Summary: Our extremists of the Left and Right seldom speak to the mass audience of their true values and goals. But the internet makes all things available to us, if we look. Here hard-core leftist Michael Moore tells us that racism is again respectable, and that the Left has abandoned the century-long program to eliminate it.
Divide et impera.
— It worked for Rome. It will work for our elites, if we let them.
Interview with Michael Moore
By Matt Taibbi and Katie Halper at Rolling Stone.
A white guy, a white woman, and an angry white guy. Feel their hated of white people.
Rolling Stone posted a few innocuous highlights of the interview at their website.
See the video below to see the true Left. Here are some examples.
Moore {at 8 minutes}: “I refuse to participate in post-racial America. I refuse to say that because we elected Obama that suddenly that means everything’s OK, that white people have changed. White people have not changed. Two-thirds of all white guys voted for Trump. That means any time you see three white guys walking down the street towards you, two of them voted for Trump. You need to move to the other side of the sidewalk because these are not good people. You should be afraid of them.
Taibbi: And third one probably says “I’m thinking about voting for Trump.”
Moore: The third one is you and me. We’re traitors to our race, that’s how they see us. …
Moore {at 42 minutes}: I see it in Michigan. Even though we flipped it last November. We got rid of all the Republicans in Lansing – the top four. We replaced them with a Black man, a single mom, a lesbian, and a woman (the governor). No straight white men anywhere around the levers of power.
Halper: A safe space.
Moore: A safe space for everyone because we literally have removed white men. They no longer have a f-king say in what’s going on in Michigan. …
Moore: I think Trump will still win because his base is so rabid. They have gotten bigger and whiter and madder.”
In the video below you will see Taibbi and Halper nod and smile as Moore describes his mad racist views.
Especially note their approval as Moore spews the big lie about violent white men (that spawned a thousand fake claims of assault by MAGA-hat wearing white men). The real crime stats point to a different group.
“We literally have removed white men.”
Moore’s conclusion
“All the time good liberals have wasted in the last three years trying to convince their conservative brother-in-law – that is such a waste. Do not spend another minute between now and next November trying to convince a Trump voter to change. They can’t be changed. They can’t be turned. …If you’re still with Trump after witnessing these 3 years – man, I know a lot of these guys – the white guys who voted for him in Michigan. That’s not because they like Donald Trump. It’s that he represented a human molotov cocktail that they got to throw into the system and blow it up because the system is screwed.”
Matt Taibbi knows all about stoking hated
Taibbi smiles and nods as Moore spews vile racial hatred. Taibbi knows about stoking hatred since he wrote the book about it: Hate Inc.: Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another
“After eight years of writing about the financial services industry in the wake of the 2008 crash, I was more and more tuned into the idea that partisan politics is a bit of a con. A lot of very serious social problems (like the failure to stop mass fraud in the mortgage markets) have completely bipartisan roots, but in the press we regularly sell people on a simplified image of politics, of two parties in complete conflict about everything. …
“I started to believe we keep people away from the complexities of these issues, by creating distinct audiences of party zealots who drink in more and more intense legends about one another. We started to turn the ongoing narrative of the news into something like a religious contract, in which the idea was not just to make you mad, but to keep you mad, whipped up in a state of devotional anger. …
“As it turns out, there is a utility in keeping us divided. As people, the more separate we are, the more politically impotent we become. This is the second stage of the mass media deception originally described in Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media
“Once safely captured, we’re trained to consume the news the way sports fans do. We root for our team, and hate all the rest. Hatred is the partner of ignorance, and we in the media have become experts in selling both. …
“We’ve discovered we can sell hate, and the more vituperative the rhetoric, the better. This also serves larger political purposes. So long as the public is busy hating each other and not aiming its ire at the more complex financial and political processes going on off-camera, there’s very little danger of anything like a popular uprising. …
“We can’t get you there unless you follow all the rules. Accept a binary world and pick a side. Embrace the reality of being surrounded by evil stupidity. Feel indignant, righteous, and smart. Hate losers, love winners. Don’t challenge yourself. And during the commercials, do some shopping. Congratulations, you’re the perfect news consumer. …
“There is a terror of letting audiences think for themselves that we’ve never seen before. There’s no, ‘Go back home tonight, rest, and think it over.’ …News consumers on both sides today behave like cultists, self-isolating intellectually, kept that way with a steady diet of terrifying stories about fellow citizens.”
