Michael Moore thinks he is pointing out injustices through his latest documentary, “Capitalism: A Love Story“. Instead, Michael simply reminds us that life isn’t fair in a free market economy where those who work hard sometimes get the short end of the stick through no fault of their own.
I find it ironic that one of the wealthiest documentary filmmakers is bashing Capitalism. Despite highlighting that 33% of “young Americans” now believe in Socialism (37% for Capitalism, 30% undecided), it’s hard to argue for a better system. It’ll be interesting to see if these young Americans still believe in Socialism by the time they reach their thirties and make some money. Socialism just creates a new set of problems for society. Is it really that bad buying a foreclosed property from someone who can’t pay their debt on time? Property vultures are necessary to provide a floor in many devastated markets or else things go to zero and more people suffer.
There is a sense of self-righteousness when Michael tells the viewer that he can’t fight the system alone and encourages all to rise up. Michael you aren’t alone. Thousands upon thousands of us fight for what we believe in every single day. I wish Michael would put his money where his mouth is and donate all his proceeds to helping victims he continues to highlight.
A STRANGE PLACE
Have you ever seen a journalist report from some God-forsaken place where malnourished children are starving in the background? Do you ever think to yourself, instead of jibber jabbering away, why don’t you just shut up and provide some food for the starving children behind you? The documentary is kind of like that. Michael mocks ministers, judges, companies, government, and Wall St. to the point where I start thinking, why not just do something other than make a documentary?
There are some important parts to the documentary which made me want to stand up and cheer. Most notably was the 6 day factory worker lock-out which got Bank of America to finally pay them $6,000 in unemployment benefits from zero. That made me proud, because people were standing up against a company who just threw them away like garbage. Digging dipper though, why is Bank of America responsible for their benefits just because they got some bailout money? Shouldn’t the company itself be responsible?
TIME FLIES
The problem lies in the timing of this documentary. Nobody could have foreseen that in just one year since Lehman’s bankruptcy, the economy would rebound so quickly. The fear mongering has subsided and a sense of normalcy has returned.
He praises Obama for his promises, which one year later have not all been kept. Making a shady deal with the Senator of Nebraska to get him to vote for the health care bill by exempting Nebraskans for paying is not right. As a result, after 30 years of Democratic rule in Massachusetts, a Republican takes former Edward Kennedy’s place.
Michael trashes Wall St. for receiving $700 billion in bailout money, making it seem like everybody in the industry had a part in forcing people to buy homes they couldn’t afford. One year later, a majority of the $700 billion has been repaid with handsome returns boasted by the government. Are the taxpayers thanking Wall St. for their profits? No, because frankly, as taxpayers, we pay the same amount of taxes regardless of where our money goes!
CONCLUSION
I commend Michael for making another hit documentary about this latest downturn. The snark is entertaining and therefore worth the watch. He makes the viewer think about issues, but he does not convince me that Capitalism is indeed ‘evil” as all his interviewed priests proclaim. If Capitalism is truly evil, why is The Church one of the richest institutions in the world? If Capitalism is evil, is Bill Gates also evil for donating billions to fight disease and poverty? No, Capitalism isn’t evil and Michael Moore will profit handsomely once again.
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Sam @ Financial Samurai – “Slicing Through Money’s Mysteries”
I haven’t seen the documentary yet. I will say, I have a love-hate relationship with Michael Moore I find he brings up good points, but lays in heavy on the propaganda. Usually, I end up laughing my way through his documentaries. I can’t say they ever sway my opinion, but I suppose they raise questions. Your critique makes me feel like I’ve already seen it though. . .it sounds like what I’d expect out of Moore.
So he had a Sally Struthers moment or two in there, eh? (fat TV personality photographed without consideration of irony front of starving street kids).
And, is it just me or do we need to stop looking at the world as a choice between communism or capitalism? We’ve split the economic world into these two camps now for coming up on 200 years. Maybe it’s time to get some fresh ideas . . .At the very least, giving up on labeling everything would help us question the very real problems we have going on in our economic system without distracting ourselves by calling each other commie pinkos or capitalist pigs. I’m growing weary of that ‘debate.’
.-= Simple in France´s last blog ..Do price tags make wine taste better? =-.
Simple brings up a good point – why does it always end in 2 choices – one or the other.
