Will They Ever Trust Us Again?

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A real eye opener - Rated
By now most people of aware on Michael Moore and his outspoken views on the American goverment and the films he's made like Fahrenheit 9/11.
This book is full of letters from men and women who are serving with the American Military over in Iraq, Afghan, or others parts of the world. Most of the soldiers write about how the are disillusioned by the war and their government and who can blame them when the reason they are over there is based other reasons than they have been told or have been lead to believe. A real eye opener of a book and every letter has a story to be told and a voice to be heard and Moore has allowed that to happen.

An exercise in self-loathing - Rated
The latest chapter in Michael Moore's continuing "I hate myself and the system's to blame" series, which encompasses such well known works as Stupid White Men and Downsize This, this particular instalment focuses on letters written to Moore by disaffected soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq.
Moore (to my knowledge, although he has been known to be less than honest about such things in the past) has not in anyway edited these letters in anyway at all, but it should not be assumed from that they are "spin free". Obviously Moore has made a careful selection of the letters which most push forward his agenda; and equally obviously only those soldiers who share Moore's worldview would think of writing to him in the first place.
Thus this book cannot called a genuinely representative cross-section of opinions of troops, nor can it be compared to letters home written by soldiers to their families and loved ones, which so movingly describe the horrors of war.
The agenda behind this book renders these letters oddly unemotional. After a while the very sameness of the stories begins to pall. They seem more interested (like Moore himself unsurprisingly) in ranting against Bush than intelligent analysis. No doubt a group of American neocons could put together a book of letters written to them by troops saying that everything is wonderful and Bush is a glorious man. That would be equally dishonest. Bush and the war on terror certainly need critiquing, but this amounts to little more than propaganga and emotionalism than any attempt to open up a serious debate.

At the time of writing this book was being offered for sale at 93p which sums up its value. Here's hoping that someone makes a book out of an honest cross-section of soldiers opinions. That would be well worth reading.

Death in Iraq has a face - Rated
This book wasn’t difficult. Moore has become a public figure, though he needed an Oscar speech to become the household name he is nowadays. Everyone seems to have an opinion about him and his work, yet few really know him or his work.

This book is a direct result of his fame. Everyone who disagrees with the president (quite a few at the moment) feels that through Moore their discontentment can easily be released. When soldiers started writing to Moore from Afghanistan and Iraq, the concept was clear. People need to know about this, so compile the letters and call it a book.

The book consists of four different parts. First soldiers writing about what is wrong with the war. Secondly more soldiers, just not those in Iraq but elsewhere on the planet. Then letters from veterans from former wars and finally the ones close to the soldiers give us their opinions.

I’m afraid the book wasn’t everything I expected. Okay, so I got confirmation of the fact that most soldiers do not support the case they are fighting for. Apart from that it seems that the impression that not even the US army has any idea why they are in Iraq is correct.

I was already halfway into the book, when I finally read the first letter that actually touched me. “Death in Iraq has a face” by Margaret Reimer. The subject says a lot: “President Bush killed my student today”. She tells Moore about her former student who went to Iraq. His wife is still a student of her. Very touchingly she describes how she got to know the couple and how much his death affects her life. Only a few more letters like this have made it into the final edit of this book.

Interesting book. As often before, I am still wondering why some people seem to think that violence can be a solution for problems.

Praise for Michael Moore - Rated
Moore's books of emails/letters he has received from Soldiers fighting in the Iraq war and their families was an absolute eye opener.

The soldiers explain their thoughts and feelings on a very controversial subject. Parents explain their fears,concerns and losses whilst their children are fighting in a war that they either do not agree with or have coherced in fighting in through misguided patriotism.

Its very sad

SADDEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ - Rated
Michael Moore compiled a couple of hundred, unsolicited letters from combat soldiers in the Iraq War. In his compilation "Will They Ever Trust Us Again?" Moore castigates the American news media for covering up the truth in Iraq --- truth that pours out of the emails from soldiers published in his book. Moore castigates himself and his countrymen for not doing enough to support the troops by stopping the greedy, hubristic madmen, who've infested 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, in Washington DC, from killing and maiming our young men and women --- tragically order to fight in Iraq on the basis of outrageous lies.

Adding to the letters in Moore's books, I'd like to add another one from a mother:

"RESPONSE TO ARTICLE FROM TERI WILLS ALLISON, MOTHER OF ARMY INFANTRYMAN SERVING IN IRAQ

"I am the mother of identical 22-year-old twins, both members of the Mississippi Army National Guard. Both have been activated in the same unit for training here in Mississippi and for deployment to Iraq in January.

"I read Ms. Allison's comments and, finally, was able to identify with someone in this alternate universe I suddenly find myself residing in. I also feel her frustration, her fear, her all-encompassing anxiety and most of all her overriding anger.

"Like Ms. Allison, I can no longer seem to communicate at all with my family's members, all of whom are also right-wing, religious, knee-jerk supporters of Bush. When they vaguely ask me how my sons are doing, I just as vaguely reply fine. I really have no one other than my husband to express my feelings to. Living in Mississippi precludes most thoughtful discussion of the war, the President or any other topic relating to this Administration.

"My anger at this President has become so intense that I can no longer watch him on television or listen to him on NPR; I literally become physically ill. I recently e-mailed the White House to ask the President to do a little soul-searching late at night away from distraction by advisers, campaign staff, etc. I asked him to then ask himself if he thought this war was worth the sacrifice of his twins, because I sincerely felt that it was not worth the sacrifice of mine." --Priscilla Ammerman, published in The Nation