Americans today are working harder, working longer and yet for most of us, in this time of ruthless downsizing and political cronyism, job security, a decent standard of living and a comfortable retirement are becoming harder and harder to find. In this brilliantly funny and right-on-target diatribe, irreverent everyman Michael Moore gives his own bold views on who's behind the fading of the American dream.

Whether issuing Corporate Crook trading cards, organizing a Rodney King Commemorative Riot, sending a donation to Pat Buchanan from the John Wayne Gacy fan club (which was accepted) or trying to commit former right-wing congressman Bob Dornan to a mental hospital, the in-your-face host of TV Nation and director/star of Roger & Me combines an expansive wit with biting social commentary to make you think and laugh at the same time.

In hardcover, Downsize This! stormed the bestseller lists of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle and others. Given Michael Moore's enormous -- and growing -- constituency, this trade paperback edition brings his unique perspective on the nation to an even greater audience.

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Moore sticks it to democrats and republicans in this book, (he opts for the term "republicrats") but his brand of humor and truth really seems to get on conservatives' last nerve. ...which is all the better.

You can see some of their silly reactionary replies here. Like Ryan Setliff from Lynchburg, VA who titles his review "For those who think a Job is a Right." He says: "They hold to a Marxist view that a job and economic security is an inherent right." Well, what's so humorous about this is not only the idea that Ryan would seemingly rather live in a country where the people can't get jobs and are economically insecure, but that it turns out that a job and economic security *ARE* actually basic and fundamental human rights.

Under the leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt, The "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" was adopted by the United Nations in 1948 and ratified by the United States. This document is basically the standard on which basic human rights are measured throughout the world, and it declares what we as individuals, and our governments, shall strive for in the modern world. Let's take a look at Article 23 of the UDHR shall we?:

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

Well, it seems that "Everyone has the right to work". :-D
Ryan is obviously full of [it]. The right to a job and economic security *ARE* in fact basic human rights, as is the right to organize in unions.

Now, let's look at Article 25...:

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Man, Ryan's probably boiling while reading this. ...but I bet he'd kill or mame to protect this one:

Article 17:
(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

Yep, those others are all [garbage], but this one is right on. Nobody better touch my stuff!

...I read the book I laughed. I read these spastic sputtering reviews, I laughed again. Do the same!

Josh

33 of 38 found the following review helpful:

Michael Moore is as American as you can get!Feb 14, 2002
By D. Bakken "dobak"
pa·tri·ot·ic (ptr-tk) adj. --- Feeling, expressing, or inspired by love for one's country.

source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition - Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Look it up in any dictionary and you will get a similar definition. Notice it doesn't say anything about staying silent and never openly showing dissent towards your government. That's because our country was founded on the belief that we have the freedom of expression along with other freedoms...

Anyway, for those who actually want to READ the book, here are some of my thoughts on it.

Michael Moore, for those unfamiliar, is a one of todays most outspoken mainstream progressives. A die-hard supporter of Nader and the Green party, Moore is most well known for TV Nation and the indie movie "Roger and Me."

In "Downsize This," Moore takes on the both Democrats and Republicans in hilarious essays that will make you laugh while you growing angry. He also takes on that bane of Democracy: Large, rich corporations.

The best essay in the book is "Would Pat Buchanan Take a Check From Satan?" In it, Moore takes an old political trick from Buchanan's days with Nixon and uses it against Mr. Buchanan. According to Moore, Buchanan cashed checks from "The John Wayne Gacy Fan Club," (famous serial killer) and "Abortionists for Buchanan." Pat still hasn't cashed the Satan one yet.

Look for Moore's new book - "Stupid White Men...." It was nearly banned and destroyed because he dared criticize the President.

21 of 23 found the following review helpful:

Well written and well researchedMar 03, 2003
By K. Bentley "amateur critic"
Micahel Moore's book Downsize This! shows the aspects of stupidity in American society. In the political spectrum, he is a liberal, but he is not quick to judge like other documents written by liberals and conservatives alike. Instead, he obviously does a ton of research and observes the patterns of politics and big business. He manages to pojnt out the shocking similarities between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party, and denounces both of them as alike, and givespretty good reasons on why half the population doesn't take part in presidential elections. His views on abortion, though comical in some sense, surprisingly make a lot of sense

Along with a satirical sense of honesty, Moore also throws in some very humorous commentary, like new and improved ways to vote for the President, and several jabs at certain politicians and corporations, especially a certain corporation he attacked in his documentary Roger and Me.

To read this book, an open mind is recommended. Moore's sharp wit and sense of being accurate, in most cases, may be too much for some to handle. This is obviously not a book for everyone, though I know many detractors and admirers on all sides of the political spectrum.

19 of 21 found the following review helpful:

Hit 'em hard, then kick them when they are down....Feb 15, 2004
By isala "Isabel and Lars"
I was ill in bed and my wife bought Downsize this to cheer me up. I read it in less than a day. The book is hilarious, and Michael Moore has his facts right. His thesis throughout the book, and indeed throughout his early production, is that big corporations must stop accept government money and then fire most of their workforceto increase their already immense profits. He connects corporate greed to racism and corrupt politicians. His piece on congressman Robert Dornan is just superb! For me as a European this open corruption and greed in politicians in the USA is strange. Of course our politicians also lie and are corrupt, but they are a bit more discrete about it. And many of them are caught and forced to resign. We do not have this worship of Big Business.
At times the book becomes a bit rambling, but I can forgive that.
I hope more people will read and understand this book, and then go out and vote.

26 of 30 found the following review helpful:

All depends on your political beliefsNov 29, 1999
By Michael J. Gelfand
Like most political satires and/or commentaries, those who agree with the author's point of view will generally enjoy this funny little book. Moore exposes the corporate crimes and hypocrisy that take place in this country, but is by no means against Corporations in general or the virtues of making a profit. He just feels that corporations have gotten completely unreasonable by firing thousands of employees while profits are at a peak and leaving cities after receiving tax breaks as an incentive for staying.

The picture of the Federal building bombed in Oklahoma City is placed next to the picture of a condemned factory in Flint, Michigan after GM pulled out. The pictures are nearly identical and the imagery is extremely powerful. What exactly is terrorism, Moore asks?

Many will disagree with Moore's opinions and some will be offended by certain things in this book, especially the chapter dealing with the L.A. Riots and the O.J. Simpson case. However, I do think it's worth a read, even if you disagree, if only to reinforce your views.

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