NYT: "Capitalism=Censorship"

"Disney doesn't want to distribute Michael Moore's brilliant new film? Those COWARDS!"

I'm back to posting, and I'm going to start off with a short but still entertaining editorial in today's New York Times. Check it out:

Disney's Craven Behavior

Give the Walt Disney Company a gold medal for cowardice for blocking its Miramax division from distributing a film that criticizes President Bush and his family.

Yeah. It's just "criticism." Right. Might I remind you that we're talking about Michael "The Insurgents Will Win" Moore here?

A company that ought to be championing free expression...

I guess that doesn't apply to their own expression.

...has instead chosen to censor a documentary that clearly falls within the bounds of acceptable political commentary.

Uh...have you seen it yet? Are you the only person on the planet with the right to decide what's "acceptable?" Oh, and one more thing: HOW IS THIS CENSORSHIP? They're not preventing Moore from showing the film. They just don't want to attach their name to it. Idiot.

The documentary was prepared by Michael Moore, a controversial filmmaker who likes to skewer the rich and powerful.

Of course, you forgot to mention that Moore is also rich and powerful. I guess that would destroy his "fighting for the little guy" persona.

As described by Jim Rutenberg yesterday in The Times, the film, "Fahrenheit 9/11," links the Bush family with prominent Saudis, including the family of Osama bin Laden.

"Because being related to a terrorist makes you a terrorist!"

It describes financial ties that go back three decades and explores the role of the government in evacuating relatives of Mr. bin Laden from the United States shortly after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Holy crap, you people need to read Snopes.

The film was financed by Miramax and was expected to be released this summer.

Mr. Moore's agent said that Michael Eisner, Disney's chief executive, had expressed concern that the film might jeopardize tax breaks granted to Disney for its theme park, hotels and other ventures in Florida, where Jeb Bush is governor.

"The BFEE (Bush Family Evil Empire) is crushing Moore's dissent!"

If that is the reason for Disney's move, it would underscore the dangers of allowing huge conglomerates to gobble up diverse media companies.

Care to explain how?

On the other hand, a senior Disney executive says the real reason is that Disney caters to families of all political stripes and that many of them might be alienated by the film. Those families, of course, would not have to watch the documentary.

It would, however, make some of those people less likely to patronize Disney. I'm sure it would be harder to watch an innocent children's cartoon if you knew in the back of your head that the same company sponsored a film that accuses the president of being connected to terrorists.

It is hard to say which rationale for blocking distribution is more depressing. But it is clear that Disney loves its bottom line more than the freedom of political discourse.

Something tells me that you would be supporting them 100% if they decided not to release a film like Michael Moore Hates America. I could be wrong, though.

I'll end it with this: If Mikey wants to show his film, nothing's stopping him. He's already managed to be featured in Cannes, and I'm sure that he has enough resources to get it distributed in America.

Unless you really believe that Moore is nothing but a laborer from Michigan who rose up to fight the system, that much should be obvious.

Posted by CD on May 6, 2004 04:24 PM
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