!

MICHAEL MOORE's Agent is none other than Ari Emanuel, Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel's brother!!!

MICHAEL MOORE when will you tell people this compromising FACT???? So far you have not revealed your DIRECT CONNECTION TO THE OBAMA ADMINMISTRATION!!!!!

And that Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel's other brother is also advising Obama on Healthcare as well!!!

And you people think MICHAEL MOORE is SO WONDERFUL!!!! Man, are you people PATHETIC!!!!

Dear Mr Moores I live in the UK and we are all anxious to see your new documentary. I would like to know when it will be shown here? Thank you Julia Ryan

Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."

All my posts have been stripped off this string. Oh well, I guess CD needs to "keep things lite" to protect the feelings of the right-wing trolls and thin-skinned elitist pwogs on the site. Phew! I'm glad I didn't contribute to CD as I previously did.

...or just go outside and piss in the wind.

Same results.

Mr. Moore, got to tell you, I made the phone call to DC and it's no 5 minute task. Thank God for speakerphone. I had to be on hold for nearly 15 minute's, but I did get through.

My Congressman's office was much quicker. Apparently no one calls him, most know he's a useless jerk. Been in office for about 200 years.

Question. I kept the list of what to ask for in front of me. So how the heck do these volunteer operator's take notes so fast? I read your list off quickly, afterwards volunteer asked, "anything else" and I say yes, tell the President to keep up the good work telling FOX 2 to quit lying and start reporting, not entertaining.

Today, on Thom Hartmann’s program this British reporter, she calls in often, spent her time ranting on air over how unfair DC is being towards FOX. I could just about see Thom sitting looking into the phone like this woman was nuts. She stood firm saying that this particular Washington DC is a very tight and exclusive club when it comes to media. HELLO! You had to hear her tone, how insulted she was to really get the full effect. What's this Trick or Treat?

How about more people attempt just one of these suggestions?

Abandoning participation in the actual process isn't going to get us anywhere. Moore's right to reduce it to concrete things that can be done.

The same discussions are happening on the right in lobbyist-funded pr strategy mtgs. every day. Then they go out and take action.

Lacking the same effort, we lose. Every time.

Here's something that everyone can do right now:

In the first Great Crash of 1929, and even before the Great Depression that ravaged the American working/middle-classes, the most memorable scenes were of financial manipulators jumping from windows.

Hopefully, today --- if we are smart --- in this second Great Crash and before the second Great Depression can totally devastate the public, the most memorable scenes will be of the Wall Street Looters, Hedge Fund Whores, and Private Equity Pirates who caused this being pushed out of windows.

Alan MacDonald
Sanford, Maine

Good list, but join the Green Party instead of the Democrats.

http://www.gp.org/

"and new cars that don't contribute to climate change"

Here's the best approach to transport: Reject the incrementalism garbage. I noticed in the CD article today the Indian president made the same demand regarding appropriate tech from the industrial countries - no incrementalism - go straight to the most appropriate. Here it is:

We're talking averages here. We should cut our miles traveled by two to three. Of the remainder, 3/4 of those miles should be on public rail, at 300 mpg/passenger, or in the case of local rural, bus. Of the remaining miles, personal transport at 150 mpg average. This is achieved with series hybrid diesel electric, with turbo diesel at 40% efficiency, limited speed, limited weight, and limited reserve horsepower.

The reason we want series diesel hybrid versus battery-based electric is because the battery material demand will drive the usual geo-political "great games". The elite freaks will "corner the market" and use their control of those commodities to oppress/enslave the people exactly like they do today with petroleum. And they will try to control the power distribution/charging channel. No matter what the fuel, if production is centralized, we're enslaved. No, thanks. We'll also need rights to own/control energy production for rail transport (wind/solar).

The series diesel electric vehicles can be manufactured locally, including the engines and the the recycling of the much smaller battery packs required. All of the electronics too, except the microprocessor, which comes later. AND the fuel production will be locally owned/controlled. Biodiesel production at 200 gal/acre/year. On average, each person will consume 10 gal/year so the number of acres in biodiesel production will be 15 million, or about 2.5% of the current food production acres.

being number one is sometimes a lonely trip in the world where slave mentality is the ticket to employment
edweg

Michael Moore,
Thanks for the suggestions. They are a little dog eared and tired. William Jennings Brian would be able to tell you how they turn out most of the time if he was alive.

Please have your thyroid checked. If you are overeating, stop it! As Oprah would say, be responsible, set an example. I love your film but you look like a pig. You don't need liposuction, you need to go on a diet.

You can do better.

I quote Michael Moore.

"We invaded two nations that didn't attack us, failed to find the real terrorists and, in effect, ignited our own wave of terror. People all over the world wondered if we had gone mad".

The real terrorist are still at large, Michael.

If you want people to continue to think you are all mad just continue believing mainstream media and do not investigate what happened in 2001.

