Oakland man who appears in 'Fahrenheit 9/11' braces for criticism

[wyldwolf]

Do you agree?



You'd think Oakland resident Barry Reingold would be the first to see "Fahrenheit 9/11," Michael Moore's scathing documentary about President Bush and his response to the Sept. 11 attacks.

He's an ardent progressive, ACLU member and former union representative who once got into an argument at his local gym for saying Bush was worse than Osama bin Laden. In fact, that exchange and its chilling aftermath were included in Moore's documentary, which opened on Friday.

But Reingold, 62, is no hurry to see the controversial film -- which is playing, minus an "R" rating, at the Grand Lake Theater, a few blocks from his house. He received a last-second invitation to see a preview Thursday, but declined after coming down with a cold.

His lack of urgency stems partly from the long lines outside theaters, partly from his belief that the movie won't go far enough.

"I think Michael Moore's agenda is to get Bush out, but I think it (should be) about more than Bush," said Reingold, an independent, on Saturday. "I think it's about the capitalist system, which is inequitable. They're laying people off, cutting off health care, and the few people on top are getting more rich and powerful."

--------

Despite his distaste for Bush, he said Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry is no better. In fact, if he voted -- which he doesn't -- he wouldn't vote for either of them.

"I think both of them are bad," he said. "I think Kerry is actually worse because he gives the illusion that he's going to do a lot more. Bush has never given that illusion. People know that he's a friend of big business."



http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/06/27/BAG0T7CUHP1.DTL

[wtmusic]

1. Nah, you just act like it

;-)

[Liberal Veteran]

2. Trying to cram in too much would have been counterproductive.

There is a lot that Moore could have added to the movie, but the bottom line is after awhile it's just overkill and information overload.

[Liberal Veteran]

3. And not voting? Yeah, that really helps.....

There is nothing I despise worse than people who bitch and whine about things but then don't vote.

[Still_Loves_John]

5. Meh, he's an old man

Let him be curmudgeoney. I guess he doesn't feel a real urgency to vote in California, anyways.

[Kat45]

6. A 62-year-old is not an old man; not these days.

He's got at least another decade before he's allowed to be a curmudgeon.

Sounds like he's just the kind of person who SHOULD see the movie.

[no name no slogan]

9. As an anarchist friend of mine put it so well...

"Don't vote-- it only encourages them"

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. A lot of people don't vote because they think the system

is so corrupt that it doesn't make a difference. Election 2000, case in point. :(

Me, I tell them to fight for election reform. If they can get ranked voting just in their hometown, they have done something worthwhile.

[noahmijo]

4. Kerry's a friend of big business...

Where the hell do people get this idea? thanks for the free lies and advertising says Karl Rove!

Oh yea damn that Kerry being in bed with the uber-dangerous Heinz coporation, what scumbags dd you know that they outsource too! yup outsource it all they do! outsource! ::sarcasm off:::

Seriously name me all the dangerous businesses that Kerry is in bed with that could be bad for the country...


Now let's take a look at Shrubya here...hmm oil companies, THE SAUDIS...I'm sorry but once you're in bed with the Saudis there is NO comparison.

[no name no slogan]

7. Don't let the partisanship blind you

Kerry has been big-business-friendly during his Senate career, and also has some big-business backers in his presidential run, too.

Kerry's brother's law firm, which is his 9th biggest contributor, makes its money by defending big-media clients from FCC regulations. Rupert Murdoch's NewsCorp is one of its bigger clients-- yes, that's right, the ones who own FOX it all its permutations.

Before you call me a hypocrite, keep in mind that almost all the other presidential candidates also take money from big corporations, too. Even Dennis Kucinich, one of the most anti-corporate candidates, received a couple thousand dollars from Borders Books-- the chain that Michael Moore criticized in his film "The Big One" for having anti-labor policies.

Are the candidates to blame? Yes. All of them. But the whole system itself is in need of serious reform. The influence of big money in our elections is a cancer that destroys our democratic republic at its most basic level: it deliberately excludes those who don't have the money to influence policy, and keeps them from major elected offices, too.

Don't hate the player so much, but hate the game.

[noahmijo]

10. I am aware that even Kerry (EVEN NADER)

Takes a few hand outs here and there from "big business" but what I don't like is this whole smear to try to elevate John Kerry is being no better or worse than Bush when it comes to his friends in "big business"

I don't even like the notion that all "big business" is bad. Is Ben and Jerry's a humble little business? are they bad?

Point is, Kerry I'm sure has his big business donors, but when juxtaposed with Bush I don't believe there is a contest.

[Nlighten1]

8. How dare this man...

express an opinion!

And a valid one at that.

[Liberal Veteran]

11. No one is saying he can't express an opinion....

And while his opinion may be valid, how does not voting help? I think it's one thing that some people are just apathetic when it comes to politics, but the notion of being politically educated and aware and refusing to vote is counterproductive.

[Pastiche423]

13. How does voting help?

See my sig line.

[emulatorloo]

14. It is time to Get Real

I thought there was no difference between Dems and Repugs, and then Ronald Reagan got elected for his second term.

If you think the last 4 years have been fun, they are just warming up. . .

Is Kerry perfect? No.

Is Kerry more likely to listen to you than Bush? Yes

Who is in the back pocket of the Ketchup Industry? Kerry. . .OMG, French Fries will be next.

But is he in the back pockets of the Saudis and Halliburton? No that would be Bush.

So let's put the broad brush away for a little while and get BUSH OUT! I will be happy to join you protesting Pres Kerry once he is elected.

[Liberal Veteran]

16. Your sig line is not reality...can you honestly tell me....

...that if President Gore were in office, things would not be just a little bit better? Maybe 3000 people wouldn't have died due to a apathetic president. Maybe 15000 Iraqi civilians wouldn't be dead due to US bombs. Maybe nearly 850 servicemen would still be alive. Maybe the US would not be despised by countries that have been our strongest allies.

Only a spoiled brat who thinks all change must happen instantaneously could possibly claim that there is no difference between one party and the other.

Perhaps you should change your name to Veruca Salt?

[Prodemsouth]

12. No a stupid one at that.

I guess he loves arguing with people about how Bush is so bad that he wants him for another 4 years. My opinion he was the weakest part of the movie- but his little bird turd dropping didn't hurt this film. He is just an old defeatist elitist. Bitches but hey don't make things any better at all - it is only an "illusion". He has a sad lonely bitter life - you could see that in the film, before he made his idiotic remarks.