Look at the youth poll – 30, 30, 30…To me (as part of that group), it shows we really don’t know what the hell we think. We’ve got the greedy capitalistic devil on one shoulder and the angleic social conscience on the other.
Even myself, I think there should be more personal responsibility and less reliance on the government, but I also believe government should “referree” so that everyone gets a fair chance “at bat” and not have to “pay to play”.
A lot of this is plain inertia. Once those tiny snowflakes start rolling out the mountain, its hard to stop the avalanche at the bottom. MMoore could have been 90% wrong with all his information, but as long as he had that bullhorn and accousted the “insiders” on the street, he could soothsay any lie into truth.
.-= FinEngr´s last blog ..3-Month Performance Review =-.
Good point on the rough 30/30/30 split on what ‘ism” the youth of America are in, and the evidence that the youth don’t really know what to think! I didn’t think about it in those terms.
I’ll have to agree with you that it isn’t so clear cut. It’s good to help our brothers and sisters in need, but to go either way to the extreme is not helpful.
.-= admin´s last blog ..Home Mortgage Refinancing Tips For A Smarter You =-.
Was it Sam Kinison who said, “For the love of God, give the kid a sandwich!!!” to the cameraman filming the starving in Africa?
And using Kinison’s advice to those starving, “You live in a desert! Move!” I offer this advice to Mssr. Moore, “You live in a capitalist society! Move!”
.-= Matt´s last blog ..What Saint Patrick Can Teach Us About Personal Finance =-.
Matt, Sam was a smart man! Great quotes, and very obvious advice.
I don’t think capitalism is evil. But I don’t think it is good either. I see it as a tool that we humans can employ for good purposes or bad purposes.
For example, capitalism produced More of the Monkees. That was a pure good. But it also produced the Leo Sayer album entitled Thunder in My Heart. Pure evil.
It seems to me that it is the people who buy Leo Sayer albums who are evil. Capitalism is just the fall guy.
Rob
.-= Rob Bennett´s last blog ..My E-Mail to Kathleen Burns Kinsbury at KBKWealthConnection.com =-.
FS, do I really need to state my opinion of what I think of capitalism? :-) I think my response would be pretty obvious.
I image watching this film is like the scene in “A Clockwork Orange” where “Alex” has to wear the lid locks.
LOL
Michael Moore is the pot calling the kettle black. I wish he would move to France since he likes it so much there.
.-= Investor Junkie´s last blog ..Life Isn’t Fair. Now Get Over It. =-.
No, you of all people I know are against Socialism! lol. Michael Moore is making MILLIONS and it’s great the people he is fighting for doesn’t know it. Hmmmmm.
I have to agree with Simple in France, Michael Moore is more of a propagandist than a documentary film maker. He loves creating controversy to the exclusion of getting to the true facts, sort of a one sided argument. I’ve missed his last couple of documentaries (he just doesn’t really interest me anymore), but I might check this one out. Thanks for the review!
.-= Little House´s last blog ..Tuesday Tips =-.
I think all systems have their good and bad points and every system can be exploited. Until people want to be better and not screw each other over to get ahead it really doesn’t matter which system is in place.
I hate that this happens! People go movies or buys this guy’s video, and a good portion come out brainwashed in their thinking about capitalism.
People need to ask this question: What makes Michael Moore qualified one to judge our economic system?
Isn’t america one of the best places to live in the world? What socialist country is doing so much better than america? Is it was big as our country?
I hate the way people like Michael Moore basically twist the truth into something it not, just to support his views.
I hate the fact that people listen to this guy and base their whole ideology around economics based on this guy’s long bias rant…
After all, we are in one of the greatest countries ever! What country that is Socialist is better? Old USSR? Old China? no, both have now modified their system to emulate a capitalistic society!
I think we all need to sit down in dark quiet room (meaning no outside influence) and think for ourselves… Asking “What makes sense”!
Hopefully, we as a society wakes up…
Thanks Sam for bringing this to light!
.-= Money Reasons´s last blog ..What I Have Learned To Date From Blogging! =-.
Brainwashed is a little harsh but true, as you see him pan to several folks who’ve bought into the new regime. We are in a great country where nobody is keeping us down. I would much rather live in America than old USSR for sure!
I am 30 years old, have a PhD in rhetoric, and hate Michael Moore…but if there was an organized Socialist party in the US, I would vote for every such candidate I could.