Hey this is a scathing report on Michael Moore's meeting with Hugo Chavez. I have a high regard for both these guys but this seems to be a bit over the top by Michael:

The (unfortunate) Lies of Michael Moore (about Hugo Chávez)

by Eva Golinger
October 20th, 2009

In an interview last October 9th on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the renowned and award-winning documentarian, Michael Moore lied vulgarly about his encounter with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez during the Venice Film Festival this past September. In the interview, Moore responds to Kimmel’s request for an explanation of a photo of Moore with President Hugo Chávez. Apparently embarrased about the encounter with one of Latin America’s most prominent and influential heads of state, Moore proceeded to completely make up a fairy-tale, attempting to pass it off as reality.

With a straight face, Moore stated he met President Chávez at 2 o’clock in the morning, after he and his wife had settled into bed in their Venice hotel room and heard a scandalous noise coming from the floor above. Moore states that he called down to the reception to find out “what the hell was going on”. “It’s the president of Venezuela”, the hotel clerk allegedly told Moore. Well, Michael couldn’t believe it, so despite his wife telling him “don’t go”, Moore set out, determined to find out if the true source of the scandal was really the Venezuelan president, the polemic Hugo Chávez.

Incrediously, Moore says he went upstairs and knocked right on Chávez’s door and a large man answered, who Moore claims was the president’s “bodyguard”. Chávez was right behind him and caught a glimpse of Moore and yelled out “Michael Moore, come on in!”. Anyone who has ever traveled or been close to President Chávez knows very well that it is absolutely impossible to just “go knock on his door”. Presidential security lines the hallways, elevators and all entrance points. Take it from someone who knows first hand. Moore’s story is complete and utter fiction. Also the man Moore identified in the interview as Chávez’s “bodyguard” is actually Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro, but hey, all latinos look alike!

Complete article at: http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/blog/eva/4877

When will Michael learn that Obama has doublecrossed us.
Today in Truthout, Hillary is headed for Afghanistan with
Exxon to make plans for the Pipeline that has yet to be
mentioned in the NY Times or any other large newspaper, it must be a military secret.
The oil in Iraq is being bought by China with all that Hillary-Walmart money, Just another doublecross. Hillary is in the thick of pipelines, oil, Bubba, and money.
The Clintons have outsourced our industrial base to China and
India. We are in a major depression and it is being kept a secret by Obama who is confused as hell.

Here's the comment I left at Moore's site:

Mike, you should take your own advice and think outside the politics-as-usual box. Instead of telling people to 'take over the Democratic Party' and run for office as Democrats, why not acknowledge the Green Party and other options for progressives? You can make a difference by starting a local Green Party and running for office as a Green.

Let's face it, the Dems have a super-majority and they're not doing any of the things on your list. Why not add to that list: instant runoff voting, to eliminate the so-called 'spoiler effect' and allow us to vote our hopes, not our fears; proportional representation to expand the range of views represented in government; equal access to debates for all candidates, not just Democrats and Republicans; and reform of ballot access laws meant to keep citizens from participating in the political process?

Mike, I'm not asking you to register Green. Just stop acting like Greens don't exist, and acknowledge that there are other routes to change than the Democratic Party. Peace!

Jerry Wells writes:
"Check out this small ad being circulated in California starting November 1st!
------------------------------------------------------------
The Peace and Freedom Party
California's ballot status Socialist Party
PFP starts it's Electoral Campaign 2010
-----------------------------------"

--> Sigh: bad politics AND grievous punctuation.
Here's a tip: lose that rogue apostrophe in i-t-s before running the ad -- people who care about punctuation REALLY care about it.

The only electoral quest that's worth the candle really IS taking back the Democratic Party from the right-lite -- not, as Moore suggests, just by showing up to dazzle the central committees by the presence of non-members, but by replacing them at the county level, at the district level, and so on -- relentlessly.

Otherwise, as we have seen (including with P&F), the Democrats can and will, election by election, destabilize any likely-looking third party. Voting for third-party candidates is fine -- but nobody should pretend they'll make much difference in the medium-long run, except to serve as entertainment for people who like to write let's-pretend platforms.

Way to go, Michael. Sounds good to me. You can be sure that I will be discussing your plan at home tonight!

as in, "We're mad, and we're not going to take it anymore."

Karita Hummer

Let's here it for a real progressive populist uprising, instead of the regressive populist attempts of the Republican/right wing.

#16: the Congress critters can all put loaded shutguns in their mouths and pull the triggers.

The entire state of public affairs is the mirror of the state of democracy and any changes in those affairs can be done only through democratization - not groundless polices.

Michael is close to solution when he advocates political involvement which I call integration; www.publicdom.net

edweg

Dump The Democrats! You cannot reform or "take over" the Democratic Party any more than you "reform" capitalism. Check out this small ad being circulated in California starting November 1st!

