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Dude, Where's My Country?

by Michael Moore

3.34 of 5 stars 3.34 · rating details · 8,862 ratings · 256 reviews

In addition to his work as a mega-bestselling author, Michael Moore is an award-winning director. He lives in Michigan.

Paperback, 272 pages

Published August 1st 2004 by Grand Central Publishing (first published January 1st 2003)

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Mar 28, 2013 Manny rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: well-i-think-its-funny, pooh-dante

One of the early triumphs of Unified Media Theory was the discovery of the anti-coulter. Predicted in 2001 and experimentally verified the following year, the anti-coulter (often colloquially referred to as the "mooreon") is a heavy particle with positive charm, charge and strangeness and leftward spin.

The rest of this review is in my book What Pooh Might Have Said to Dante and Other Futile Speculations

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Jun 05, 2007 Eric rated it 2 of 5 stars

The older I get, the more disenchanted I become with Michael Moore. I don't consider myself a conservative by any stretch of the imagination, but his kind of activism is indicative of what's wrong with a lot of liberal activism- narcissism. He's so absorbed with his own righteousness -and the fact that so many people in his audience with reinforce his righteousness with blind praise and little analysis- that the causes he supposedly stands for are beside the point. Some might say this is giving...more

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Jun 29, 2008 Viraj rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book is overall anti-Bush, anti-republican. The author’s tone is of sarcasm and is towards getting some laughs; however, it defeats the purpose. It is probably ok to have the tone while making a point in a video, as is seen in his movie Sicko; however, had this book been better written, a thorough study of the subject indicated by the non-standard format bibliography / reference, would have been more effective. Independent of whether I agree or not with the thoughts, the book is bad to read...more

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Jul 24, 2007 Anthony rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those suffering from BDS

Shelves: political

This was the beginning of the end with my love affair with the left. Typical angry Moore makes some good points, but Moore doesn't think about the long-term consequences of his ideas. I can respect that Moore doesn't like corporations or conservatives or George W. Bush, but he really needs to reconsider how he attacks the other side, saying that someone is only a conservative because they wants lower taxes cheapens the ideas of conservative thought that have contributed to Moore's ability to wri...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Mike added it

I really enjoyed this book, which landed in my collection after visiting Oxfam in Tooting. Price £1.49, bargain!

Although it was partly frustrating in that I'm pretty sure Bush did indeed win the election that Moore insists he shouldn't next time around, I enjoyed seeing the rich charlatans running that administration and their continual lies and manipulation of the media for their own ends thoroughly put on display.

It's a very well researched book. Although he's often accused of being Chomsky-l...more

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Nov 16, 2012 Sheila rated it 2 of 5 stars

I have to admit that I don't mind Michael Moore. This book is almost 10 years old, and yes, Moore is very opinionated and cynical, and he can be a little extreme. The book is written after 9/11 and mostly about how messed up the Bush Administration is/was. His tone is whit and anger with a plea for change. He reminds us that we are a liberal country, an eye-opener to me, by citing polls that place citizens slightly in the left. He reminds us of Enron from which we are still feeling the aftershoc...more

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Jun 09, 2012 David Sarkies rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: politics