.-= Honey´s last blog ..How to Deal When Things Get Rough =-.
Ok I’ll bite why would you vote socialist? How has socialism helped society over the years compared to capitalism? Heck let’s use our own states as an example.
Texas and California are perfect examples of success of capitalism and failure of progresivism. The progressive model does not work. It is as plain as day.
.-= Investor Junkie´s last blog ..Life Isn’t Fair. Now Get Over It. =-.
I think that the government should be responsible for ensuring a middle-class standard of living for every one of its citizens. Bottom line.
.-= Honey´s last blog ..How to Deal When Things Get Rough =-.
ok great we agree, middle-class should be expanded. In theory socialism always
sounds nice doesn’t it? The poor will always exist no matter what services
are put into place. Heck, I could even argue it’s expands under socialism
(I won’t even debate that issue)
What’s wrong with people being responsible for
themselves? I know it sounds like a foreign concept.
Most people intellectually and physically are (I’m not discussing about the
the ones who truly can’t) able to take care of themselves.
Unfortunately history has shown socialism does make everyone
equal, but overall decreases the standard of living. Capitalism
(with it’s flaws) increases the middle class AND at the same time increases
the standard of living for all.
History shows this again and again and again
.-= Investor Junkie´s last blog ..Life Isn’t Fair. Now Get Over It. =-.
Hi Honey, I agree with you on ensuring a vibrant middle class. If you have your PhD and you are only 30, I’m going to assume that you haven’t been working long. As such, it is natural for you to have strong Socialistic tendencies.
It will be great after 10 years of working whether you still feel this way.
Well, I’m not out to convince anyone else to share my opinion, and I don’t think the US is going to go Socialist anytime soon, so it doesn’t seem worth getting upset about to me.
I’ve been working full-time for 2 years, though I taught half-time at 2 state universities for 7 years while I was in graduate school. I actually started college a Republican and have gotten steadily more radically liberal the older I’ve gotten. (Like, I believe that tax credits for children should be repealed and replaced with a tax credit for people who DON’T have kids, and I think we should be employing population control and having people pay to apply for a license to have kids…)
.-= Honey´s last blog ..How to Deal When Things Get Rough =-.
It’s obvious you have converted to the “dark” side, look at the
environment you are in. :-) I mean this half joking, half serious.
Colleges have and will always be liberal. I have no problem with it in of
itself. As long as you realize the whole world doesn’t equal it.
Can you imagine if you were a Libertarian and the flak you would get from co-workers, students and friends? You would be burned at the stake!
I would be curious though what made you change your mind.
What was the turning point? What event or events changed your mind?
The question with any teachings or something I learn I always ask,
does it work in real life? I haven’t yet seen socialism work. Again sounds nice
in theory, fails in the real world.
Your last statement about a license for having children.
While again I agree on theory (man are there some bad parents in the world!),
where would this new workforce come to help
pay for existing entitlements you suggest everyone should have?
After all someone retired is more costly than a young person for say health care.
Someone has to add more to the system to balance things out.
Again nice in theory makes no sense in the real world.
Look at countries like Japan that have an aging population and not many young
people. They are in for slow growth for a very long time. We need as many
babies and legal immigrants as possible! Economically your statement just doesn’t
make sense.
.-= Investor Junkie´s last blog ..Life Isn’t Fair. Now Get Over It. =-.
What’s wrong with slow growth? What’s wrong with high taxes? Why do people “need” to retire? My statement about children has more to do with the fact that we are headed for famine and pandemic if current overpopulation is allowed to continue. I find it very difficult to think of things purely in economic terms. I think we should have single-payer universal healthcare and free access to postsecondary education. I think we should be aiming to reduce the world population by at least 30% (and preferably more like 50%) in the next century.
.-= Honey´s last blog ..How to Deal When Things Get Rough =-.
Well, I don’t think we have the right to expand if it comes at the cost of other animal and plant species/habitats/ecosystems. I also think lots of our food “surplus” is corn, which is actually pretty terrible for us…I understand that there are economic downsides to having a just and moral society, but I also think that if we really wanted to overcome those downsides, we could – and the fact that we haven’t, means that we’re not really invested in having a just and moral society. Which is why I’m not having kids :-)
.-= Honey´s last blog ..How to Deal When Things Get Rough =-.
“What’s wrong with slow growth? What’s wrong with high taxes?”