Conclusions
These people are termites eating away at the foundation of our society. They are breaking the bonds that tie us together, all that prevents centrifugal forces from tearing us apart. They are erasing a century of slow progress to move America away from its original sin of racism (which was a commonplace of history).
As they gain strength, these people polarize our society. Unless stopped, the rational middle will continue to fade away. A thousand societies have trod this path to destruction.
Sources of inspiration to survive the coming bad times.
About the coming civil war (our third).
See Moore and Taibbi in action
For More Information
Ideas! For holiday shopping ideas see my recommended books and films at Amazon. Also, see a story about our future: “Ultra Violence: Tales from Venus.”
If you liked this post, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. See all posts about ways to reform America, about the Left, about racism, and especially these…
- An anthropologist looks at the empty identity politics of America’s Left.
- Michael Hudson asks if identity politics will break up the Democratic Party.
- 2016 revealed the true nature of America’s left & right. It’s bad news.
- The Left becomes a cult rather than gather support to oppose Trump.
- The NY Times reveals itself and what news we’ll see in 2020.
- Our elites reveal their plan to govern America: divide and rule.
- How the Left lost but can win again.
- Obama tells us sexism is OK now!
Propaganda rules America! Read all about it!
Propaganda
Media Control: The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
I still like Taibbi somewhat, but Moore is just a limo liberal hypocrite.
One would never spin that to say if you see 5 black guys walking down the street, 4 would definitely vote left and half that last guy might vote right, so that’s rrrrrrracist!
The biggest issue on the left is slicing and dicing their voter blocks up in so many ways, they’re at the point where these blocks will now begin to turn on each other.
It’s expected that Trump could Moe get 20% of the black vote in 2020. Why not, he’s certainly done more for blacks in the US than Obama did. But that’s rrrrrracist to say such a thing.
The lunatic left wing is like a bunch of spoiled children, screaming and name-calling when they don’t get their way. Even worse, they’re totally oblivious to actual facts and history.
Trumps greatest gift to the right will be the number of judges he’s been able to appoint. Ignoring the total meltdown that will occur if he gets to replace RBG, 4 more years will leave an indelible conservative mark on the judiciary for decades to come.
Meanwhile the left (of which he was probably part of at one point) has given him no reason to ever work with him. Instead he’ll just bury them every chance he gets.
So M&M can whine all they wish about rrrrracism or whatever else, but they’ve helped create the monster that’s destroying their fantasy world via their ongoing attacks.
How, exactly, has Trump done more for blacks than Obama did? Seems like they have both, basically, done nothing to improve anybody, black or white, unless yer counting “successful” members of the Establishment aka status quo perps.
.
I think he is referring to improved employment prospects for blacks.
Frank,
“I think he is referring to improved employment prospects for blacks.”
Thank you for picking that up! I didn’t get that either. The unemployment rate for Black American Men was 4.8% in November 2019 – the lowest on record (record begins in May 1972). For Black American women it was 4.4% in August 2019, also a low (it ticked up to 4.9% in November, statistically unchanged).
“Yes, Donald Trump is the most pro-black president” – an op-ed by Herman Cain, 10 August 2018.
Literally more positives have happened in the black community under 3 years of Trump than 8 years of Obama.
I don’t respond to anyone who can’t spell.
Mark,
These days people post comments using mobile devices. Getting a clear thought posted is an accomplishment. Getting the spelling right is asking more than is appropriate for the medium.
Thanks Larry for another thoughtful piece designed to disrupt our complacency.
While the biases of Michael Moore are deplorable he does make some good points. And perhaps the main point is that Trump is going to win in 2020 because he understands most people view politics as entertainment, diversion, as not quite real. and Trump is a master of entertainment mixing the tragic with humor–a very Irish approach.
“Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy.”
—W.B. Yeats.
Michael,
“nd perhaps the main point is that Trump is going to win in 2020 because he understands most people view politics as entertainment, ”
Moore says nothing remotely like that. He says that Trump will win in the Electoral College (losing by 4 – 5 million in the popular vote) because whites – esp white men – are monsters. Evil monsters.