I am probably going to go down the same road as many of the other commentators of this book, and that is that while Michael Moore does make some good points, it does not appear to be a properly researched and documented work. While his videos were amusing (at first) they end up becoming little more than some self-righteous rant at a political ideology that the author (and this particular reader) does not necessarily believe in. In fact, the further down the track that Michael Moore goes the mor...more I am probably going to go down the same road as many of the other commentators of this book, and that is that while Michael Moore does make some good points, it does not appear to be a properly researched and documented work. While his videos were amusing (at first) they end up becoming little more than some self-righteous rant at a political ideology that the author (and this particular reader) does not necessarily believe in. In fact, the further down the track that Michael Moore goes the more that he begins to sound like some radical left-wing conspiracist who jumps at shadows and make unfounded allegations with no evidence whatsoever. In fact, there have been numerous allegations that he has also manipulated evidence and video footage to make his point more clear, yet in doing so, undermining his integrity.
What I want to comment about on this book though is the idea of the 'Dead Peasant's Insurance'. Technically there actually isn't anything wrong with this concept namely because it is a company insuring against the loss of a productive worker. It is the nature of insurance to hedge against risk, and what can be riskier, and more costly, than the loss of a very productive worker. However, Moore seems to suggest that the only thing the company insures is the worker, meaning that if the worker dies, then the worker gets squat. So the worker should, because in reality the worker should be the one insuring himself and his family against his own loss of productivity or income stream. However, the problem arises when the employer deducts the cost of the dead peasant's insurance from the worker's wage. This, to me, is wrong, because the worker should not be paying for the company to insure against his loss of productivity. It seems to be the way that the capitalist society works, that is if there is a cost incurred, then look for a way to externalise that cost, whether passing it onto the consumer, or docking the employee's wage.
I am not necessarily convinced that the corporate world is really out to oppress us, namely because, as I have written before, the corporate world needs us to turn over their profits, and they need to put money into our pockets so that we might spend it. While one might suggest that once the country of origin has been sucked dry, then they look elsewhere to suck everybody else dry, the truth is that the money has to keep rolling in. If you are forever sucking money out of a worker, the worker will get to the point where the worker can no longer afford luxuries, and as such the economy suffers. Jack up the price of essentials, and while the producer of the essentials makes profit, the producers of the non-essentials suffer.
One of the criticisms that has been leveled against Moore is the fact that he manipulates video footage. One example was from his file 'Roger and Me'. He buys shares in General Motors to allow him access to the AGM, and at the AGM footage is shown of him trying to question the CEO and the CEO refusing to answer his questions. Apparently the CEO did answer his questions, but that did not make for a good movie, so he cut and pasted the footage to make it look otherwise. It may not seem to be the case from the film, until the either go to an AGM, or look at it behind the scenes. For instance, the footage of Moore is shown in a dark room with a spotlight on him, and the video is filmed from the stage. However, it appears, if you look closely, that nobody else is in the room, which is not the case when it comes to AGMs.
The other thing about that film is that it appears to be little more than a rant about how GM shut down a bunch of factories and put workers out of work. However, if the company is suffering a loss, it cannot expect to keep a loss making enterprise going just to keep people in work. In any case, it appeared that the workers were able to find work, even if it involved them moving elsewhere. The whole movie was about how people once out of work struggled to make ends meet. Look, that happens, and it is not good, but a company simply cannot pay people to do busy work, they have to be productive in someway or another so that the company makes a profit. Underpaying workers is a different story, as well as companies actively preventing good workers from leaving while underpaying them. They say that if you are not happy with your wage, then leave, but that is not as easy as it seems, especially if you have made mistakes, or have a horrid manager than will never say a good word about you. Hey, that is also a conspiracy theory, but never under estimate a company where profit is concerned.(less)

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Oct 07, 2010 Bradley rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book made my head hurt. Michael Moore is definitely not a line-toting Democrat. He makes some interesting arguments and his facts match up for the most part. You do have to wade through a lot of muck in what he says but his work about being critical of Bush is definitely on the money. One sparkling gem my wife wants to put on her facebook page but I am going to sneak it out here on my review for many people's consideration..

Quoted directly from page 113:
"To the rest of the world, it looks l...more

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Apr 08, 2009 Adam rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: current-events, non-fiction

Don't waste your time.

While I would certainly identify my self as not only a Democrat but a huge 'anti-fan' (as they say here in Korea) of George-Dub, I found this book incredibly irritating.

Though well intentioned (meaning, I'm going to try to reveal Bush and his cronies for what they are), the book is simply irritating to read! Moore cannot get over his own biases and while he presents a great deal of well researched facts, he is clearly on a one sided agenda.

It seems a bit hypocritical that h...more

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Nov 04, 2011 Monica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook

I already know what you’re thinking, “Surprise, surprise, Monica read and liked a Michael Moore book!” While I used to idealize Michael Moore, I’ve calmed down in my more mature, less idealistic ways. This book is from 2004; the first half it felt like was all about 9/11, Bin Laden, Saddam and them Bushes. The second half was an insightful look at what’s going on in our country, why we are lead to believe we are conservative country and why everyone needs a new leader.
The early portion of the b...more I already know what you’re thinking, “Surprise, surprise, Monica read and liked a Michael Moore book!” While I used to idealize Michael Moore, I’ve calmed down in my more mature, less idealistic ways. This book is from 2004; the first half it felt like was all about 9/11, Bin Laden, Saddam and them Bushes. The second half was an insightful look at what’s going on in our country, why we are lead to believe we are conservative country and why everyone needs a new leader.
The early portion of the book is interesting and fact-rich, explaining the relationship between the Bin Laden and Bush families, and how Saddam Hussein came into the mix. Moore is political yes, but also quite entertaining about it, drawing the analogy of Bush’s lies to BK Whoppers and going through the 10 or so best-selling Whoppers. Moore breaks up the fact-spewing by inserting vignettes like, “A dream he had between his great grand daughter, Anne Coulture Moore and him in 2056.” Moore and his dreamed up great granddaughter discuss life before and after the great die-off brought on by over consumption of oil. Another highlight of the book, was a Letter from God, apologizing for the creation of George Bush ‘who was just supposed to be one of the party boys but somehow things got way out of control!’
Since I was listening to and not reading this book, I cannot accurately quote the multitude of valuable facts and statistics Moore presents, but what will stick to my ribs is Chapter 10, “How to Talk to your Conservative Brother-In-Law.” [I’m not kidding that’s the title.] Moore does not give talking points like I feel many pundits do. Instead, he points out the value of Conservatives, and how to carry a dialogue in an educated, respectful way that compliments their strengths and brings a sane voice to the non-Conservative movement.

Moore spends some effort on a call to arms to remove Bush, and while he did not prevail as we all know from the 2004 election, he is powerful and persuasive, and almost had me convinced Oprah should be president. Moore also spends some time on the economic inequality in the United States and how it compares to other countries. I wanted to write something down just about every four sentences, but since I was driving on 95 this was not possible. I can say, reading Michael Moore reminds me of the expression, “If you’re not mad as hell, you’re not paying attention.” I’ll be the first to admit he can be over the top at times, but that’s what you have to do to be heard. Now that we’re past the Bush era, I probably won’t pick up Stupid White Men, but I am always interested in what he is going to uncover next.
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Aug 07, 2011 Jeff rated it 3 of 5 stars

Is Michael Mooore a blowhard that is by no means humble? Of course, but it's not like he's alone on that and on both sides of the political aisle. However, by going in with an open mind and my BS filter firmly in place I was able to sort through the over-hyped bits and was actually able to pick out some gems of wisdom. Despite all of the over the top rantings and the fact that the book is about six years old, I was still able to recognize some decent information and had some laughs along the way...more

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Jul 09, 2011 Jeb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Zediva:

jebber
Jebber1

If you've never read a Michael Moore book or seen a Michael Moore film, then, this book is a reasonable entry point into his world perspective because it's really no different than any of his other media.

If you've read or seen Michael Moore stuff before, then, this book will be no surprise and no more enlightening than reading or watching anything else done by him.

The focus point of the book is the immediate, post-9/11 US and our non-reflective handing over of many of our per...more Zediva:

jebber
Jebber1

If you've never read a Michael Moore book or seen a Michael Moore film, then, this book is a reasonable entry point into his world perspective because it's really no different than any of his other media.

If you've read or seen Michael Moore stuff before, then, this book will be no surprise and no more enlightening than reading or watching anything else done by him.

The focus point of the book is the immediate, post-9/11 US and our non-reflective handing over of many of our personal freedoms for the sake of security. Interestingly, reading this book now, 10 years after 9/11, his hysterical portrayal of the freedom treading patriot act seems overblown. Most of us haven't seen any more impact on our personal freedoms than the silliness of the TSA, an occasional story about mistreatment in Guantanamo, and, the also occasional, story of someone getting put on the no-fly list who obviously doesn't belong there.

So, while the manifestation of the patriot act has been slight for most of us, that has been because we have other institutions that prevent the liberal interpretation of government authority applied in the act, from getting out of control. (I would point to elections and the court system as the primary preventive institutions (notice that I didn't say the media...which, in my opinion, has become worse than useless as an informative body and a third estate imbued with ethics to protect people in the US from abuse)).

That said, I wholeheartedly agree with Moore's suggestion that we all read the patriot act. It is a horrifying document that hands considerable power into the hands of non-elected officials to apply the statutes in the act at their own discretion.