Nothing if you don’t care about prosperity. Again using history, what country has benefited from slow growth?
Retirement, well I personally don’t believe in it either. I suspect for different reasons.
Regarding famine, and pandemic. As history has shown, technology has an interesting way in solving these issues. We produce much more per food than we thought technically possible 100 years ago. We have a surplus in food here in the US, yet our population is bigger than ever.
To put on simple terms, nature and our universe are ever expanding. Contraction is not part of that equation. So you are asking to go against nature (lets even take god out of the equation). We are so noble as a human race to determine who should be born and who shouldn’t? Who should live and who should die? This is why I think “green” economy is anything but that. Again great in theory, bad in reality.
George Carlin says this 10000% better than I could ever:
.-= Investor Junkie´s last blog ..Life Isn’t Fair. Now Get Over It. =-.
The grand experiment of socialism or communism vs capitalism has been already been done. History has shown the results many times over.
Remind me, why are we going down this path again? Why are we even questioning years of history? As Milton Friedman has said many times over “Capitalism has brought more people out of poverty than any other system”
.-= Investor Junkie´s last blog ..Life Isn’t Fair. Now Get Over It. =-.
IJ–I agree to an extent “Why are we going down this path again?” Is THE question in my opinion. When you think about people like Smith, Marx Engels etc, it’s very hard for me to imagine that they could have envisioned the wold/society/economy in which we now live. I’m ready for some new world views! (although completely unprepared to invent them, I admit;) )
I know that there are lots of people in the “there’s nothing new in the world today” camp, but I disagree.
.-= Simple in France´s last blog ..Do price tags make wine taste better? =-.
Capitalism is evil when we don’t benefit. Socialism is evil when we are already benefitting.
Michael Moore has made millions as you rightly pointed out, and is exploiting the poor for his own benefits. He’s brilliant!
Jane, brilliant line!
I would like people to suggest something better that has a proven history.. The answer is because there isn’t anything. I just find it so odd that this is even debated.. People of the world, come up with a better system. I’ll be all for it if it surpasses capitalism.
.-= Investor Junkie´s last blog ..Life Isn’t Fair. Now Get Over It. =-.
Sean Hannity talks to Micahel more concerning your very first sentence of the second paragraph: “I find it ironic that one of the wealthiest documentary filmmakers is bashing Capitalism”. I too find it very ironic.
.-= myfinancialobjectives´s last blog ..The Ultimate Motivator: Compounding Interest =-.
Thanks for highlighting that video! He made $21 million to direct F-911, sweet! Down with Capitalism! lol.
.-= admin´s last blog ..The Art of The Interview =-.
I am not opposed to capitalism as long as there is universal healthcare, which I don’t believe should be an option or something you have to fight for. (I fought the HMOs many times and have always won, so far, but when you’re sick and old, fighting for coverage and worrying about medical bills should not be top priority). I don’t see France or Europe as socialist. There are elements from both ideologies in their bigger governments but plenty of capitalists.
I think people who frequent finance blogs have a narrow perspective at times. We’re so focused on money that we forget that many people don’t know or care as much. I know a lot of good caring people (that I often refer to as “artist” types) who would save others from a drowning river but crash/burn when it comes to money. It would be nice if we all cared and managed money and were entrepreneurial etc.. but that is not how the world works and we need to care for all types. Sometimes when I get upset at my artist friends’ stupid financial decisions, I think of my own misjudgements and also realize that they contribute to our society in other areas.
.-= oilandgarlic´s last blog ..Just Ask! Pushing My Luck Saves Me Money =-.
I totally agree, not everyone is a capitalist/entrepreneur, nor should everyone try to. It’s not easy and many would fail. Not everyone is good with money either. Which is fine.
At least for me, these are never the issue (when discussing capitalism vs. socialism). It’s about taking responsibility for one’s actions, instead of relying on the government teat to suck on. There is a difference between relying on the government as a stop gap (to help rebound from a fall) than totally relying on them when you are completely able to do on your own. It could almost be said it’s almost an addiction to the government. A dependency. Is this healthy in any relationship? What I’m almost describing is known as “tough love”. This is the thing what may seem crewel from the casual observer, is in fact not. I have much compassion for others but it doesn’t mean the government is the most efficient route to help them. In our current environment we are almost, if not already, past the tipping point where there are more people on the government dole, than working in the private sector. Atlas will surely shrug at one point.
