Stupid White Men, Michael Moore (Harper-Collins, 2001) ***

 

If you are a rigid Republican or Democrat and believe that Presidents Bush and Clinton are (or were) working for your best interests, you may not like what Michael Moore has to say--but that’s all the more reason it might be a book you should read.  Michael Moore, some of you may recall, produced the award-winning documentary film, “Roger and Me”, an irreverent expose of the CEO of General Motors.  He’s also known for his Emmy-winning show, TV Nation.  His style is irreverent, and outrageous, and he’s not above exaggerating, but he’s also funny--and his writing is based on a great deal of research. Even if you disagree with some of his points, you may find yourself laughing out loud at times, as well as wincing when he hits too close to home. 

 

He begins by lambasting President George Bush, then the rest of the Bush family,  and on to the entire Bush  Cabinet.  He then takes on our economic system where he finds rampant greed and self-interest; our flawed system of race relations, prisons, and the justice system, especially capital punishment; our dismal national record of education and literacy, and our even more dismal record on the environment.  He takes on the Democrats for having no spine and Bill Clinton for being so slick that we overlooked the fact that his policies were inconsistent with his Party.  Along  the way he takes on Catholicism, Protestantism, the situation in Northern Ireland, the Arabs and Israelis, North Korea’s Kim Yong Il, and more.  There’s something in here for everybody! 

 

He’ll sometimes include a set of suggestions at the end of a chapter, which he believes might remedy the problems he exposes.  The suggestions are mostly humorous but  there’s just enough truth in them to make them seem vaguely plausible.  His topics and material are timely and far-reaching, even if his treatment is too outrageous or satirical for the true-believer.  It’s a good book to read if you’re finding yourself a bit fed up with the way things are, but you’re not ready to give up just yet--and you need a few good laughs.  Apparently a lot of folks out there of all political persuasions are enjoying this book because it’s still on the NY Times Best Sellers list of non-fiction and has been for months.