I would almost have preferred that Moore focus on the patriot act 'what if' scenarios suggesting a perfect storm of situations that could arise, allowing government officials to use the power ceded to them in the act to truly limit our constitutional freedoms. Scenarios that would have included tremor attacks after 9/11 instead of the one event and packing of the courts with lifetime judges who support central government authority.

In the end, this book is only mediocre because Moore's over-the-top style of writing seems to belie any rationality that there might be in his topics and facts.(less)

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Mar 31, 2012 Marsha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Mr. Moore doesn’t blame Former President George Dubya or any of his crack staff for the state of our country. He puts the blame squarely on Americans for letting him do it. Once more he skewers hypocrisy, both in the government and in the private sector, while at the same time berating Americans for letting their privacy be whittled away little by little, all in the name of national security.

Mr. Moore makes quite a few uncomfortable points. There is humor here but also the clear-sighted view of...more

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Jun 20, 2007 -uht! rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: politics

I like Michael Moore's writing more than his documentaries. He's got a relaxed, fun style with a surprising amount of depth beneath it. The book is a bit reactionary in parts (moreso than Stupid White Men), but it was an enjoyable read and well documented and researched.

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Mar 22, 2012 Mohamed Tarik El fouly rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

اهم ما خرجت به من هذا الكتاب انه لا يوجد نموذج مثالى للدميقراطية... فحتى فى الولايات المتحدة لا يستخدم الشعب الديمقراطية بشكل صحيح... بل على العكس تهيمن الكيانات الاقتصادية والشركات على العملية الديمقراطية بشكل يعكس رغبتهم باكثر مما يعكس رغبة الشعب...

النقطة الثانية هى التشابه الفظيع بين ليبرالين امريكا وليبرالين مصر... فكلاهما على مستوى واحد وغير محبوب من قبل المحافظين المتدينين... على الرغم من ان معظم الشعب يحمل داخله افكار ليبرالية او يسارية إلا انه لا يحب ان يعطى لنفسه نموذج معين.. سواء ليبرا...more

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May 16, 2012 D.resnick is currently reading it

