Michael Moore has been making the move over the last several months from populist gadfly to … well, jerk. A friend of mine who, during a critique of Moore here some time back, commented that while he occasionally engaged in hyperbole, he had never been caught in an out-and-out lie, might be interested in reading this little ditty from Spinsanity.org.
If not direct lies, then irresponsibly sloppy research and crude misrepresentations.
When you put yourself up as the opposition to the System, claiming that the Other Side Is All-Powerful, and Lies, Cheats, Steals, and Misrepresents, the only thing you really have going for you is honesty and excruciating attention to detail. If you blow those, you lose your greatest weapon, because then the System can just claim you’re just not telling the truth.
A pity Moore has lost that weapon, because society needs gadflies, whether you agree with them or not.
Via Blogatelle
I used to really like Michael Moore, but now I’m not so sure. Some of the accusations he makes are pretty outrageous. You’re right. He does act like a jerk sometimes. I don’t know what to think about the guy.
As the one who made the previous comment, well I wouldn’t say it now. Heavy mercury exposure? Money making him sloppy? Tired of being careful? Whatever the reason, he’s crossed over from gadfly to dick.