Brainstorm! Challenge

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Moore's dishonest film will turn off voters

Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" is a "crockumentary." It has energized his loony left base but is sure to repulse the moderate middle in America. Even President Bush's most savage critic, New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, wrote that "it would be a better movie if it didn't promote a few unproven conspiracy theories."

The most scathing review comes from journalist Christopher Hitchens, who's no Bush-lover. His review, "Unfairenheit 9/11," is available on the Internet at slate.msn.com. He writes: "To describe this film as dishonest and demagogic would almost be to promote those terms to the level of respectability."

He criticizes Moore's conspiracy theories: "But if you leave out absolutely everything that might give your 'narrative' a problem and throw in any old rubbish that might support it, and you don't even care that one bit of the rubbish flatly contradicts the next one, and you give no chance to those who might differ, then your have betrayed your craft."

Moore has described Americans as "the dumbest people on the planet." Perhaps he knows his target audience better than we do.

Carol R. White
Honolulu

Isle audiences fall into filmmaker's trap

When "Fahrenheit 9/11" opened in Hawaii, I thought that most people would have the sense not to waste their money on it or to recognize it for what it is: exploitive trash.

It is a malicious concoction of distorted half-truths masquerading as a documentary.

But apparently many who see the film are taken in by a director who learned well from our thankfully ex-prez Bill Clinton: If you are going to lie, lie big.

T.M. Allard
Ewa Beach

Bush's policies will sink the country

Funny how labels are. The "neoliberalism" that Jerome G. Manis refers to ("Economic imbalances are getting worse," Letters, June 28) seems to have been promulgated by the "neoconservatives" of the Bush administration.

But whatever you call it, these disastrous policies will lead to the downfall of our country. I wonder why people are so blind to this.

Sandra M. Barker
Honolulu

Put traffic cameras to better use

It seems like traffic cameras are mostly for making the taxpayer become the victim. Why not use the cameras for studying how traffic conditions can be made better?

The cam-vans were used for catching speeders at a large cost to the taxpaying public. Besides paying for the cameras and vans, drivers were cited and then inconvenienced by having to appear at court and then having most of the cases thrown out. Motorists lost work time and wages. And yet the subject of cameras still comes up again just to screw the taxpaying public.

Instead, why not use the cameras to study how traffic conditions can be made better? They could monitor where most of the problem areas are (as if we don't know already, on Maui they are at Launiupoko, Baldwin Avenue and Hana Highway). I'm sure that as common citizens we may not be as smart as the paid engineers in the Highway Division or the politicians, but why not at least take it into consideration?

Since the traffic light was put in Paia, every time a project for affordable housing came up the first objection is always increased traffic. Put a camera at the Paia traffic light and watch the video. Somebody must have a lot of stock in traffic lights at the rate they are being put in; I'm sure the stock is doing exceptionally well!

Henry P. Kahula Jr.
Paia, Maui

Phrase 'went missing' is perfectly acceptable

Please be so kind as to inform Robin Makapagal (Letters, June 30) that the expression "went missing," meaning to disappear or become lost, is an accepted, proper British idiom that dates back at least to World War II. It seems to have "come across the pond," as it were, through popular British literature and films, such as James Bond.

This only seems fair since Americanisms have been corrupting the Queen's English, and many other languages around the globe for more than 200 years. The French, in particular, battle furiously to eradicate creeping Americanisms from la Francais, which seems ironic because more than 4,000 French words have been adopted unchanged directly into the English lexicon.

Actually, the greatest strength of the English language is its flexibility and adaptability. New words and phrases enter the Oxford English Dictionary every year as they are invented and accepted into common usage.

Gary F. Anderson
Waimanalo

Magnets raised funds for troops, not profit

Yellow ribbon magnets were brought in by my company as a fund-raiser for sending items to our troops overseas. We shared them with Schofield wives so they could have projects for the families left behind. Support was overwhelming.

Now, we face competition from supermarkets. They are selling magnets for a cheaper price and for profit. To the management of these stores, I ask: Is this how you support our troops, by cut-throat pricing of a fund-raising activity?

I challenge those stores to put their money where their mouth is. What support are they giving with their yellow ribbon magnet profits?

Mahalo to the people who have supported our cause.

Sandii Kamaunu
Honolulu

Disappearing signs is dirty politics

Living on the corner of a busy intersection has its benefits. A few weeks back, representatives of both mayoral candidates asked me if they could display their candidates' signs on my fence. Until this week, the colorful signs existed peacefully side by side.

The morning I woke up to discover that all the Duke Bainum signs had been ripped off my fence, leaving nothing but their fastenings hanging empty next to the untouched Mufi Hannemann signs, was the day I made up my mind who I'd vote for come election day. Dirty politics has no place in Hawaii nei.

Cecilia R. Medina
Aiea

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[ BRAINSTORM! ] The city owns a large, underground facility at Fort Barrette in Kapolei that is sitting empty. What could it be used for? Some sort of archive? A place to stash gigantic holiday decorations? A temporary storage site for Evan Dobelle’s ego? Send your ideas -- include your name, address and phone number -- by July 16 to: brainstorm@starbulletin.com Or by mail: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson Star-Bulletin 500 Ala Moana 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Or by fax: Brainstorm! c/o Nancy Christenson 529-4750