Michael Moore’s book Dude, Where’s My Country? serves the purpose of asking just that question. Moore uses his book as a platform to question the Bush administration, which was in power back when the book was written in 2003. Rather than attack Bush, however, Moore takes a different approach. He seems to reprimand the American people for allowing Bush into power and willingly and unquestionably accepting everything he did. The beginning of the book asks a series of questions regarding Bush’s re...more Michael Moore’s book Dude, Where’s My Country? serves the purpose of asking just that question. Moore uses his book as a platform to question the Bush administration, which was in power back when the book was written in 2003. Rather than attack Bush, however, Moore takes a different approach. He seems to reprimand the American people for allowing Bush into power and willingly and unquestionably accepting everything he did. The beginning of the book asks a series of questions regarding Bush’s relationship and reaction to the events that took place on September 11, 2001. Moore investigates business and personal relations that are widely unknown to the American people and may have affected the way Bush reacted on 9/11. He then goes on to call Bush out on lies told to the American people to boost support for the Iraq war following 9/11. Moore changes writing styles in the third chapter, which he uses to express his belief that since we are aware that oil reserves are depleting, we should try not to waste them so that future generations can benefit from them. As the book progresses, Moore continues his discussion on terrorism, how the government uses terror as a tool to pass laws restricting our freedoms, and how the best way to end terrorism is for Americans to stop being terrorists themselves. While the first chunk of the book focuses on foreign issues, the second half of the book leans more towards domestic issues. In typical Michael Moore style, he writes to a liberal audience about what the conservatives are doing wrong and why we need to stop letting them make bad decisions for us. The most memorable part of this book is definitely the first chapter, when seven questions are asked of George W. Bush. These questions range from “Is it true that the bin Ladens have had business relations with you and your family off and on for the past 25 years?” to “Why did you allow a private Saudi jet to fly around the U.S. in the days after September 11 and pick up members of the bin Laden family and then fly them out of the country without a proper investigation by the FBI?” and bring to light some facts that I had never been aware of before (Moore 17, 26). For example, the fact that Saudi Arabia has (or at least had at the time this book was published) a ton of money in the United States, and that Bush had a personal relationship with the prince of Saudi Arabia. Since Osama bin Laden’s family was from Saudi Arabia, and they had money in the U.S., they were basically supplying him with American-made money. I learned all of this from the book, and like Michael Moore, I question: how did this happen? When all U.S. airports were shut down and no planes were flying, why was a private Saudi jet allowed to go pick up members of the bin Laden family, who should have been the first suspects questioned, and return them overseas without any interrogation at all? Michael Moore’s commentary and investigation about various Bush-era issues throughout the book are both interesting and thought provoking.
Many issues from this book can connect to class conversations we’ve had in the past. One of the most obvious connections comes in chapter 4. Moore says, “Fear is so basic and yet so easy to manipulate that it has become both our best friend and our worst enemy. And when it is used as a weapon against us, it has the ability to destroy much of what we have come to love about life in the United States of America” (Moore 85). Here, he is talking about how our own fear can be used as a weapon against us so that we will allow the government to take more control of our lives. I made an immediate connection between this section and the discussion we had at the beginning of the year, where we said that fear is politics. I agree with Moore that the government often exaggerates threats to the country so that people will be more willing to give up their rights. Another section in chapter seven connects to some of the motivation behind the Occupy movements that started this year. “After fleecing the American public and destroying the American dream for most working people how is it that, instead of being drawn and quartered and hung at dawn at the city gates, the rich got a big wet kiss from Congress in the form of a record tax break, and no one says a word? How can that be?” asks Moore of his readers (Moore 122). This references tax cuts to the wealthy, while the lower and middle class Americans suffer. The situation Moore is describing should sound awfully familiar; part of the Occupy movement’s original purpose was to protest the uneven distribution of wealth in America. Earlier in the year we talked in class about Occupy Wall Street, the uneven distribution of wealth in America, and whether there should be tax cuts for the poor and tax hikes for the rich. Finally, in chapter 5, Moore details a list of things the government should do to make America safer. Number one on that list is “Catch Osama bin Laden. Whoa, there’s an original idea! I guess someone forgot to do this” (Moore 102). This connects to a recent class discussion about the anniversary of the death of Osama bin Laden. His death was a big deal in American politics because people wondered if the terrorist game was going to change. One year later, however, the game hasn’t changed all that much without the deceased figurehead.
It is hard to argue that Michael Moore is anything but biased in this book. His intended audience is clearly liberal and in a state of discontent with Bush. Moore says, for example, “If it takes a pro-choice, pro-environment general who believes in universal health care and who thinks war is never the first answer to a conflict, if that is what it takes to remove these bastards and do the job the Democrats should have done in 2000-then that is what I am prepared to do,” which suggests that he is open to voting this way, revealing that he is definitely on the more liberal end of the political spectrum (Moore 176). Since his entire book is based on politics, his political views play a huge role in his bias. Moore even devotes the entirety of chapter ten to the subject of “How to Talk to Your Conservative Brother-in-Law,” which shows that he is definitely not writing from a conservative point of view (Moore 152). This bias is established early on, when Moore says
What is the worst lie a president can tell?
“I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.”
Or…
“He has weapons of mass destruction-the world’s deadliest weapons-which pose a direct threat to the
United States, our citizens, and our friends and allies” (Moore 41).
Here, he implies his preference for former President Clinton over Bush. This comes across to the reader as a dislike for Bush and the things he says. Moore’s political affiliation is apparent many times throughout the book, and definitely affects his view on what he’s writing about. However, because we share many of the same political thoughts, I enjoyed the book and the questions it raised about the Bush era.
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Aug 14, 2012 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

It was interesting to read this book so many years after it was published. Many of Michael's predictions and suggestions were quite prophetic of what would transpire in the ten years following publishing. His predictions about an impending global economic crisis came true, and his assertion that the democratic party ought to put forward a black or female candidate for presidency paid off as well.

