Downsize This!

Last updated
Downsize This! Random Threats from an Unarmed American
Downsize this.jpg
First edition
Author Michael Moore
LanguageEnglish
Publisher Pan Books
Publication date
September 1996
September 17, 1997 (Reprint)
November 29, 2002 (Reprint)
Media type Paperback
Pages224
ISBN 978-0-330-41915-4
OCLC 51483138
Website michaelmoore.com/books/downsize-this/ OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Downsize This! Random Threats from an Unarmed American is a book by the American author, documentary filmmaker, and activist Michael Moore.

The book is primarily about the state of business and industry in the United States and the power they hold over the U.S. government. In particular, the book focuses its criticism on corporations that focus on satisfying their shareholders rather than caring for the safety and wellbeing of the communities they are involved in. It is part of Moore's ongoing campaign for increased corporate accountability.

The book was first published in hardback in 1996 and later in paperback in 1997.

Moore refers to corporations receiving government tax breaks as "corporate welfare mothers". There is a chapter about Hillary Clinton as well as two on O. J. 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. There is 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.

Related Research Articles

<i>Stupid White Men</i> 2001 book by American filmmaker Michael Moore

Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation! is a book by American filmmaker Michael Moore published in 2001. Although the publishers were convinced it would be rejected by the American reading public after the September 11 attacks, it spent 50 consecutive weeks on New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover nonfiction and went to 53 printings. It is generally known by its short title, Stupid White Men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Fuhrman</span> American former police detective (born 1952)

Mark Fuhrman is a former detective of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). He is primarily known for his part in the investigation of the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in the O. J. Simpson murder case.

<i>Dude, Wheres My Country?</i> 2003 book by Michael Moore

Dude, Where's My Country? is a 2003 book by Michael Moore dealing with corporate and political events in the United States. The title is a satirical reworking of the 2000 film Dude, Where's My Car?.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicole Brown Simpson</span> American murder victim

Nicole Brown Simpson was the second wife of American football player O. J. Simpson. Brown met Simpson in 1977 and they married in 1985, five years after Simpson had retired from professional American football. Their marriage lasted seven years and they had a daughter and a son.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Goldman</span> American murder victim (1968–1994)

Ronald Lyle Goldman was an American restaurant waiter and aspiring actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F. Lee Bailey</span> American criminal defense attorney (1933–2021)

Francis Lee Bailey Jr., better known to the general public as F. Lee Bailey, was an American criminal defense attorney. Bailey's name first came to nationwide attention for his involvement in the second murder trial of Sam Sheppard, a surgeon accused of murdering his wife. He later served as the attorney in a number of other high-profile cases, such as Albert DeSalvo, a suspect in the "Boston Strangler" murders, heiress Patty Hearst's trial for bank robberies committed during her involvement with the Symbionese Liberation Army, and US Army Captain Ernest Medina for the My Lai Massacre. He was a member of the "Dream Team" in the trial of former football player O. J. Simpson, who was accused of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. He is considered one of the greatest lawyers of the 20th century.

Michael M. Baden is an American physician and board-certified forensic pathologist known for his work investigating high-profile deaths and as the host of HBO's Autopsy. Baden was the chief medical examiner of the City of New York from 1978 to 1979. He was also chairman of the House Select Committee on Assassinations' Forensic Pathology Panel that investigated the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Baden's independent autopsy findings are often in conflict with the local authorities' opinions; as such, many consider him to be a headline-seeking physician as opposed to a legitimate source of information.

Allen Cedric "A.C." Cowlings is an American former professional football player and actor. He played college football for the USC Trojans before being selected fifth overall in the first round by the Buffalo Bills in the 1970 NFL draft. He was a starter at various defensive positions for the Buffalo Bills, Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and the San Francisco 49ers, until retiring after the 1979 season.

Judith Regan is an American editor, producer, book publisher, and television and radio talk show host. She is the head of Regan Arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry Scheck</span> American attorney and legal scholar (born 1949)

Barry Charles Scheck is an American attorney and legal scholar. He received national media attention while serving on O. J. Simpson's defense team, collectively dubbed the "Dream Team", helping to win an acquittal in the highly publicized murder case. Scheck is the director of the Innocence Project and a professor at Yeshiva University's Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder trial of O. J. Simpson</span> 1995 US criminal trial

The People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson was a criminal trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court, in which former National Football League (NFL) player and actor O. J. Simpson was tried and acquitted for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. The two were stabbed to death outside Brown's condominium in Los Angeles on June 12, 1994. The murder trial spanned eight months, from January 24 to October 3, 1995.

