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Michael Moore

70 quotes

“Well I failed to bring Roger to Flint. As we neared the end of the twentieth century, the rich were richer, the poor, poorer. And people everywhere now had a lot less lint, thanks to the lint rollers made in my hometown. It was truly the dawn of a new era.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 1989 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Roger & Me (1989)
“White people scare the crap out of me... I have never been attacked by a black person, never been evicted by a black person, never had my security deposit ripped off by a black landlord, never had a black landlord... never been pulled over by a black cop, never been sold a lemon by a black car salesman, never seen a black car salesman, never had a black person deny me a bank loan, never had a black person bury my movie, and I've never heard a black person say, "We're going to eliminate ten thousand jobs here — have a nice day!”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Many families have been devastated tonight. This is just not right. They did not deserve to die. … If someone did this to get back at Bush, then they did so by killing thousands of people who DID NOT VOTE for him. Boston, New York, D.C., and the planes' destination of California — these were the places that voted AGAINST Bush.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2001 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Statement of 12 September 2001 attributed to Moore, as published in {{cite journal
“Librarians see themselves as the guardians of the First Amendment. … You got a thousand Mother Joneses at the barricades! I love the librarians, and I am grateful for them!”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the role of outraged librarians protesting when publisher HarperCollins insisted he rewrite Stupid White Men to be less critical of President Bush. "Muzzling Moore" Salon (7 January 2002)
“I'm a millionaire, I'm a multi-millionaire, I'm filthy rich. You know why I'm a multi-millionaire? 'Cause multi-millions like what I do. That's pretty good, isn't it? There's millions that believe in what I do. Pretty cool, huh?”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Responding to criticism over his purchase of a million-dollar home, as quoted in the Arcata Eye (3 March 2002); and in "Moore Lies, Moore Fun at Stanford" by Joe Fairbanks in the Stanford Review (17 April 2002)
“You know he's there illegally. You know he was not elected either by the popular vote or by the vote in Florida.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On President George W. Bush in "BuzzFlash Interviews Michael Moore" (13 March 2002)
“We know all those facts about Florida and what Katherine Harris did, and the private firm that took African-Americans off the voting rolls and prohibited them from voting. But I've been surprised in this first week how many average Americans were not aware of all of the trickery and deceit that took place in the year before the election to fix it for George W. Bush.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: BuzzFlash Interviews Michael Moore" (13 March 2002)
“It was the morning of April 20, 1999, and it was pretty much like any other morning in America. The Farmer did his chores. The milkman made his deliveries. The President bombed another country whose name we couldn't pronounce. Out in Fargo, North Dakota, Cary McWilliams went on his morning walk. Back in Michigan, Mrs Hughes welcomed her students for another day of school. And out in a little town in Colorado, two boys went bowling at 6 in the morning. Yes, it was a typical day in the United States of America.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Bowling for Columbine (2002) [released 11 October 2002]
“You survive by having your fear compass calibrated correctly. Our compass is off now because we're being told to be afraid of everything. The things that we're frightened of, or told to be frightened of, are not necessarily the things that we need to fear.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2002 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview on All Things Considered NPR (November 2002)
“What the media are telling you to be afraid of are the wrong things... Fear is a necessary ingredient of our survival instincts.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview with filmmaker Michael Moore, Rolling Stone (January 2003)
“These bastards who run our country are a bunch of conniving, thieving, smug pricks who need to be brought down and removed and replaced with a whole new system that we control.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Hey, here's a way to stop suicide bombings — give the Palestinians a bunch of missile-firing Apache helicopters and let them and the Israelis go at each other head to head. Four billion dollars a year to Israel — four billion dollars a year to the Palestinians — they can just blow each other up and leave the rest of us the hell alone.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Dude, Where's My Country? (2003)
“The majority of Americans — the ones who never elected you — are not fooled by your weapons of mass distraction.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: About President George W. Bush, in "A Letter to George W. Bush on the Eve of War" (17 March 2003)
“I think the United States, I think our government knows where he is and I don't think we're going to be capturing him or killing him any time soon.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: About Osama bin Laden in an interview with Bob Costas on On the Record with Bob Costas HBO (Spring 2003)
“Should such an ignorant people lead the world? How did it come to this in the first place? 82 percent of us don't even have a passport! Just a handful can speak a language other than English (and we don't even speak that very well.)”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On Americans in an Open Letter to the German publication Die Zeit (11 June 2003) (published in German)
