:: modern day calvinism ::

[endseptember]

So, there's been all kinds of controversy brewing in Utah the past few weeks over Michael Moore's scheduled appearance at Utah Valley State College next month. A lot of conservatives are seriously wigging out about this. It's really amusing.

Comments

Another protestor has crossed the line

[frika001]

I know you hold Michael Moore in high esteem and I don't want to disrespect you in anyway, but $40,000 is an absurd amount for anyone to talk about anything. I don't get why he -- being the militant anti- Bush man he is -- can put a price on his own beliefs. It seems rational to me to speak for free if you are so passionate about a cause especially when speaking to the key demographic that can make your vision a reality. It seems selfish to me that he is making so much money off the pain and suffering of our planet. Just because he questions the agenda of our leaders doesn't mean he is any better then Bush administration, the oil companies or anyone else he speaks out against. Unless he uses his speaking fees to improve the quality of our planet in some way he is a hypocrite and that saddens me. We need more people in the public eye who can stand up for all of us who scream at the top our lungs, but no one even looks in our direction. If he is using the monies for something wonderfully amazing please share I really would like to give him props for more then just his optimism.

Re: Another protestor has crossed the line

[endseptember]

I agree with you. And for the record, I don't particularly hold Michael Moore in high esteem. He's an opportunist, and he's ultimately only after a little notoriety and a fat check. But I am extremely happy that Michael Moore has done what he's done - which is to stir things up a bit and get regular people thinking about politics again.

When it comes to the high price that is paid to famous people who speak on college campuses, my problem isn't with the speakers, but with the academic system itself. But really, you have to look at it this way - there are hundreds of college campuses all over the country, many of which would love to have Michael Moore visit. But he can't visit every campus. So what better way to handle it than to charge a fee. Those who can pay it, will pay it, those who can't, won't.

It sucks, but it's sort of the way things work.

For me, personally, I'd rather see schools spend the much lesser amount of money it would cost to bring actual intellectuals such as Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky, Chalmers Johnson, etc. but that isn't terribly likely in these parts.

Anyway, $40,000, however ridiculous it may seem to you and I, isn't all that much. I hear Bill Clinton charged $1 Million for a speaking event recently.