What happened? How did we get here?

It’s amazing how this film could affect me so greatly six years after seeing it in the theatre when it first came out. I am enraged by the disenfranchisement of the black voters in Florida and the stone wall the Senate gave the congressmen and congresswomen who protested the corruption. Racism thrives. What year are we living in?

Justice

That Justice is a blind goddess

Is a thing to which we black are wise:

Her bandage hides two festering sores

That once perhaps were eyes.

Langston Hughes

Why did Gore roll over and give up so easily?

So many questions arise from the multitude of layers and interconnections Michael Moore uncovers in this film. If you are progressive, you likely appreciate the critical examination Michael Moore gives to the Bush team, the presidential election of 2000, The World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, the following wars, as well as the culture of fear that was created post 9/11. If you are conservative or extra sensitive to raw and critical film, Michael Moore probably irritates or aggravates you and Fahrenheit 9/11 is not going to be your cup of tea.

If this film had any political impact it stems from how the film begs one to look deeper and to question the powers that be and exposes how little accountability they have. It exposes the mainstream sources of misinformation, and the lack of critical discourse and investigative reporting in most media in this country. Why are the deep levels of questioning Michael Moore engages throughout Fahrenheit 9/11 fringe? Is it not alright for the people of the U.S. to see the violence and craziness our soldiers are exposed to in Iraq?

Aufderheide described the importance of documentaries linked to public as social phenomena (Aufderheide p. 5). She goes on to include John Dewey’s argument that the public is so important to the health of a democratic society. The public requires means to communicate about shared problems, calling communication the soul of the public. Fahrenheit 9/11 is a provocative means to ask needed questions, and exposes a lack of deep and healthy communication in the mainstream media in the United Sates.

The broader impact of Fahrenheit 9/11 is unclear to me. The film was not about drawing conclusions but asking critical questions. From my exploration of the blogosphere, it’s apparent that the film struck many nerves and hit on many political topics people love to argue about. Therefore, the movie did get people talking or arguing--the right enraged and the left motivated to hustle and organize. Reading in the blogosphere definitely illuminates the division in the politics of this country.