Downsize This! Random Threats from an Unarmed American is a book by American author and producer Michael Moore.
The book is a look at the state of business and industry in the United States and the power they hold over the U.S. government. In particular the book criticizes corporations who care more for shareholders than the safety and wellbeing of the communities who work for them. The book is part of Moore's ongoing campaign for increased corporate accountability.
The book was first published in hardback in 1996 and then later published in paperback in 1997.
Moore refers to corporations receiving government tax breaks as "corporate welfare mothers". There is also a chapter about Hillary Clinton as well as two on OJ Simpson - one where Moore claims OJ was innocent of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, another where Moore claims OJ was guilty. And yet another chapter where Moore details his unsuccessful endeavors to have State Representative from the 46th District of California, Bob Dornan, involuntarily committed for psychiatric evaluation.
Famous quotes containing the words random, threats and/or american:
“Assemble, first, all casual bits and scraps
That may shake down into a world perhaps;
People this world, by chance created so,
With random persons whom you do not know—”
—Robert Graves (1895–1985)
“Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come to us again. All Americans understand the basic lessons of history: that we need to be resolute and able to protect ourselves, to prevent threats and domination by others.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)
“Greece is a sort of American vassal; the Netherlands is the country of American bases that grow like tulip bulbs; Cuba is the main sugar plantation of the American monopolies; Turkey is prepared to kow-tow before any United States pro-consul and Canada is the boring second fiddle in the American symphony.”
—Andrei Andreyevich Gromyko (1909–1989)