------------------------------------------------------------

The Peace and Freedom Party
California's ballot status Socialist Party
PFP starts it's Electoral Campaign 2010
-----------------------------------
If you want:

• An end to imperialist War(s)
• Jobs, not corporate bailouts
• Schools, not jails
• Healthcare for All

Read about the Peace and Freedom Party:
http://www.peaceandfreedom.org/home/*

Register Peace and Freedom Party today.
online at http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections
or by picking up a form at a local library or DMV.

* Become active in your local voting precinct
& neighborhood with other Peace and Freedom
supporters. Contact us at 323-960-5036 or e-mail: PeaceandFreedom@mail2world.com

* Are you an involved activist on one of the issues
of the PFP platform? Perhaps you or someone you
know would like to run for office on the PFP party
platform. Contact 323-960-5036 or e-mail:
PeaceandFreedom@mail2world.com

The survival of humanity requires a transition
away from run-amok, gangster capitalism to
an economy that meets the needs of the people,
a socialist economy "of , by , and for the people"

abnsmith you and those with your negative spin should be one of the unfortunate that have lost everything. You would think differently and all the questions you have asked of MM what would your answers be? Have you given?

Why doesn't this SOB support Cindy Sheehan who is trying to organize civil disobedience in DC? Ans: because he is a shill for the elite. His list is idiotic, not worth trashing.

It's kind of tough to do this stuff when your unemployed for yrs., have been evicted from your home and have no Health Ins. But it's easy to tell others to do it when your a multi-millionaire Movie mogul that eats at gourmet restaurants and travels in a stretch limo from one opening to another between going to Hollywood parties and galas and receiving awards. I had a University prof. once like Moore he was all hell fire for Revolution and I believed him till one day I invited him to an actual anti-war demonstration and he told me he couldn't make it because he had a date to play tennis. Hollywood Marxists / Limo Liberals same thing.

HOW ABOUT THE usa STOP THEIR WARS. THE $ SAVED WILL PAY FOR MEDICARE FOR ALL AND THEN SOME. WAR WAR WAR! GUNS GUNS GUNS, is this the way for the USA? It certainly seems like it from outside of the USA. This once great country has fallen to 22nd in the world.

It's a little bizarre reading the number of anti-Moore comments on this thread. Sure he's a little extreme, presents a slightly distorted view, but that's his job. He makes documentaries. Fact is the capitalist system in America today is broken. Income inequality is greater than at anytime since 1929. You remember what happened then? Yep, the Great Depression and a little Keynesian economics (that was called socialism at the time) saved the day. It took Reagan and his ilk just 30 years to brainwash the masses into believing that tax cuts are always good and the rules should be everyman for himself. Well, empires have their lifespan, if America doesn't change its ways quick, theirs will soon be up.
http://theendisalwaysnear.blogspot.com/2009/10/rent-seeking-parasites.html

and tell us Mr Moore, how much of your profits from your movies do you donate to the cause you say you support? You make a fair sum I would wager, how much do you pass on to those less fortunate than your self?

No person should be evicted from their home, as long as they in good faith try to pay for their home. How many homes have you paid off that people will keep 'their property'?

No person should be with out medical care, very true, but, are you going to pay 50 to 80% income tax on all your business or will you in good faith open a free clinic, hire doctors, staff and buy equipment in an under privileged neighborhood? I donate. Do you?

I demand that wealthy advocates of a single party be denied the ability to profit while espousing their personal beliefs on a large screen, How much did you through proxy and personal donate to see the political party you support elected?

Civil disturbance is a recourse, I would have to support your efforts on that, however organized professional protest is more effective than shouting like a group of brigands. Come sit with me quietly in front of a bank and with 10000 of your close friends, no chairs, no food, and city water, we might go to jail, but hey, some one will come bail us out I bet,

Yes, use the resources you have, you do it well Mr Moore, People need to be active politically, what we need is less goverment, not more, we need less goverment infringement,

Credit Unions are marvelous, I love mine, my only lone, my home lone is 6%,

Get rid of all your credit cards, even if you pay it all at the end of the month, the businesses you charge with have to pay a fee out of their profits, you HURT small business when you charge there, use a debit card or cash

Buy US Bounds, they are a long term investment in YOUR country. If you do not believe enough in your country to invest in it future in all honesty you should find some where else to live.

Unions can be good, just ask the Teamsters, Jimmy Hoffa loved his union to death. Organize but do not allow your union to become more powerful than its members.

Take care of your family, be responsible, pay your bills, walk more, drive less. if you smoke, you hurt every one, if you drive a giant SUV you are part of the problem.

As i have been doing number 5 under MAKE CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT LISTEN TO US, i sent MM the following email:

Hi Michael,

"The formula is simple and it's reduced to four words every kid in the world knows: Tell me a story. It's that easy."-Don Hewitt

I have been telling Vanunu's story since I met him in 2005.

