Go see it.
That's the first thing.
The second thing is that it will mean different things to you depending on your age and experience. It doesn't matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican, every American should see this movie.
As a Viet Nam era adult (I was a teenager during that war, and protested against it vigorously) this will definitely push some buttons. Footage of the Iraq war, of the soldiers, the civilians, the bombing, the posing of the politicians, all will bring things back that you thought you had put in the back of your mind. For me, what has been going on all this time has been my anguish over the young men and women being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan (and now maybe Syria? there is talk of invading there, too). It wasn't Michael Moore who brought back the pain of watching young people die. It was George Bush.
This isn't Viet Nam. It's different. However they do have much in common. This isn't a war we can win. Just like Viet Nam. "Terrorism" is just "guerilla warfare" with more bombs and in an urban setting. We couldn't take over Viet Nam, and we will fail in Iraq, too. Hundreds or thousands of young people will die so that some rich men can get richer with oil that doesn't belong to them.
What hit me hardest in the film was the section about who fights these wars. We all know that Viet Nam was fought by far more Black soldiers than White, going by population percentages. And in all the wars from WWII to the present, Native Americans volunteer at far higher rates than white kids do. And then there is the largest common denominator of all: the poor. Get college paid for, the recruiters say, choose your job, they say.
I know a little bit about this.
I knew a young man who went into the Army, and who was told he would be trained in a specific job, sent to spefic base, and paid a specific amount of money. Only to find, once he was in boot camp, that there is a clause in the contract that says that in "times of war" all these agreements are null and void and while he has to stay in the Army, he doesn't get the rate of pay promised (he gets less), he doesn't get the job training promised at all, and he gets sent to a completely different part of the country.
This young man was kicked out for having flat feet, much to his joy!
Michael Moore appears very sparsely in the film. For all the claims of some that the film is "propaganda" and "skewed" I found it quite the opposite. It was very factual, very up front, very real. These aren't actors, this is a real documentary. The main actor is George W. Bush, supported by his father and others, including the Saudis. Yes, often in the same footage, too.
The clip of Donald Rumsfeld enthusiastically shaking hands with Saddam Hussein, whom he helped install in office in Iraq, was delightful.
Ever since the Viet Nam war we have had to question our trust in our government. We've had to ask questions, keep an eye on things. I love my country deeply, and I hate to see it ruined by greedy people.
Go see this movie.
