Practicalmadness

The New York Times is reporting that Arabs are Riveted And Angered By Fahrenheit 9/11.. And yet, some critics are cautioning audiences not to be so enthusiastic about Michael Moore’s spirited critique of the Bush II Administration, since it presents a less than positive image of “the region and its people.” Which, as far as I can tell, is a really interesting euphemism for Saudi Arabia and the Saudi royal family.

Mamoun Fandy, an expert on Saudi Arabia based in Washington, wrote an op-ed article in Asharq Al Awsat, the Arabic newspaper in London, blasting the movie as racist and making faulty generalizations about Arabs, who, he argued, should not hail it as supporting their cause. Kuwait barred the movie as offensive to its Saudi neighbors, and the Saudi ambassador to London, Prince Turki al-Faisal, was quoted in the London-based Arabic daily daily Al Hayat as saying the movie twisted the truth and was inadequately researched.

I’m having trouble understanding why tracing a connection between the Bush and Saud families is so insulting. I mean, Moore has exhaustively proven that Saudi Arabia is the one Middle Eastern nation that can host American military bases and (allegedly) fund and harbor the terrorists coming after American civilians because of those military bases, and still never have to face down U.S. smart bomb attacks. If I were the Saudi royal family, I’d be like, “sweet!”

Maybe they’re just upset because “Bandar Bush” is the stupidest name ever.

Moore’s exhaustive list of sources for his apparently inadequate research can be found on his web site.