This 1:19 minute video clip is excerpted from "30 Minutes with Vanunu"-and his message to Hillary Clinton:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Omq-QG7isA&feature=player_profilepage

The attached photo is of Vanunu and me, June 14, 2009:

That Story:

June 16, 2009: A Sunday with Vanunu: Read more...

http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1314&Itemid=221

MORE here:

August 21, 2009: The "Big Get" Don Hewitt and "60 Minutes" Didn't Get Read more...

http://www.wearewideawake.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1370&Itemid=223

VIDEO interviews:

Click here for Vanunu's message to Bush and USA Christians filmed in 2005:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKTX3vrHQOE

"30 Minutes with Vanunu" from March 24, 2006

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8079102468952529881&q#

"13 Minutes with Vanunu" taped January 2008:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2059606750949786468&hl=en#

Only in Solidarity do "we have it in our power to begin the world again."-Tom Paine

Eileen Fleming,
Founder of WeAreWideAwake.org
A Feature Correspondent for Arabisto.com
Author of "Keep Hope Alive" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory"
Producer "30 Minutes with Vanunu" and "13 Minutes with Vanunu"

FIVE THINGS WE WILL ACTUALLY DO :

1) EAT ANOTHER BURGER

2) GET EVEN FATTER

3)SIT ON THE SOFA AND WATCH JON STEWART

4) EAT SOME POPCORN

5)SPILL COLA OVER POT BELLY

"The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing, to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts." - John Keats

2. Take over your local Democratic Party...Then get yourself elected Senator. Then you will not have to worry about health care, as THAT health plan is GOLDEN! Then take a few million in bribes from the Health Insurance Industry, and retire.

"The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing, to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts." - John Keats

FIVE THINGS WE SHOULD DO TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND OUR LOVED ONES UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THIS MESS:

1. Take your money out of your bank if it took bailout money and place it in a locally-owned bank THAT DIDN;T TAKE BAILOUT MONEY AND IS ABOUT TO GO BANKRUPT.

2. Get rid of all your credit cards but one -- the kind where you have to pay up at the end of the month or you lose your card. THEN NOT PAY AND LOSE YOUR CARD. THEN GO BANKRUPT

3. Do not invest in the stock market. If you have any extra cash pay down on your mortgage. SO WHAT IF YOUR HOME JUST LOST 50% OF ITS RESALE VALUE, WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF THAT HAPPENING AGAIN?

4. Unionize your workplace so that you and your coworkers have a say in how your business is run. THEN GET LAID OFF WHEN THE COMPANY GOES BANKRUPT OR MOVES TO CHINA

5. Take care of yourself and your family. I PREFER THE 38 SPECIAL METHOD. A BASEBALL BAT ALSO WORKS BUT IS MESSIER

"The only means of strengthening one's intellect is to make up one's mind about nothing, to let the mind be a thoroughfare for all thoughts." - John Keats

People - Now for something completely different.

As those of us who became environmental activists, along with antiwar, women's liberation, et al, in the 60's and 70's know, the real thing to do is STOP SHOPPING, grow at least some of your own food, live simply and - rather than replacing all the wasteful energy we use now with"clean technology," get off fossil fuels yourself. I live in a cold climate, but burn wood for heat in a very efficient stove that re-burns the gases so there are virtually no emissions.

Prius cars and all the rest DO NOT MAKE UP FOR THE ENERGY IT TAKES TO BUILD THEM - they are a net negative on the environment.

Live simply so others may live. BACK TO THE LAND. Here in Maine land is still reasonably priced and abundant. Come join us as we morph into serious self-sufficiency so as to insulate ourselves as much as possible from corporate control.

Once we've done this, we're FREE to criticize and organize without fear of losing jobs, money, anything under corporate control. Have to pay taxes on property, but if we make just enough, then there are no income taxes to pay.

City people - if the 2-days' worth of food in your town (that's all any city has) runs out or gets cut off, don't think you can come out to the "country" and expect farmers to feed you. You will not be met with open arms, take my word for that as an organic farmer, and one who knows the thinking of other farmers around the country regarding hungry city people who refuse to grow anything for themselves.

You do have parks, rooftops, South-facing windows, empty lots, anywhere you can start a community garden. You will never be sorry you did this. Teach youngsters how to grow their own food.

According to all the scientists, NOTHING will be as important in the coming times as growing our own food locally - and organically, which will cut down on use of fossil fuels (no transportation from afar and no pesticides using fossil fuels).

This is critical to our survival. Do this, then organize for change. But do this first.

HR 3200 IS NOT MEDICARE FOR ALL!!!! That would be HR 676. HR 3200 is a patchwork of pro-insurance industry bandaids that would not take effect until 2013 and would still leave about 25 million citizens without healthcare.

Repeat: THE MEDICARE FOR ALL BILL IS HR 676!!!!!

I know other people have already noted this correction, but it needs to be repeated, because not everybody has time to read down through all the comments.

I am going to assume MM made an honest mistake here and is not simply trying to help support a VERY BAD democrat party bill by deliberately lying. I will email him to correct him. I hope others do the same. He needs to publically correct this and soon.