However, I felt like he didn't have any clear points to make. He made a lot of vague accusations aga...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Ethan J rated it 3 of 5 stars

This certainly is a thought-provoking read, but it sadly proves the hollowness of the "Left" in modern American politics. As he approaches the problems of the Bush years from his populist position, Moore forgets that populism is as much the domain of the Right as it is of the Left (as such phenomena as the Tea Party movement demonstrate, no matter how misguided they are). Indeed, as Slavoj Zizek points out, since populism is fundamentally a response to (real or perceived) elitist domination, it...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Stephen Morgan-MacKay rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've always enjoyed reading political books retrospectively, and Moore didn't disappoint in this blistering critique of a post-9/11 Bush administration that is more concerned with crony capitalism and the defamation of the Constitution. Moore's political stance is only eclipsed by his no-nonsense approach to governance and the formation of a true Republic. Written in 2004, this book expounds upon not only upon Bush's precursor to the Iraq invasion (9/11) but also focuses on the collapse of Enron...more

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Jan 24, 2012 JamesMarinero Marinero rated it 3 of 5 stars

Enjoyable, and surprising in that there was a lot of ironic comment in there - not something one expects too much of from the US. Maybe I don't read widely enough.

Many of the facts about the Bush years were scary - I think we came close to a lot worse than what actually happened.

Towards the end, I think that he gets too carried away with his ideas and vision, and scores own goals: If 'x' was the President, then she could just order the arrest of credit card executives who charge too much intere...more

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May 03, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

In addition to his work as a mega-bestselling author, Michael Moore is an award-winning director. He lives in Michigan.

When the powers-that-be succeeded in ignoring and then silencing the nations widespread dissent over war, one man stood on an Oscar stage and, in front of a billion people, outed the commander in chief for his fictitious presidency and his fictitious war. Now, just a few months later, those words have remarkably become the accepted truth of the land. Yes, Michael Moore is the s...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Erik Graff rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Moore fans

Recommended to Erik by: no one

Shelves: political-social-science

Although my brother Fin and I sold our last three acres near Lake Michigan, I still go up with friends during the summers to camp near the old cottage near the lakeshore. Our family having been there since the first world war, we know all the neighbors and, indeed, some of them join us for our all-night bonfires.

I brought this book up for such a weekend, thinking it would be an easy read for any social off-time. As it happened, it was lucky I did. We'd drunk a lot of beer and when I got out of m...more

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Nov 13, 2009 Reinhold rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

Deutlich besser als "Stupid White Men"

Mit diesem Werk legt nun Moore alles ab, was ich an "Stupid White Men" zu kritisieren hatte. Dort habe ich bemäkelt, dass es klischeehaft sei, dass es die Realität vereinfache und mittels Verallgemeinerungen Vorurteile schüren würde. Alle diese Schwächen finden sich hier nun nicht mehr. Weiters hat Moore ganz offensichtlich seine Recherche verbessert. Ein weiterer Kritikpunkt wurde ebenfalls erledigt: Der größte Teil dieses Buches richtet sich nicht bloß an...more Deutlich besser als "Stupid White Men"

Mit diesem Werk legt nun Moore alles ab, was ich an "Stupid White Men" zu kritisieren hatte. Dort habe ich bemäkelt, dass es klischeehaft sei, dass es die Realität vereinfache und mittels Verallgemeinerungen Vorurteile schüren würde. Alle diese Schwächen finden sich hier nun nicht mehr. Weiters hat Moore ganz offensichtlich seine Recherche verbessert. Ein weiterer Kritikpunkt wurde ebenfalls erledigt: Der größte Teil dieses Buches richtet sich nicht bloß an US-Amerikaner, sondern ist für den politisch interessierten Europäer durchaus relevant.

Hatte ich "Stupid White Men" noch zu gute gehalten, dass es witzig geschrieben ist - so muss man nun sagen, dass genau dies Michael Moore hier noch um ein vielfaches besser gelingt. Mit viel Sarkasmus - aber auch durchaus satirisch - geht er auf viele Probleme des aktuellen US-Amerika ein. Die Darstellung, das Buch wäre eine Abrechnung mit George W. Bush, ist viel zu einfach - Moore hat hier eine bittere Kritik am aktuellen US-Amerika geschaffen. Dennoch bleibt immer erkennbar, dass er für dieses Land steht, es ist eben kein Buch, das antiamerikanisch ist - und das ist gut so. Vieles stimmt nicht mit diesem Land, dennoch ist es nicht das Feindbild, das so mancher darin gerne sehen möchten. Ganz im Gegenteil, sollte uns das vorliegende Werk zum Nachdenken auch über unsere Gesellschaft verleiten.