.-= Investor Junkie´s last blog ..Life Isn’t Fair. Now Get Over It. =-.
“There is a difference between relying on the government as a STOP GAP…”
Exactly.
Then beyond the dependency, it seems like there are also those that expect the government to swoop in and rescue them when THEY f*ed up.
Be interested to hear what you think about that.
Hey FinEngr.
People should fail. Failure is a good thing. You (*should*) learn something when
you fail. Proping a business up, doesn’t help anyone, at least in the long wrong.
.-= Investor Junkie´s last blog ..When Should A Late Customer Get Cut Off? =-.
I’m for universal healthcare too for the reasons you describe above.
There are many countries in Europe with 20% unemployment rates. The French go on STRIKE when they have to work more than 35-40hrs a week. I would too if I got paid well.
I think if we want to help ourselves, we can… and Capitalism is the best way.
The disparity between rich and poor is DEFINITELY an issue I empathize with due to Capitalism. Having 10’s of millions or BILLIONS for that matter when people are starving is ridiculous. And, the good thing is we see a lot of wealthy people give back… more so than any of us middle folks can.
.-= admin´s last blog ..How To Apologize For An Error? Martyr Yourself! =-.
In my opinion there will always be a disparity between the rich and the poor
and it has little to do with capitalism or socialism, but to ignorance and corruption.
When socialism was rife in Eastern European countries there was plenty of
poverty – think East and West Germany. When the two countries re-united the
West Germans had to float the boat for a long time and I’m not sure as to
whether the east have caught up with the west yet.
China has implemented socialism and capitalism and is enjoying the biggest
economic boom in living memory (those smart politicians – absolute control
and the natives are happy because the opportunity to make money and
prosper is there. Russian politicians did not have the smarts to do that when
glasnost and perestroika ran amok … so in theory supposedly a democracy now
(but how often does the media mention Medvedev as the leader, you still hear
only about Putin and dollars to donuts, good ol Vlad will once again occupy
the seat of power – ergo Russia is not a democracy).
Michael Moore is a pariah … he only tells half truths, if they can even be called
truths. He conveniently shows only that which shows the bad ignoring
solutions that are being put into play. He preys on the very people he
supposedly champions.
Until something better comes along, capitalism in my view is the best system
we have – in all its many guises. At least when there is corruption it is eventually
outed, and yes, it often means ground zero, but at least there is a ground.
Not being American any opinion I have on Mr. Obama would be purely academic.
I can say though that I am puzzled by the increasing demands by the people of
America on the government. When an electorate realizes that the more they
demand of the government the more they get, they will then elect that leader
who promises the most. When that happens the country that panders to the whim of
electorate will fall. This we studied a long time ago in political science (and if
memory serves me well, it was one of your early forefathers who made that
observation.
ooohhh…. did I just get on a soapbox?
Thank you for the platform …………..(I’ll behave as a more gracious guest next
time!
.-= Valentina´s last blog ..Romancing Alexa for Blog Supremacy =-.
Man! I am too busy at work to check my google reader and I miss this gold. I don’t think I have ever hid my hatred for large gov’t on my site or in my life lol.
“I think that the government should be responsible for ensuring a middle-class standard of living for every one of its citizens. Bottom line.” – Honey
Since this isn’t my site I can be a little bit more forward than Sam…What the HELL does this even mean? That everyone should be equal? That there should be bigger middle class? Wouldn’t that mean the poor would be poorer in comparison. And the Rich be richer in comparison? So the gov’t should take MORE of my money because YOU believe that some random dude in Arizona should have the same lifestyle as me? Then what incentive do I have to work harder – I can tell you that is for damn sure not so he can be equal to me.
“I am not opposed to capitalism as long as there is universal healthcare, which I don’t believe should be an option or something you have to fight for.” – Garlic and Oil
– How would this work here? Are ALL the doctors gov’t employees? Do they leave for a diff country for higher payment? Can you name one gov’t agency that is efficient?
.-= Evan´s last blog ..Turbo Tax Giveaway! Get Your 2009 Taxes Done for Free with TurboTax Premier =-.