Listen to the tape again Larry because that’s exactly what he said. Trump is going to win because he understands politics to be entertainment while Liberals take themselves with mindless humorlessness And Trump is a genius at this kind of thing. The Republican’s without Trump would have lost in 2016.
Michael,
You are wrong. I listened to the tape and I have the transcript. There are 26 mentions of Trump. I mentioned some in the post. Here are some others.
At 42 minutes:
At the end:
Larry–
Maybe we listened to different tapes. I listened to the 40+ minute interview. Moore went on and on at how good Trump is at handling the audience with humor, outrageous statements, love, patriotism, etc. etc. In another interview on Real Clear Politics he said Trump would win in 2020.
My point is that Moore is right about Trump on how he won and why he will win again.
Michael,
“Maybe we listened to different tapes.”
I don’t think you’re listening close enough.
“I listened to the 40+ minute interview.”
I read the transcript, and have given ample excerpts.
“Moore went on and on at how good Trump is at handling the audience with humor, outrageous statements, love, patriotism, etc”
Moore says that Trump is an effective speaker but DOES NOT say that is the key to his success, any more than FDR’s folksy manner gave him an overwhelming landslide victory in 1932. Moore understands the difference between the delivery and the content. He is quite explicit that racism is the key to Trump’s success. That was the party line among Democrats after the election, before they shifted to RussiaGate. Moore still sticks with the original narrative.
“In another interview on Real Clear Politics he said Trump would win in 2020.”
That’s only sorta true. As he says in this interview:
OK Larry. I give you a technical knockout win on wording. Nonetheless, I sticking to my point that Trump wins and is a superior politican, i.e.,salesman, because he knows who to control his audience. This is what Moore said that I agree.
Thanks for taking all the time to straighten me out. I do appreciate your efforts even though my take on things is different, or incorrect as you might suggest. I do stand to be corrected as we all do.
Michael,
“is a superior politican, i.e.,salesman, because he knows who to control his audience.”
I doubt that Moore said that.
Trump won in 2016 because of the electoral college. Moore says that Trump will win again in 2020 because of the Electoral College. Hillary won the popular vote by 2.9 million votes (a 2.1% margin). Moore says that the Democratic candidate might win by five million votes (a ~4% margin) and still lose in the E.C. That would be a gigantic problem and potentially illegitimate – perhaps even destabilizing.
Eleven of the 58 elections have been won by smaller margins – with the winner having more votes than the loser!
That would be only the fifth time in US history – but the third time since 2000 – where the EC gave the White House to the candidate who lost in the popular vote. Four percent would be by far the largest gap of the loser over the winner since 1824. The pressure for institutional change would be massive.
“is a superior politican, i.e.,salesman, because he knows who to control his audience.” I doubt that Moore said that.
Moore didn’t say that, rather he inferred it.
Hi Larry, I have just found and been enjoying your posts today, but I think in only reading the transcript of Taiibi and Moore’s interaction you might have missed (by transcriber’s ommission) an important correction that Moore makes to Matt’s assertion with almost non-intelligible vocals, please listen starting at approximately where you start quoting Moore:
https://player.fm/1yqkzn?t=3353
I hope that you will hear the re-direction Michael makes and post a clarification here.
Michael,
I listened to both the recording you cite and to the one (with the video) that I include. I don’t hear anything by Moore following the quote I give by Taibbi, other than what I quoted.
What are the words you are referring to?
Well specifically that Matt jumps to say that the third white man is likely to vote for Trump and Michael goes something like ‘yeah,no we (matt and michael) are the third ones (not voting for trump). I understand perhaps it doesn’t affect the premise of your core argument but it jumped out at me. I feel a little bit at sea on this one having generally liked most of what Moore and Taibbi were saying so I apologize maybe I need some more time to reflect on their thoughts and yours and come to a better understanding.
Michael,
Please see the post. I included the words that you mention. It’s a bit jumbled. I quoted it as “The third one is you and me” – which is what Moore said.