<i>If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer</i> 2007 book by O.J. Simpson and Pablo Fenjves

If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer is a book by O.J. Simpson and Pablo Fenjves, in which Simpson puts forth a hypothetical description of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. According to Fenjves, the book is based on extensive discussions with Simpson. Simpson was acquitted of the murders in a criminal trial but later was found financially liable in a civil trial. Although the original release of the book was canceled shortly after it was announced in November 2006, 400,000 physical copies of the original book were printed, and copies of it had been leaked online by June 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O. J. Simpson</span> American football player and actor (1947–2024)

Orenthal James Simpson was an American football player, actor, and media personality who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. Regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time, his professional success was overshadowed by his trial and controversial acquittal for the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O. J. Simpson robbery case</span> 2008 US criminal case

State of Nevada v. Orenthal James Simpson, et al, Case Number: 07C237890-4. was a criminal case prosecuted in 2007–2008 in the U.S. state of Nevada, primarily involving the retired American football player O. J. Simpson.

Mike Gilbert is a retired sports agent for athletes including former NFL players Marcus Allen and O. J. Simpson. Following Simpson's trial and acquittal for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, Gilbert wrote How I Helped O. J. Get Away with Murder: The Shocking Inside Story of Violence, Loyalty, Regret and Remorse. The book was published by Regnery Publishing in May 2008, and discusses Gilbert's 18-year-long relationship with Simpson, including the influence of their personal and professional relationship in the lead up to, during, and following the trial. Gilbert claims that the gloves did not fit because, on his advice, Simpson stopped taking his arthritis medicine, which made his hands swell. This is disputed by records of the trial when it was noted Simpson "has arthritis and we looked at the medication he takes and some of it is anti-inflammatory and we are told he has not taken the stuff for a day and it caused swelling in the joints and inflammation in his hands". The Los Angeles County Jail doctor confirmed Simpson was taking his arthritis medication every day and that the jail's medical records verified this. Gilbert's book also details Simpson confessing to the killings. Gilbert describes how Simpson, having smoked marijuana, taken a sleeping pill, and while drinking beer, confided to him at his Brentwood home weeks after his trial what happened the night of the murders. Simpson said, "If she hadn't opened that door with a knife in her hand... she'd still be alive." Gilbert said that this confirmed his belief that Simpson had confessed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faye Resnick</span> American TV personality (born 1957)

Faye Denise Resnick is an American television personality, author, and interior designer. She is best known for her involvement in the O.J. Simpson murder trial and for her appearance on the reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

<i>The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story</i> Season 1 of "American Crime Story"

The first season of American Crime Story, titled The People v. O. J. Simpson, revolves around the O. J. Simpson murder trial, as well as the combination of prosecution confidence, defense witnesses, and the Los Angeles Police Department's history with African-American people. It is based on Jeffrey Toobin's book The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson (1997).

The Juice is an upcoming dramatic crime thriller film centered around conspiracy theories purporting to exonerate O. J. Simpson of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

With no witnesses to the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, DNA evidence in the O. J. Simpson murder case was the key physical proof used by the prosecution to link O. J. Simpson to the crime. Over nine weeks of testimony, 108 exhibits of DNA evidence, including 61 drops of blood, were presented at trial. Testing was cross-referenced and validated at three separate labs using different tests with no discrepancies found. The prosecution offered the defense access to the evidence samples to conduct their own testing, but they declined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reaction to the verdict in the O. J. Simpson criminal trial</span> Responses to the 1995 acquittal

On Tuesday, October 3, 1995, the verdict in the O. J. Simpson murder case was announced and Simpson was acquitted on both counts of murder. Although the nation observed the same evidence presented at trial, a division along racial lines emerged in observers' opinion of the verdict, which the media dubbed the "racial gap". Immediately following the trial, polling showed that most African Americans believed Simpson was innocent and justice had been served, while most White Americans felt he was guilty and the verdict was a racially motivated jury nullification by a mostly African-American jury. Current polling shows the gap has narrowed since the trial, with the majority of black respondents in 2016 stating they believed Simpson was guilty.

References