Why do people want to be rich/have more than other people so badly? It seems so irrelevant to happiness. Also, I never said or implied that everyone should be equal – when I say middle-class standard of living I am talking about things like universal, single-payer health care and free postsecondary education (i.e., services the government provides to all its citizens, not salary paid to employees working in private industry). I do not think these things are possible without population control, though. Personally, I would become a doctor and work for the government as such if I could graduate from medical school with no debt. I think lots of people would.
.-= Honey´s last blog ..How to Deal When Things Get Rough =-.
Free Post Secondary Education? and Single Payer Health Care? Wow We are on 1000% different wave lengths.
“Personally, I would become a doctor and work for the government as such if I could graduate from medical school with no debt.”
– Have you tried the MCATs? If not…Why? There are tons of programs to forgive debt if you are willing to help the underprivileged. So do it, instead of asking others to do it for you.
“Why do people want to be rich/have more than other people so badly? It seems so irrelevant to happiness.”
– For me, and probably most other, that is just bullshit – Plain and Simple. Assets, income, etc. provide choice and freedom in this country and really in most modern countries. It provides me the opportunity to decide what I want to do when it comes to vacations, time spent with family, etc.
.-= Evan´s last blog ..Turbo Tax Giveaway! Get Your 2009 Taxes Done for Free with TurboTax Premier =-.
As far as being a medical doctor, too late for me! I will be paying off my $100K in student loan debt from my PhD for some time. And I don’t agree with debt forgiveness programs. I’d only be interested if I never had to take on the debt to begin with (mostly because I made that mistake once already). But I’m incredibly happy with the education I received, the job I have now, and the choices I made. I don’t get a lot of satisfaction out of charitable donations and volunteering, at least not for organizations that benefit people. My partner and I are atheist and vegetarian, so we have made a conscious decision never to donate money or time to an organization that benefits human beings – we concentrate on environmental and animal rights groups.
I also think that being financially solvent/independent is very, very different from the desire to be rich or to have more than others. Would I be frustrated and scared if I was *poor*? Almost certainly. But I don’t see how being *rich* is necessary to avoid that. I can pay my bills, pay down my student loans, and save for retirement pretty comfortably on the $40K/year that I make, and my financial situation will only get better with time. I have been all over the country for academic conferences and managed to travel internationally – am going to London for a week for free this summer (work is sending me). My partner and I rent a small 2-br condo – we never want to buy, and I don’t want anything bigger – we’ll probably go smaller in the next year or two. We’re not going to have children, and I’m not into electronics or any of that – give me a good novel, my two sweet kitties, and a beer, and I’m happy. Probably my most expensive hobby is cooking – I am getting good enough that lots of the kitchen equipment I want is kind of pricey.
Do I think the world would be a better place if everyone followed my advice? Sure, don’t we all? But since my views are extreme, that’s not likely to happen, and since I’m already living the life I want to live and am happier than many if not most of the people I know, I don’t see why I would put a lot of time and energy into forcing my ideas down other people’s throats. You like capitalism – well, it’s the system we have now (more or less), so why are you the angry one?
.-= Honey´s last blog ..How to Deal When Things Get Rough =-.
I don’t think Capitalism is Evil… unless it’s capitalism disguised as communism..!
I watched “Up the Yangtze” a year ago, and one of the people affected by the creation of the Three Gorges Dam said that China is like that.
Though I think that (as above posts have mentioned) Capitalism can create a huge disparity between the rich and the poor, and I do think that universal healthcare is a good idea. It benefits society as a whole- though the bugs have to be worked out.
In Michael Moore’s “SICKO” he basically hinted that the wait times to see a doctor in the emergency room in Windsor, Ontario were only like 15 minutes, but it likely is much longer. 15 minutes if you have a heart attack or something really urgent, maybe! Here- the health care is universal, but we do have flaws as well- the wait times for diagnosis and surgery or treatment if you e.g. had cancer are pretty long.
.-= youngandthrifty´s last blog ..Canadian 2010 Budget and What it Has to Do with Implants =-.
Young and thrifty–you make a great point. What’s going on in China is a great example, and on the flip side, so are some of the bail outs (auto and ‘banking’ industry in the US.) I think either system disguised as the other is just trouble, and probably has something to do with the huge scale of government in both countries and it’s relative removal from the populations at hand–ie the ability of a government to push through something unpopular . . .but maybe I’m just uber-cynical these days.