Briggs Seekins
briggsseekins.wordpress.com

It is inherent in the relationship between the parasite and the host. That is that the parasite continues satisfying its ravenous appetite until it eventually kills the host. That pretty well sums up the relationship of Wall Street, free trade advocates and the super rich to those of us at their mercy.

One of my greatest fears is the lurking danger of "the right to own and bear arms." That tradition is woven into the fabric of America. When parents can no longer feed, clothe and house their kids, are we then going to see them at gun shows with greater frequency? If that happens, we are all in deep kimchee!

For the sake of us all, we better damned well get involved in the politics of this country. We better start demanding integrity and action by our politicians. Electing them to office is not the beginning and end of the process.

Michael Moore writes:
"UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THIS MESS"

Riiight.

Moore has some great points, however I would like to point out some fundamental systemic reform that is needed first. Without these nuts and bolts reforms, much of what Moore suggests is very unlikely to happen because the current instituions an rules are rigged. Moore seems to make a primary assumption that they are not.

A good start is "Ten Steps to Repair American Democracy" (2007)by Steven Hill. Another good easy to read handbook is "On Democracy" by Robert Dahl (2005).

Combine what Moore has to say with the two works above and we have a pretty good list of reforms.

Hedges, Zinn, Chomsky, C. Johnson, R. Nader and many others have also pointed out the instituional reforms needed to bridge our gaping democratic deficit.

I'm in total agreement with Michael Moore's stated number two objective:

"2. Congress must join the civilized world and expand Medicare For All Americans. A single, nonprofit source must run a universal health care system that covers everyone. Medical bills are now the #1 cause of bankruptcies and evictions in this country. Medicare For All will end this misery....

BUT BUT BUT "...The bill to make this happen is called H.R. 3200. You must call AND write your members of Congress and demand its passage, no compromises allowed."

NO, NO, NO! THE BILL TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN IS HR676!!!!!!

HR676!!!

NOT HR 3200, which IS a ridiculous compromise that will enable insurance companies to give us an even nastier ass-reaming than we've had up till now, and then still refuse to cover the treatment of hemorrhoids.

Also:
-Nationalize the Fed
-Legalize Pot
-Fund Planned Parenthood
-Implement successful Swiss and Scandinavian models of government.
-Establish a Department of Peace
-Vote out conservative politicians
-Restore the 90% tax rate on the rich
-Make electoral fraud a capital crime
-Ban mercenaries and military contractors
-Give equal aid to Israel and Palestine
-Let people propose and vote on issues online, by phone and by snail mail in secure ways.
-Give us free higher education too so we can compete with other countries that provide it.
-Forgive student loans
-Enforce the separation of church and state.
-Enshrine Net Neutrality

Wow. How simple is that? Ok, we've all been whining and complaining for months now, so let's get to work. It is a sorry shame we've come to this point, but we are no longer represented by our government.

We have less than decades of oil left, because the rest of it is going to be harder to get, meaning the price will start going back up. When it does, at some point it will cost a barrel of oil to get a barrel of oil, and at that point nobody will care to bother. Besides, from a climate standpoint, we simply can't afford to burn oil for decades more, what's in the ground needs to stay there...so on this point, Mr. Moore is mistaken. He's a Plan B guy- hoping that technology will save the day (and our lifestyles). He would be better off to suggest that we all give up the car idea all together and just learn to get along without them.

Whew, a storm of comments even from a simple list like this ! Thank you Michael Moore for enlightening the public on the basics. Other than getting a bit too obsessive on trying to repair the Democratic Party without giving third party progressives equal say, great list. We can fuss all we want to and read all those advanced books but without basic enlightenment from Michael Moore, how are we supposed to progress?

Michael Moore writes:
"go to the monthly meeting of your town or county Democratic Party -- and become the majority that runs it! There will not be many in attendance and they will either be happy or in shock that you and the Obama Revolution have entered the room looking like you mean business. President Obama's agenda will never happen without mass grass roots action"

Just when it was looking like MoveOn's (probably illegal) campaign to pressure Congress to boycott Fox was the dumbest "liberal" move of the week, this piece of nonsense appears.

The "Obama Revolution"? What crap is this?? And does Moore REALLY suppose the woods are full of Democratic Central Committees which OPPOSE Oblabla?

Meanwhile, anybody who isn't a MEMBER of a DCC, and goes to the meeting of one expecting to "become the majority that runs it" is in for a rough surprise.

If people want to file -- after New Year's -- to RUN for a local central committee, most of them could be overturned in a flash.

I'd suggest people who can stomach it DO that ... the better to OPPOSE the er "Obama Revolution" -- in which the Democratic Party has been hijacked, through bait-and-switch baloney about "change" and a bazillion corporate dollars, by a mob-friendly figurehead in a skin-deep birthday suit.

Great article from Michael Moore. The problems we face are described all over the net, but multi-point comprehensive action plans are scarce. Michael's list is a great contribution. We need systemic changes, not just in at home replacement of light bulbs and recycling. Moore outlines personal financial self-defense and a citizens action plan to restore government for the people and by the people. Government today is for big corporations and by big corporation.

