January, 1999
Labor Party Press
Michael Moore:
'Let's Be the
Second Party'
Excerpts from a talk by filmmaker
Michael Moore, author of Downsize This!
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Photo ©Michael Kaufman, Impact Visuals |
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It’s taken the American people a long time to figure out that we have
a one-party system in this country. But more people believe it now than ever before.
People don’t vote because they don’t have a choice. When archeologists dig us up
hundreds of years from now they’ll laugh at us for calling this a democracy.
I want to see change in my lifetime. So let’s stop talking about a
third party, let’s be the second party. Let the Democrats and the Republicans merge,
and let the rest of us have our own Labor Party.
Corporate America has so used the American worker in this last decade that
the average American has gotten politicized. In the past some people were willing to go to
the mat for the company they worked for and to let the politicians do the bidding of the
company they worked for. But in this decade, they realized that the company doesn’t
give a rat’s ass about them. They’re going to close that factory in Flint,
Michigan, and it doesn’t matter how hard you work, or the quality of the work you do.
The corporations are doing organizing for us by forcing us to work longer
hours for less pay and no benefits – and throwing us all into these HMOs – which
should stand for "hand the money over." By doing this and by taking away the
American dream, they have politicized a whole new generation of American people.
Our work is half done. But now we have to figure out how to get out there
and bring those people in. How to make this party accessible to the average American
worker. If we do that kind of outreach, we will become that second party. The Christian
right took over the Republican Party and they only represented fifteen percent of that
party. Fifteen percent can make a hell of a difference.
The recent election victory of that professional wrestler in Minnesota...I
think this was an incredible event! The people of Minnesota said, "If you give us an
alternative, we will come out in droves" – there was a 40 or 50 percent turnout,
and a huge turnout among young men. He sounded like a real person.
The majority of American people are actually very liberal on the issues.
But they vote for Reagan and Bush. Why? Because the Democrats are wimps. They don’t
stand for anything. I think the people are willing to vote for someone even if they
don’t agree with everything they say if they seem honest and seem to have the courage
of their convictions. And where are the leaders of our movement? They’re in this
room!
I got a check for royalties for $10,000 for my book – and I want to
donate it all to the Labor Party’s educational arm. I’ll do every thing I can to
publicize the Labor Party and let everyone know the good work we’re doing. Because we
really need to build this party.
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