And as for Sicko–I love the French health care system for the fact that I don’t have to fear total economic ruination due to a medical emergency and I think it’s something everyone deserves! However, I can definitely point to some not so rosy aspects of the system too. . . aspects that Moore basically ignored. If you get too idealistic about the whole thing, you really are flying blind. The French have their hands full on this one. It will be interesting to see what they pull off . . .I don’t thing the US would be wise to follow exactly in their footsteps!
.-= Simple in France´s last blog ..Do price tags make wine taste better? =-.
“If you get too idealistic about the whole thing, you really are flying blind. The French have their hands full on this one. It will be interesting to see what they pull off . . .I don’t thing the US would be wise to follow exactly in their footsteps!”
This is a scary thought especially if you are in France! We are doing for the most part
exactly what you guys have no? What’s the differences, I forget off the top of my head.
.-= Investor Junkie´s last blog ..Life Isn’t Fair. Now Get Over It. =-.
Everyone is missing the point. It’s not capitalism or socialism that’s evil. It’s bankers, corporatism and politicians that are evil. By the way, it needs to be stated that America is not capitalist, it’s corporatist.
It’s too bad Roger himself misses the mark and blames the system, instead of individual people who cause suffering.
I think that there’s a bit of a typo in your response, FS; I assume you mean Micheal is blaming the system, not Roger (since I said nothing of the sort, and I don’t see any other Rogers around. I just hope you’re not confusing Michael Moore with Roger Moore, cause James Bond he most definitely isn’t.
.-= Roger´s last blog ..Beware the Ides of…April? =-.
Oops, you are right. I meant to write “Michael” not Roger Moore. Michael Moore also did a documentary called “Roger & Me” so I was thinking about that. Haven’t related you to James Bond yet, sorry!
.-= admin´s last blog ..“Capitalism: A Love Story” DVD Review & Giveaway =-.
I’ve never watched Capitalism: A Love Story, or any of Moore’s films (although I have read a few of his books; provocative, if highly partisan), but it seems worth remembering that that’s he’s an activist, first and foremost. He’s not making films to try to do an honest, holistic look at the pros and cons of capitalism in general (or medical care, or government response to 9/11, or any of the subjects of his films); he’s trying to sell an admittedly left-wing agenda. Just as I don’t expect Karl Rove’s new book to reflect a, pardon the expression, ‘fair and balanced’ view of the current political environment, I don’t expect Moore’s films to be a wholly accurate portrayal of their subject matter, acknowledging the good as well as the bad inherent in capitalist societies (or again, any other subject he goes after).
As for capitalism itself…It’s neither inherently good, nor inherently evil. It has its flaws, I won’t try to sugarcoat that; it creates winners and losers (more losers, it seems), leads to a love of money, and isn’t ‘fair’ by most definitions of the word (particularly if you’re asking the losers). That said, humanity has yet to come upon a system that addresses these issues adequately and still allows the advantages of capitalism (encouraging people to be more productive, leading to enhanced trade, and allowing the potential for great wealth) to exist. Until we reach a post-monetary utopia a la Star Trek (it’s coming, I know it is), capitalism remains the best system we seem to have.
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Rog, you make a good point. A viewer’s expectation isn’t to have a balanced view of the issues, but from a super left-wing point of view, who makes $20million for each documentary. We shouldn’t kid ourselves about epecting balance from his views.
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I am with you. Capitalism is not evil. As a matter of fact, I can think of very little that is all evil.
What I find funny is that you find it funny, no ironic, “that one of the wealthiest documentary filmmakers is bashing Capitalism.” Why can a rich guy not have revolutionary ideas? The early communists were part of the wealthy class or even aristocrats. This reminds me of bashing George Soros. As far as I can tell, this guy is as much a capitalist as you and I are. He only wants to improve the system.
Because there is not such thing as mega millionaires in a Communisty or Socialist society. Watch the video. He doesn’t want to improve Capitalism. He wants to exploit people, bash capitalism, and make himself rich. Genius!
I consider Glenn Beck his equal on the other side. Love or hate him, at
least he’s honest he’s a capitalist and has no qualms making money. Do I agree with everything he says no.
This is the one thing I don’t get with socialists, communists or progressives.
What they believe and what they do are completely not in alignment.
This is somewhat in reply to @Honey. I don’t have any direct hatred towards
you. I don’t know who you are and you can believe what you want to believe.
