What Michael Moore Really Teaches Us About Political and Social Change In America

Summary and Table of Contents (Part 1 of 8)

In previous blockbuster films including Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine, and Fahrenheit 9/11, filmmaker Michael Moore has inspired, focused attention and opened minds regarding injustices in deeply emotional areas ranging from corporate responsibility to gun violence to 9/11 and the Iraq War. Now in his latest movie, Sicko, and his appearances and interviews surrounding its release, the controversial and bravely confrontational Moore has boldly pursued change in the hotly-debated area of the American health care system.

But Moore’s work and life embody and demonstrate two underappreciated and crucial themes even more fundamental to social change in America than the stated topics of his films - moral courage and campaign, election and media reform. A lost virtue in our fearful times, moral courage was exemplified by figures such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. It allows us to break through silences and expose glaring injustices in the face of potential consequences, developing authenticity, self-trust and self-respect. Meanwhile, key tenets of Systems Thinking reveal campaign, media and election reform as the fundamental levers and leverage points for improvement in areas ranging from peace to the environment that so many of us, including thinkers like Michael Moore and Al Gore, care about most.

In this eight-part series of posts, I explore these deeply intertwined themes of moral courage and fundamental reform of the logistical mechanisms of our democracy. I discuss why they are both so central to lasting social change in America, how Michael Moore demonstrates them, and why we must transfer our passions from emotional, but symptomatic, issues to the unemotional, but fundamental, issues of democracy reform. I conclude by proposing a formula for fundamental, sustainable sociopolitical reform in which we refocus existing individual and organizational resources, promote and support several highly under-recognized democracy reform organizations, and develop programs to role model and foster the skills of moral courage in our society.

The eight posts in this series begin with this post and continue with:

• Part 2 - Introduction
• Part 3 - Moral Courage: A Required Virtue for Improving Our Society
• Part 4 - Moral Courage as a Central Theme in Michael Moore’s Work and Life
• Part 5 - Campaign, Election and Media Reform: Levers and Leverage Points for Improving Our Society
• Part 6 - Campaign, Election and Media Reform as Central Themes in Michael Moore’s Work
• Part 7 - A Formula for Fundamental, Sustainable Political and Social Change in America
• Part 8 - Conclusion

Continue on to part 2 of this series, Introduction

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Tags: 9/11, al gore, bowling for columbine, campaign finance reform, corporate responsibility, democracy, democracy reform, election reform, environment, fahrenheit 9/11, films, gandhi, gun violence, health care, iraq war, leverage points, martin luther king, media reform, michael moore, moral courage, peace, personal development, politics, positive change, psychology, roger & me, sicko, social change, social justice, sociopolitical reform, systems thinking, united states of america, war in iraq

Included in: Carnival of Political Punditry for September 2, 2007, This is Not My Country Carnival, August 31, 2007, Film Junkie Carnival, September 8, 2007

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 2nd, 2007 at 7:25 pm and is filed under Social Justice, Systems Thinking, Films, Politics, Psychology, Personal Development, Social Change, Positive Change.