It seems that most people who have reviewed Stupid White Men from a left perspective have focused mostly on the last few chapters that are embroiled in the controversy over the Greens and the Democrats. What is missing is praise for Michael Moore’s biting sarcasm, his well-researched criticism and his plucky humor that enable the reader to get through the book psychologically intact. Who could read about the dismantling of democratic rights, the outrageously corrupt Bush Administration, racist violence, economic recession, corporate corruption, male supremacy and so on and feel good about the possibility of democracy? Moore gets you angry, but his humor allows the reader to learn something and keep a stable point of view.

In addition to the Green/Democrat controversy, Moore’s book provides investigative analysis of the 2000 election theft by Bush and digs into Bush’s background as “a drunk, a thief, a possible felon, an unconvicted deserter, and a crybaby.” Moore exposes the wave of corporate corruption before it hit the press. He alerts us to the fact that almost 1300 corporations with assets of $250 million or more simply pay no taxes. Zero. One of these companies was Cheney’s own Halliburton, which moved a subsidiary to the Cayman Islands to avoid US taxes. Not only was this illegal, but it is the norm. Cheney is now the President of the Senate. If only we could all get high-paying jobs for avoiding our taxes.

Moore also takes on the issue of racism. He gets his white readers to rethink their own warped views of their experience with racist stereotypes. He basically asks, why do white people believe that all the bad people in their world are Black? White people’s own experiences should tell them otherwise. He lists the people who have done him harm. Yes, as I look back on my life, a strange but unmistakable pattern seems to emerge. Every person who has ever harmed me in my lifetime – the boss who fired me, the teacher who flunked me, the principal who punished me, the kid who hit me in the eye with the rock, the other kid who shot me with his BB gun, the executive who didn’t renew TV Nation, the guy who was stalking me for three years, the accountant who double-paid my taxes, the drunk who smashed into me, the burglar who stole my stereo, the contractor who overcharged me, the girlfriend who left me, the next girlfriend who left even sooner – every one of these individuals has been a white person! Coincidence? I think not! How much longer could a list like this be for most people? Readers can look to his book to find out more on his views about how to create racial justice.

He takes on male supremacy. From the masculine culture of domination to personal inequalities between men and women to the structural inequality that provides unequal economic power for men, Moore has some interesting advice. Some of his advice to men for achieving equality: “Bathe Daily. Tone it down.” Don’t pretend to be “sensitive.” In other words, actually take steps in your personal life to adjust to the needs of women and to listen. He also asks men to participate in activities that bring attention to the economic inequalities between men and women.

The idea that people ought to get involved and make real changes persists throughout the book. Everywhere you turn in this book, Moore asks you to work with organizations, to get involved in the political process, to call or write to representatives, to take personal steps that just might change the entire world. This book is certainly worth reading. And its radically democratic reforms are certainly worth including in any progressive agenda. Its call for full participation by the people makes it clear why the right-wing-dominated corporate media refused to acknowledge this book.

Stupid White Men...and Other Sorry excuses for the State of the Union By Michael Moore New York, HarperCollins, 2001.