“An American Carol” and the Meaning of Patriotism

“An American Carol” is a movie that’s coming out October 3rd and one that I expect to be extremely offended by.  The trailer alone has gotten me pissed beyond belief, so I don’t think I’ll actually see the movie in fear that my head will explode.

Basically, this movie is supposed to be a spoof on Michael Moore, a controversial liberal figure and documentary maker.  The main character, Michael Malone, is on a rampage against America and wants to abolish the July 4th holiday.  In order to stop this, he is visited by three ghosts, a la “A Christmas Carol,” that make him “believe in America” again.  

First objection: It looks like a piece of crap movie that’s just not funny.  However, there’s a high possibility that this could be colored by my other, stronger objections.

Second objection: Seriously?  Michael Moore?  Isn’t he a bit of old news now?  Aren’t the conservatives over him yet or are they still hung up on the fact that he exposed the lies that the Iraq War was based on?  Besides, this character is portrayed as not only anti-American, even saying that America should be destroyed, but also stupid, perverted, whiny, and an all around jerk.  

Moore, to the best of my knowledge, has never said that America should be destroyed or that he hated America or that America was not a great nation.  In fact, he’s had more hope and faith in this country than I’ve had at points.  His only crime seems to be that he’s a dissenter who’s vocal about his positions and doesn’t care what the Republicans say about him.  

For a taste of what they’ve done to try to censor him in the past, and to get a taste of how “unpatriotic” Moore is, watch this free movie (or skip around it, it’s a long movie).  It chronicles the movement that he spearheaded to *gasp* encourage young people to vote!  How horrific!  How un-American!

Third objection:  REPUBLICANS ARE STILL TRYING TO MAKE “LIBERAL” A BAD WORD!  I thought we had gotten past this “bash liberals because they’re all *insert stereotype here*” but now, in this movie, you see two women who tell “Malone” that they’re not going to shave until he gets what he wants.  Oh yeah, all liberal women are ugly, hairy, radical feminists, right?  

Even worse, it seems like the entire movie paints liberals as the “bad guys” and “unpatriotic.”  How, I ask you, is dissent, standing up for our beliefs, wanting CHANGE unpatriotic?  

What is the founding fathers hadn’t dissented against England because they were afraid of being called “unpatriotic”?  What if Lincoln was afraid of dissenting with the South in fear of being told he was breaking up the Union?  Before the Civil War, there were a lot of members of Congress, north and south, who were looking for a compromise other than ending slavery. 

Furthermore, what if Susan B. Anthony had stayed home and knitted rather than organizing a rally because she was going to be called un-American?  What if Martin Luther King Jr. had kept his dream to himself because he didn’t want people to say he wasn’t loyal to the country?  

Most of our biggest WORLDWIDE figures, the people we LOOK UP TO, were dissenters in their time!  The people who CREATED this country were DISSENTERS!  

And the word “liberal” itself?  Well, the old meaning (back at the beginning of the United States) was someone who was in favor of laissez-faire form of government and self-regulating markets (aka Republicans!).  The definition as written now includes this:

  

having political or social views favoring reform and progress

tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition

a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties

 

 

Is that a bad thing that liberals want change?  Is it a bad thing that we’re not bound by tradition?  Is it a bad thing that we want progress and civil liberties?  If you answer “yes” to these questions, then may I suggest that you leave the United States of America, which was FOUNDED on the ideals of change, progress, and liberties.  I’m too busy loving my country (which entails making sure we live up to those ideals) to deal with you.