“There's a gullible side to the American people. They can be easily misled. Religion is the best device used to mislead them.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Maybe it's a sick fantasy of mine, but I am really looking forward to a debate between a general and a deserter. Plus, I really want to hear President Bush have to say, "Yes, General, No, General.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On prospects of a debate between Wesley Clark and George W. Bush, as quoted at Treason Online (29 October 2003)
“I'm going to do damage with it. I'll make sure that my work gets out. That no publisher will ever be able to tell me to take things out. Because I'll put it out myself. The more money I earn, the less they can stop me. Where I come from it's called fuck you money because I don't have to take an ounce of shit from anybody.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Upon being asked by Brian Reade if money and success have gone to his head, quoted in "The Awkward Conscience of a Nation" in The Daily Mirror (3 November 2003) - Full text available at Highbeam Research (paysite)
“They are possibly the dumbest people on the planet... in thrall to conniving, thieving, smug pricks. We Americans suffer from an enforced ignorance. We don't know about anything that's happening outside our country. Our stupidity is embarrassing. National Geographic produced a survey which showed that 60 percent of 18-25 year olds don't know where Great Britain is on a map. And 92 percent of us don't own a passport.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the American public, as quoted in "The Awkward Conscience of a Nation" in The Daily Mirror (3 November 2003); also partly quoted in "The company they keep" by Michael Barone, in U.S.News & World Report (12 July 2004)
“A lot of political people, especially people on the left, have forgotten the importance of humor as an incredible weapon, and a vehicle through which to affect change.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Corporation (2004)
“I would like to apologize for referring to George W. Bush as a "deserter." What I meant to say is that George W. Bush is a deserter, an election thief, a drunk driver, a WMD liar, and a functional illiterate. And he poops his pants.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Halliburton is not a "company" doing business in Iraq. It is a WAR PROFITEER, bilking millions from the pockets of average Americans. In past wars they would have been arrested — or worse. The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not "insurgents" or "terrorists" or "The Enemy." They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow — and they will win. Get it, Mr. Bush?”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There is a lot of talk amongst Bush's opponents that we should turn this war over to the United Nations. Why should the other countries of this world, countries who tried to talk us out of this folly, now have to clean up our mess? I oppose the U.N. or anyone else risking the lives of their citizens to extract us from our debacle. I'm sorry, but the majority of Americans supported this war once it began and, sadly, that majority must now sacrifice their children until enough blood has been let that maybe — just maybe — God and the Iraqi people will forgive us in the end.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Stop this war! Shame on you Hobbits! Shame on you! This is a fictitious war! This Lord was not elected by the popular — [a computer-generated Oliphaunt steps on Moore, crushing him].”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2003 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: In a humorous sendup of Moore's previous acceptance speech for Best Documentary Feature at the 2003 Oscars. Moore himself delivered the lines in the opening act of the 2004 Oscars, while standing in front of a greenscre…
“He is probably choking on a pretzel or something. I hope nobody tells him that I have won this award while he is eating a pretzel. … He has the funniest lines in the film. I am eternally grateful to him.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Statement about US President George W. Bush, at press conference after winning the top prize at the Cannes film festival for Fahrenheit 9/11; quoted in Reuters reports (22 May 2004) and in {{cite journal
“I forgot out there on the stage to thank my cast. So if I could do that now, I want to thank Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld. I thought the love scene between Cheney and Rumsfeld brought a tear to my eye.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Statement after winning the top prize at the Cannes film festival for Fahrenheit 9/11, quoted Reuters reports (22 May 2004), partly quoted in {{cite journal
“The motivation for war is simple. The U.S. government started the war with Iraq in order to make it easy for U.S. corporations to do business in other countries. They intend to use cheap labor in those countries, which will make Americans rich.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I would not use either of those words to describe myself. I would say I'm an Eagle Scout and I'm overweight.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: When asked what he thought about he thought about people who called him un-American and a traitor, as quoted in "Filmmaker rehashes politics in Dome speech" in The Daily Orange (23 September 2004)