History has shown different ways of economic governance, feudalism, capitalism, fascism, socialism, and communism. The question is which system shall we live under? Shall workers mostly be serfs, slaves, peasants, or indentured servants or free men and women with inalienable rights?

Many people today work for a company because their health care and thus their lives depend on not changing jobs. They are stuck, captives of their employer. Other desperate people are contracting to serve for 8 years in the military so that they get health care and or education benefits. Wasn't that the principle of the indentured servant? Some illegal workers live as virtual slaves in employer housing not protected by labor laws and subject to deportation if they object to their exploitation. Note that the employer likes this situation and the illegal employee may not have known what they were getting into by coming here.

Years ago, capitalism was tempered by belief in God, usury laws, a obligation to help the less fortunate, a demand for decency and truthfulness. Lying was a capital crime. Lots of flaws back then but partly true. Today we have god-less capitalism, anything that can be gotten away with is fair game for today's wheeler dealers. Profit is made by denying payment for health care, literally killing people for profit. The insurance business is even more callous than the business of selling cigarettes.

Solving today's problems has to start by reclaiming control of our representative government from the control by money. Politicians, even well meaning ones, are corrupted by the need to raise lots of money for every election. If a DA were to present bribery charges to a grand jury and present a case to a regular jury, a message might be sent. It is so transparently crooked for politicians to be taking money from and leaving government and going to work for the industries they regulate.

Energy independence limit global warming
America's path to oil independence and lower green house gas emission could be helped through a determined conversion of many gas and oil base cars and trucks to Prius like regenerative plug in electric systems.
Old cars and trucks could be retrofitted with Prius like systems. Adaptive mounting units could allow for mass production of the electric power and braking unit that would fit most cars including an old Ford. Delivery vehicles and cars with lots of stop and go driving are well suited for conversion.

Government loans could help businesses and home convert to solar cell electricity production as much as possible.

Honest banking
We need new banks, to provide competition to the predator banks that have gobbled up all the competition. At one time, banks charged a maximum of 8% interest on mortgages and at the same time paid 3% on savings accounts, did business with tellers and not ATMs and still made a profit.
High credit card rates, gotcha fees, and fine print are vehicles for bankers to fleece the public and get paid vast unjustified personal incomes. Stockholders are left with the "profit" after the mega-salaries are paid.

Will our politicians, local ones, not just Obama, listen?

We need the assemblyperson, the county executive, the state senator, and the representative to congress to commit to these proposals. A county wide bank could borrow fed money at 0% currently and loan it to pay off residents 30% rate credit cards. A state wide bank operated by the state treasury dept, you know the tax collectors, could run a reasonable credit card replacement bank. We know they will collect, but at 6% interest more people could pay their debt off.

Remember the revolutionary war saying: We must all hang together or surely we will all hang separately.

A Right-Wing Republican's Night-time Prayer

Now I lay me down to sleep
Pray to God my soul to keep
I voted for Bush the Texacutioner
Who put more people to death than an executioner

The highest execution rate of any governor in history
How he was elected president is still a mystery
The biggest serial killer since Timothy McVeigh,
mocks Karla's pleas for clemency during her final days

I hold stoutly to my world view
Despite being contradicted by what is proven true
I believe the earth to be only 4000 years old
“Intelligent” design is the view I hold

Even though evolution explains how life changed and adapted
verified by countless experiments not retracted
the scientific facts should be stricken as inadmissible
teaching creationism to our children is permissible

Take some parts literally, others out of place
And I can use the Bible to judge the whole human race
Pat Robertson said 9/11 was a punishment from God
That innocents died instead of him he didn’t find odd

For lifestyles of feminism, liberalism, and being gay
Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson said over 3,000 people died that day
That God will punish them for their remark
Pride has hidden from a judgmental heart

“After the last tree standing is felled”
“Christ will come back” I heard James Watt tell
you see evangelicals don’t care about generations
because they won’t have to be here to face elimination

“compassionate” conservatives fantasize about journeying through the air
As Left Behind: The Series plays out below everywhere
While pollution they caused brings about ecological collapse
It doesn’t bother them that people will die perhaps

by Cherokee American

I like Moore's list and optimism is generally welcomed but I cannot dispell my feelings that most of congress and the WH are beyond behaving from their conscience or fear that the votes might be accurately counted.

I think their trust in corporate funded MSM campaign blitzes is greater than their fear of a grassroots surge.

Tom Udall was a man of honor and truth as a representative but after becoming a Senator he seems to have lost his conscience.

With the nearly unaminous Congressional support for Operation Cast Lead (Gaza Holocaust) I lost almost all hope that most Congress people are redeemable.

I can only tell my Senators that they are " both ignorant and cruel" a limited number of times.

Looks good, except I got rid of all my credit cards and will never open another one again, and I believe credit unions have restrictions about who can open an account, usually related to a job, so I doubt I could bank with one.

