The above brief overview gives a sample of the left’s new manner of arguing. You can observe this new approach in the 2004 Democratic Presidential campaign. It was unmistakable outside official channels. Internet websites and propaganda filmmakers churned out shameless lies, distortions, insinuations, and hatred with glee. The perfect example, the climax to the campaign, was Michael Moore’s agitprop: “Fahrenheit 911.”
“Fahrenheit 911” was crude blatant propaganda and it was obvious to all. This was the very reason the critics loved it. Irfan Khawaja 1 documents the duplicity of the leftist critics in his review of the reviewers. He notes, “The going trend is to enumerate the film's flaws (thereby demonstrating one's nominal commitment to intellectual integrity) while pronouncing it a work of staggering filmic genius and civic commitment (thereby demonstrating that intellectual integrity makes no difference to anything).” One critic notes there are “unproven conspiracy theories” but the movie is a “public service.” A second notes the “hatchet job” but still it’s a “masterful job” with the right “attitude.” A third notes the “sloppy insinuations” and “demagoguery” but respects Moore as the “master demagogue.” Apparently, the shameless deception and devious tricks no longer embarrasses the left – not if it’s in the service of the cause.
Khawaja innocently believes that the deception in “Fahrenheit” will comes back to haunt Moore, who will have to explain and rationalize his shoddy and treasonous hatchet job for the rest of his life. However, Moore isn’t the least concerned and neither are his supporters. They just love the pure devious propaganda nature of the film. They were invigorated by the prospect that it could galvanize the opposition to Bush’s re-election. Those on the right who meticulously exposed Moore’s lies found the left actually reveled in the falsehoods and contradictions. “So what!” was the typical leftist response, “if it helps to weaken the President and demoralize the nation that’s good, we can stop this war.”
How could this brazen indifference to facts and reason sweep through a whole political constituency? Why was there so little embarrassment or shame? And why does truth, integrity and honor seem so silly to today’s left?
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