“Nothing would make me happier than to have you share it with everyone you know. All surveys have shown that, the more people who see it — especially those still sitting on the fence — the more likely we will have regime change.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“There is no terrorist threat. Yes, there have been horrific acts of terrorism and, yes, there will be acts of terrorism again. But that doesn't mean that there's some kind of massive terrorist threat.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Fahrenheit 9/11: The temperature where freedom burns!”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Controversy... What Controversy?”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“They serve so that we don't have to. They offer to give up their lives so that we can be free. It is, remarkably, their gift to us. And all they ask for in return is that we never send them into harm's way unless it is absolutely necessary. Will they ever trust us again?”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“George Orwell once wrote: "And it's not a matter of whether the war is not real or if it is. Victory is not possible. The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. Hierarchical society is only possible on the basis of poverty and ignorance. This new version is the past and no different past can ever have existed. In principle the war effort is always planned to keep society on the brink of starvation. The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects and its object is not the victory over either Eurasia or East Asia but to keep the very structure of society intact.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 1984 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The quote is almost identical to a block of narration from the 1984 movie version of "1984", which is excerpted from various parts of the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four with some paraphrasing.
“For once we agreed.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“You've got the Bush Administration using that event in such a disrespectful and immoral way — using the deaths of those people to try and shred our civil liberties, change our Constitution, round people up. That's not how you honor them, by using them to change our way of life as a free country.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the use of the September 11th attacks to expand governmental powers and diminish civil liberties, through "The Patriot Act". — CBS interview (June 2004)
“I may be preaching to the choir, but the choir needs a good song.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: USA Today (20 June 2004)
“Clearly something has happened here that no one expected. And there aren't words to describe how any of us feel this morning on hearing this news.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I want to thank all the right-wing organizations out there who tried to stop the film, either from their harassment campaign that didn't work on the theatre owners, or going to the FEC to get our ads removed from television, to all the things that have been said on television. It's only encouraged more people to go and see it. We are happy to announce that the efforts of the small-minded few have failed miserably.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the movie Fahrenheit 9/11 breaking box office records. — Zap2it.com (27 June 2004)
“Early talk was that anti-Bush people would go see it and pro-Bush people would stay home, and that's not the case. Most people do not go around with labels. A lot of Republicans have open minds.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: On the movie Fahrenheit 9/11 — Zap2it.com (27 June 2004)
“Because it would be Un-American.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2001 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Reply to a question as to why the standing down of the NORAD aerial forces on September 11, 2001 was not included in his movie Fahrenheit 9/11, as seen Martial Law: 9/11 Rise of the Police State (03:34, 2005) by Alex Jo…
“Dear Mr. Bush: Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag. Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with?”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing — NOTHING — to do with this!”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“How does it feel to know that the man you elected to lead us after we were attacked went ahead and put a guy in charge of FEMA whose main qualification was that he ran horse shows?”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We are the richest country in the world. We spend more on health care than any other country. Yet we have the worst health care in the Western world. Come on. We can do better than this.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Jesus told us that we would be judged by how we treat the least among us.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The View (19 June 2007)
“The French, the British and the Canadian stuff that's in the films is through my American eyes, and I'm comparing it to America, and I'm not saying they don't have problems. But those aren't for me to fix. Trust me, from an American point of view, the Europeans look pretty good. You need to preserve what you have and fight to get back that which you lost.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Interview with Jay Harris, in The Brag (August 2007)
“There are problems in all health-care systems, but at least [Europeans] have a health-care system that covers everyone, and it's not my position or my right or my responsibility to point out the flaws in [your] health-care system — that is your job — it is your job to fix those problems.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Casa del Cinema press conference, Rome, Italy, (August 2007)
“I just decided to make a movie. I had no training, no film school, but I had been to a lot of movies.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: As quoted in "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" (23 June 2007)
“Democracy is not a spectator sport, it's a participatory event. If we don't participate in it, it ceases to be a democracy. So Obama will rise or fall based not so much on what he does but on what we do to support him.”
Michael Moore (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source