The independent media piece is huge.

Locally, we started a newspaper with a website to give a voice to progressive causes, and we've found that the community interactions that drive local media to places that corporate media doesn't consistently go are also progressive causes.

Because they are real life issues, at a local level that people see, touch, and live through they are also places that rarely don't reflect the common sense of progressive beliefs.

We're in chicago, and our newspaper is called The Urban Coaster. On the web at www.theurbancoaster.org.

Excellent observations by Elohim and Arry. Lance Selfa'a excellent The Democrats: A Critical History goes a long way in demonstrating that there is very little difference between the two major parties.

The "take over the local Democratic Party" is more complex than it seems on the surface. Where I live, the Democrats and Greens cooperated on a number of projects; and, for a large part, we talked the same language. The local Dems are a pretty progressive bunch.

But big money and the power structure of the Democratic Party still rules as the national organization refuses to help fund "progressive" Democratic candidates. People have to realize that the Democratic Party is fully invested in the power structure that will clearly go to all lengths to sustain itself even to the point of assuring a Republican victory in favor of something that may threaten the loot the Dems receive from the real masters. That's a pretty radical statement, but I believe it is true.

The strangest thing is that the local Democrats don't seem to get angry about it. They have infinite patience in the hope that things may get better in some unspecified time in the future.

Fix the Democratic Party, or as others have called it: "change the Democratic Party from within" is a quest for fools without a backbone like Michael Moore. It is the never ending dream scenario that has been spoken, talked about, and disguised with other ulterior motives since 1993 when it first appeared in their lexicon. It is a prescription to wander the maze of emasculation, disempowerment, and irrelevancy.

It asks us to continue to bath in stupidity as the Democrats continue to fill the vacuum vacated by the Republicans, who have moved so far to the right, they no longer speak to progressive Americans taking action in the world. In fact, we now have a two Repulican Parties, one, tilted ideologically to the extreme they smell like fascists.

Now, the New Democrat Party is well right-of-center and looks absolutely nothing like the Democratic Party of FDR. In fact, if FDR and his brethren were to visit planet Earth, they would not recognize what passes for their once nobel party. It is a party that has morphed into weakness. In our contemporary moment they are merely pawns in the corporate takeover that was completed in the first year of the Clinton Administration when Rubin (a Goldman CEO) was named by Clinton as an architect of assimilating the Democratic party into the corporate fold like the Republican long before, to do the bidding, along with the transformation of the duopoly into oligarchy. Why do you suppose they are both in the pockets of corporations - in fact - you even point this out in your film aliebet weakly and without bite.

The Democrats are weak and ineffective corporate 'yes' men & women (with very few exceptions) who rarely listen to the voice of the people. Did you forget the other assertion in your film concerning TARP, when the people overwhelminly demanded the program be halted, and as you noted so eloquently, that the Dems and Republican cut a deal behind closed doors?

If you actually believe the Democrats can be changed from within, then you are not only living in a delusional dream world, but your praxis proves your own conservatism which you propagate under the banner of a watered down tripe.

Michael, perhaps an hidden hubris now controls your success as you speak in contradictory ways while talking out both sides of your mouth.

Why not take your tripe over to the Huggington Post where the sheeple will bow down and pay homage to your fantastic ideology married to the forces you negatively critique.

We don't need any more pretenders over here, along with your little band of groupies

The schizophrenic nature of Michael Moore is that he makes great films but his politics leaves a lot to be desired. He urges people to call their congresspeople and demand that they back H.R. 3200 while apparently having no regrets about stabbing Dennis Kucinich and John Conyers and every decent American in this country in the back by not advocating that Americans and Congress get behind H.R. 676, which is a plan for a single payer health care system in this country.

Cicero: "Freedom is participation in power."

Excellent list of things to do. Needs some tweaking but pretty good.
Michael Moore wants to energize people with these ideas to TAKE OVER their local Democratic Party apparatus, organize in numbers and demand change. If authentic progressives will not organize under one umbrella Party (and too many of them seem too 'resistance is futile,' nit-picky, lethargic or elitist to do so) then Moore's local grass roots take-over idea is the next best thing.

His other good idea is CONSTANT REGULAR CONTACT WITH CONGRESSIONAL REPS BY LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE VOICING THEIR DEMANDS ALONG WITH THREATS OF FUNDING AND RUNNING NEW PRIMARY OPPONENTS OR TAKING THEIR VOTES ELSEWHERE re their DLC infected representatives in Congress. If enough of us did that, then they would have to start listening. HERE IS THE THING FOLKS: You don't need to pay long distance fees to call your rep in Congress. Simply google: "toll free 1-800 number to Congressional switchboard." Google will come up with several current and recent numbers. Just write them down and test them one-by-one until you find a free working number. Takes about five minutes. There is no need to feel intimidated about voicing your concerns for your country and your family with these reps and political aides. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING FOR YOU--NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. If even a million people did this once or twice a week around any one issue, then we would have already solved several of the big problems confronting this country. This and low power FM radio are the two greatest technological opportunities we have and we very foolishly do not use them.