Inhaltlich beschäftigt er sich zunächst mit den Hintergründen des Kriegs gegen den Terror und gegen den Irak und den Lügen, die von der Bush-Administration zur Rechtfertigung vorgebracht werden. Danach versucht er zu klären, warum eine Mehrheit (Unter- und untere Mittelschicht) permanent einer Minderheit die sie unterdrückt die Stimme gibt. Schließlich (und nun wird es rein US-amerikanisch) macht er sich auf die Suche nach dem idealen Gegenkandidaten um eine Wiederwahl der Republikaner zu verhindern. Wie gesagt, sauber recherchiert, witzig geschrieben, nicht klischeehaft und in der Darstellung differenziert, daher: eine klare Empfehlung für dieses Buch.(less)

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Jan 18, 2009 Shinynickel rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't know why I keep reading collections of essays when I almost universally pan them. Maybe it's just that the average length for an essay in a newspaper or a magazine is interesting in that context, but just too shallow when compared to, say, other nonfiction books I'm reading.

And Moore's not exactly deep, anyway, so.

This book came out just before the 2004 elections, and it made me sad to see how focused Moore was on getting people out to vote, making sure people got their friends to vote...more

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Aug 11, 2008 Ty rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: politics-education

If you've read any other Michael Moore, you've read the 1st few chapters already. Some portions are literally ad verbatum to other works.

After seeing the Canadian documentary on him, what esteem I had despite disagreeing on certain points is all but gone. I like to know what he's putting out so I can be prepared when someone who's never questioned his ethics or stances brings them up. It's hard though because a lot of me wants to agree with him, wants to be able to take what he says at face valu...more

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Jul 07, 2008 Darcy O'Brien rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved this book, and I would reommend it to anyone who has ever felt frustrated with George W. Bush and his administration. I would especially recommend it to anyone who is a fan of George W. Bush (if there are any left) and conservative republicans. Dude Where's My Country investigates the events leading up to and following the 9/11 attacks, the Bush Family's long time friendship with the Saudi Arabian Royal Family, the environment, and what we as a people can do to take back our country. At...more

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Jan 17, 2008 Arielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

The book Dude, Where’s My Country? by Michael Moore, is written in the exact style that the title depicts. It is a very laid back, informally written book. However, underneath all the jokes, sarcasm, and the ridiculous chapter from “G-d”, Moore is providing a lot of insight into the 9/11 case, the ties between Bush and the Bin Laden families, and the corruptness of big corporations. The book also urges and declares that George W. Bush should not be reelected in 2004, leaving me with a helpless f...more

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Jul 23, 2011 Fatima K. Alhabeeb rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

This is my second experience with audiobooks. And I'm liking the experience so far, even though it's harder to concentrate than it is in actual books. As for the book, I can safely say that Moore is better at directing movies than he's at writing. The topic was kinda outdated since Obama is now the president (he actually suggested that the next persistent be a black man. Heh. Little did he know). When he was talking about the Saudi royals it seemed like Moore believes in conspiracy theories more...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Charles Baker rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had nearly forgotten just how bad the G. W. Bush administration really was. Glad I listened to this. It's amazing how the GOP is able to pull the wool over the eyes of so many, they are the party of the rich. I guess it's as Moore says, the great American Horatio Alger myth. If you are at all progressive or liberal ( see in particular definition 8 ) in your thinking, you owe it to yourself to listen to this audio book or read the book.

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Mar 16, 2009 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I enjoyed Dude, Where's My Country?, but I don't think I could have stood to read it if the election hadn't gone the way it did. It may be a little out of date, since it was written before the 2004 election, but the passage of time may have served to prove Moore right, especially about the war in Iraq. My favorite part of the book was when he talked about how ironic it is that Americans are surrendering their civil liberties to stop terrorists.

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About Michael Moore

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Michael Moore is an American filmmaker, author and liberal political commentator. He is the director and producer of Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, Sicko, and Capitalism: A Love Story, four of the top nine highest-grossing documentaries of all time.[3] In September...more

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“These bastards who run our country are a bunch of conniving, thieving, smug pricks who need to be brought down and removed and replaced with a whole new system that we control.” — 2 people liked it

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