Will They Ever Trust Us Again by Michael Moore

Letters From The War Zone

Michael Moore is a well known but controversial character. He has said and written a lot of things that have rubbed his own countrymen the wrong way. However, there's no denying that he feels rather strongly about his convictions. Whatever your opinions may be, Moore cannot be ignored. Not so easily, anyway.
MICHAEL Moore's books and films tend to leave his readers and viewers
with a feeling of anger and frustration. Since 2002 when Bowling for
Columbine propelled Moore into the world's stage as the forerunner for
grappling burning issues in the United States, controversial popularity
has dogged his heels.
This book will find a more ready audience in America where its citizens
can identify with the spectre of American men and women fighting in Iraq,
Afghanistan and for a while in Somalia.
This book should rightfully be described as "written by the anguished
parents and confused soldiers" because that is basically what it is. Moore
has received thousands of letters and e-mail from Americans who have a
bone to pick with America's involvement in the Iraq.
And as the US First Amendment allows, freedom of expression is very much
alive from New York to Los Angeles. Thus, Moore's mailbag is bursting at
its seams with reports and messages from those who are directly or
indirectly involved in the Middle East conflict.
Moore's message is direct and blunt. The present US president is tagged
as a war-monger and at the time this book was published, Moore made it
crystal clear why he should not be given a second term. And as we know,
the results are now history or rather history in the making.
As a student of history who sometimes dabbles in stories of military
campaigns that range from Genghiz Khan, Alexander the Great, Attila the
Hun to Adolf Hitler and Mussolini, I cannot fail but notice that most wars
tend to have somewhat similar patterns.
Leaders who sent hundreds of thousands of their own people to fight and
die don't normally do the actual fighting themselves. In truth, that is
politics, whether ancient or modern.
Hence, politics can sow the seeds of war which compel presidents,
emperors and crackpot dictators to send millions, if need be, to the
arenas of death. It has been so for as long as man learnt to fight each
other.
Moore's book is sadly onedimensional. It projects, rather strongly, the
views of all those who are disillusioned with the war and post-war
conditions in Iraq and elsewhere.
The first thought that enters one's head is how naIve can these people
be. The moment a person signs up with the army, some form of fighting can
be expected, even if at the later date. Death is very much part of the
package. The military recruiter will not elaborate too much on this part,
of course, lest the number of eager beavers dwindles drastically.
Moore has not shed light on anything new on this issue. People the world
over are afraid of death, and rightfully so. To die a violent death is not
any sane person's wish of ending his earthly existence.
On finishing this 218-page book, I can't help making a mental comparison
of a somewhat similar global situation about 70 years ago when Nazism
reared its ugly head in Germany.
At that time, the people of Europe desperately wanted peace. They found
ways to appease that short, little German with a funny moustache who
harboured visions of global conquest. Leader after leader rationalised
that war was too costly and had to be avoided at great costs.
By the time the leaders of friendly Europe had realised that they were
horrendously wrong, Hitler and his storm-troopers were knocking on their
doors. The penalty for such a misplaced compromise was about 35 million
lives around the world.
This little bit of historical fact may arguably be an unfair comparison
to Moore's latest treatise but nevertheless it does conjure images of
events long past.
I understand only too well the issues close to Moore's heart. His
convictions are strong and sincere. He wants the best for his country, as
do all of us living in our own countries. If only war and peace are as
simple as black and white, then mankind does not have to endure and
agonise through millennia of unnecessary suffering and silly misdeeds.
However, after plodding through all the anguished letters written by
mothers, brothers, women and active soldiers, the verdict is that life is
not fair. It really depends on your perception. The wonderful thing is
everyone has a choice. And if all the voices clamouring for peace can be
heard as one, we all can claim our just reward.
I guess Moore knows that already.