One thing I got out of that “interview” with Moore is that, on the white supremacist teeter totter, the “Left” is no longer left of center. Seems like an accurate depiction of the corporate / Deep State Establishment and an observation, lets say, post Reagan / post Gingrich et al, widely shared by people fed up with the federal government, generally. Another thing, I agree and you, Larry, appear to agree, is that we are truly in a clusterfuck that can only / will only lead to civil unrest as Empire over-reaches while rotting at its core. Pretty soon there will be nothing to protect but the protectors.
.
Now Mindful,
“Larry, appear to agree, is that we are truly in a clusterfuck that can only / will only lead to civil unrest as Empire over-reaches while rotting at its core. ”
You are more optimistic than I. The American “Empire” is a peripheral part of the US. Scores of posts have described the problem as our abandonment of self-government, unwilling to bear its burdens. After that, it was (like late Republic Rome) just a choice among paths to destruction.
We are the core that has rotten away, not some abstraction like “Empire”. While revival is an inherent part of the human “soul”, as a retired bookie I must bet on “bad outcomes.” Posts in the the next few weeks will describe some specifics that seem likely.
“We are the core that has rotted away, not some abstraction like “Empire.”
“Scores of posts have described the problem as our abandonment of self-government, unwilling to bear its burdens.”
What seems to stand before us are issues of responsibility, redefined conceptions of solidarity and paths of future action.
James,
“What seems to stand before us are issues of responsibility, redefined conceptions of solidarity and paths of future action”
I’ve said that – but it took me a thousand words to do so! Nicely said!
“All the time good liberals have wasted in the last three years trying to convince their conservative brother-in-law – that is such a waste. Do not spend another minute between now and next November trying to convince a Trump voter to change. They can’t be changed. They can’t be turned. …If you’re still with Trump after witnessing these 3 years – man, I know a lot of these guys – the white guys who voted for him in Michigan. That’s not because they like Donald Trump. It’s that he represented a human molotov cocktail that they got to throw into the system and blow it up because the system is screwed.”
Dear God. I don’t want to write an essay length comment, but anyone who wants to know what liberals have wasted their time on these last three years is invited to go through some of the posts archived on this blog. It’s been covered in some detail. Apparently it seems easier to insult Trump’s voters than to take the practical steps that would have stopped his ascent to the White House or to defeat him in 2020.
To quote a Klingon starship captain from back before the Klingons got turned into turtle faced professional wrestlers, “Only a fool fights in a burning house”. Michael Moore is running around with gasoline, road flares, and a sword that just magically appeared.
The Man,
Nicely said. Bonus points for reference to the TOS episode “Day of the Dove”!
I really love reading Matt, though his principles are “off” and his bias filters a lot. He is one of the leftist journalists that saw right through the bogus “Russian” narrative almost immediately and is honest about what he sees. He is an honest journalist, just occasionally blind to his own side.
Moore is insightful, but so amazingly biased that he can’t even see much, but he does have an occasional nugget of truth.
As such, I read everything Taibbi writes, even as I often disagree with certain things. He sees through the Official Narrative as good as anyone. Chomsky wasn’t wrong about this stuff either, just on his other things.
Speaking of Angry White Guys!
Q: How do you know that Michael Moore is lying?
A: His lips are moving.
Scott,
That is obviously wrong. It’s the kind of “we’re angels, they’re demons” tribalization that makes us easy-to-rule peons.
A more useful insight is falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus. It is the ancient legal guideline (not rule) that a person who lies should be considered unreliable, and everything they say should be regarded skeptically.
If we applied this, it would week out many of the propagandists who plague American politics. Most valuable would be each side applying this discipline to their own. In a better world, this would be considered a basic measure of public health. Like putting latrines downstream of the water supply.
I was going for humor. That was an adaptation of joke in the Princess Bride about Sicilians, as told by the Wallace Shawn character.
Once upon a time I was a hanger-on in Lefty circles. For example, Molly Ivins was a personal friend of mine, and through her I met many movers and shakers in that world. I was once present at a small gathering that included Michael Moore. I stood maybe fifteen feet from the guy and got to study him closely. Waves of angry, twisted energy emanated from him. I found it repellent. Others found it mesmerizing. I got to see a lot of that tribalism up close and personal. It, too, repelled me. It was forbidden to say anything positive about the enemy, and anyone not of the fold was very much the enemy. When Molly died that was my cue to exit stage right.