Moore's weakest idea is the media one about creating a blog (yawn). Tweeting and Facebook are also tertiary ideas. Tweeting is better suited for tactical street organization than strategy and the proof of that is the spurious and craven arrest of a tweeter by the FBI in Pittsburgh. If THOUSANDS OR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF US used tweeting in street events to evade police brutality and LRAD sound cannons (an un-Constitutional Weapon of Mass Maiming that can permanently deafen or brain damage its indiscriminate victims) the FBI wouldn't have the manpower to target enough people to stop it.

A REAL MASS MEDIA STRATEGY: WE NEED TO BLANKET EVERY MEDIUM TO LARGE CITY WITH PROGRESSIVE LOW POWER FM RADIO STATIONS TO EMULATE CORPORATE MARKET PENETRATION AND THEN COMBINE STATIONS/MESSAGES AROUND KEY ISSUES. The FCC is finally moving to make access to these stations easier at the local level and if progressives and liberals don't seize this idea--sooner or later the "Christian Right" and the outfits that air Rush Limbaugh and his ilk will. If that happens I will continuously taunt all the lazy-ass pwog whiney do-little bitches on this site who constantly piss on everything but never offer up a single solitary idea about how to improve anything until they start having blue State nightmares about Barbara Bush clones in majorette uniforms with sound cannons herding them into the Super Dome to have their gametes removed with twirling drain snakes to the amplified tune of Santa Dog by the Residents.

Message one to your Reps: Contrary to the immoral, anti-American, anti-Christian opinion of oil man T. Boone Pickens, the United States is not "entitled" to Iraq's oil because we chose to illegally invade Iraq based on false pretenses of non-existent WMD and so bloodily and expensively botched our attempt at military grand theft. We are, conversely, morally obligated to pay reparations to the people of Iraq and to help fund them in the rebuilding of the infrastructure we wantonly obliterated. Then demand a reason for why the U.S. is still in Iraq at all. Tell your rep or his or her aide that we deposed the dictator Saddam Hussein years ago and have no military purpose whatsoever for keeping 120,000 troops in Iraq. In six years there we have failed to resolve any of the underlying conflicts that sustain post-invasion violence there and still have no coherent plan to do so. We cannot afford endless wars of attrition based on seizing control of another nation's oil in hopes that the enemies we have created over there will someday, somehow just hand control of their oil fields to us. That war is already estimated to have a final cost nearing $5 Trillion dollars.

Point 1-5 is very well taken. Since 1964 the oil companies have been the recipients of an oil depletion allowance that lowers their tax rate. The only problem with the logic is that the oil being depleted is not their own, but belongs to the public. The logic of oil depletion demands that it should itself be taxed since depletion raises the cost for competitors to enter the field. We should not only repeal the oil depletion allowance and demand the payment of all taxes in arrears, we should charge an equal oil depletion tax on top of that and demand its payment as well. The funds would be used to fund the public transport proposals given and repair infrastructure.

Michael Moore, I strongly salute you sir ! Thank you for making it CRYSTAL CLEAR that WE MUST MAKE CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT LISTEN. I can't tell you how much stronger I feel that you are reminding each and everyone of us to do our part. I get mercilessly attacked for reminding others that Congress must be made to listen but I'm not giving up even if they want to. I may not ever run for office but I always help a politician who sounds more receptive to win. THANK YOU MIKE ! YOU DA MAN !

Don't listen to the cynics doing their Obama trashing. Keep up the good work and continue to remain FOOL PROOF BULLET PROOF as always ! YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS !!!

Overall, other than the "take over your democratic party" idea, these are all excellent ideas, many of which I (and many of you) already do... I would add, demand a re-writing of the constitution to remove the "winner take all" political system we currently have and replace it with a parliament that is more representative of the population as a whole (i.e. If the wealthy represent 1% of the population they should represent 1% of the Senate, NOT 100% of the Senate).

Furthermore, I would add that the laws that gave corporations the rights of individuals and that require them to maximize short-term profits be rewritten so that corporations may exist only to serve the public, NOT the investor class.

Hope you all are well today... all these ideas are feasible, but they will require a massive public movement. Let's get working on it!

"I'm a millionaire, I'm a multi-millionaire. I'm filthy rich. You know why I'm a multi-millionaire? 'Cause multi-millions like what I do" Michael Moore

The joys of Capitalism.

This is a great Never Give Up-Fight Back "To Do" list. Thanks, Michael Moore!!

Mike, you have some good ideas, and a couple of bad ideas here.

I would include - Never vote for an incumbent.

Also, Close all 700+ military bases on foreign soil.

Also, Pay reparations to all we have harmed in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc by imposing a Reparations Tax on US citizens.

Also, How can you STILL be supporting the Democratic Party? Why are you not an Independent, or Green, or Socialist??? You know what they say about people who keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.

Good ideas!