What I do have an issue with people in high places making massive changes to
our government, changing what this country was based upon into they thing is an ideal system! It’s not being rammed down our throats, even if the general
population does not like it.
I just read somewhere it’s estimated Moore’s net worth is 50mil and he also own stocks
in companies like Halaburton. If this is true what a crock!
Michael “Roger” Moore I assume does not donate his money? If I truly believed
in what he states in that movie I would be donating every single dime to
some charity. I never heard any follow up about all proceeds he made were
donated. Who’s the bigger fool? The one paying to watch his movie, or
the one who created it? I’ve already read the reviews about the movie so I have an idea
what it’s about. Me I’ll either get the movie from the library, download it for free
online, or wait until it comes on my TV.
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@Honey,
I guess we chatted too much for me to reply directly to you. I am not angry whatsoever, actually I think I am generally a happy guy. I just try and attempt to understand people, almost to a fault. But considering you are discussing population control, giving up human life for animals, and other ridiculous stuff, I’ll give up and eat my steak.
Man I just can’t give up on you yet….why do you use the word “partner” as opposed to boyfriend like you do on your blog intro? Whats up you being sooooo obviously liberal but talk about about watching porn on your site? I hear that was bad for women or something. lol
P.S. Kittens are cute, but I hate cats.
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As far as population control, my understanding based on what I’ve read regarding sustainable world populations is that the world is overpopulated by AT LEAST 2-3 billion. The only reason we have a “surplus” in the US is that a) we subsidize the production of high fructose corn syrup, and b) we don’t do a great job of sharing our surplus with the rest of the world. I’m willing to bet that if you divided up all the “surplus” among all the starving people in the world, there would be no more surplus, but there’d still be some starving people. As far as animals, well – they’re nicer to be around than most people, and unlike people (who are usually at least partially responsible for their fates) are complete and utter victims as humankind goes around totally destroying the planet.
I tend to use partner and boyfriend interchangeably…the LGBTQ community generally regards “partner” as being the preferable term because it doesn’t out you as being a particular orientation, so I try to use it when I remember, but since I *am* straight, I also don’t see anything wrong with the traditional moniker.
Only conservatives watch porn? Man am I confused ;-) I wrote my dissertation on how the medical community in the 1800s and early 1900s used hysteria to restrict the activities and perceptions of women activists, and how they invented (and regulated the distribution) of vibrators and other “personal” devices to encourage women to self-identify as hysterical, but I don’t think being a feminist necessarily gives you a certain perspective on porn. I mean, I have a handout somewhere identifying at least 8 completely distinct types of feminism, many of which are totally at odds with one another. They’re certainly not a homogenous group!
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Hmmmm…. donno how we gonna reduce the population by 2-3 billion! A lower population sure would help a lot of things. Or, we can have 19 children like that one family.
I plan on seeing this mockumentary tonight. This is a great article lead up. I have always had mixed feelings about our friend MM ever since “Bowling for Columbine”. I think he is clever. Just clever enough that thousands of people eat up his analysis as fact.
Thanks for the great post.
Todd, you watch it? If so, let us know your thoughts and whether you thought this review was fair or not.
For me it boils down to this one sentence:
Capitalism gives me a better chance to accomplish what socialist “claim”, they want to accomplish.
Helping the poor escape poverty. The only thing socialism fails to recognize is that sometimes help isn’t help at all. Killing incentive for the producing class in order to take care of the non-working class will always eventually lead to failure,because the system using it will always run out of money. It has been proven and can explain quite simply, why the systems designed in the US Government that have tried to use other people’s money to help the poor are completely flat broke, bankrupt, and corrupt. (Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, DMV, & the Post Office—just to name a few.)
All socialism does is make a “select few” VERY rich, instead of the many many people who become wealthy because of capitalism. Capitalism is incentive and socialism destroys it. I think socialism was thought up out of jealousy over the riches that others had. Those that DON’T WANT TO DO, apparently have trouble with what others get for what they DO WANT TO DO!
People that seem to be in favor of paying higher taxes, ironically never volunteer to pay more when tax time comes around. Pay more if you think you should, but don’t be surprised to watch nothing continue to get done. Why do people consider the Government—who has failed to prove it can manage a T-Ball game, let alone more of our money—as the way to prosperity and fairness?
Lastly, I love capitalism, but I also have a lot of compassion for other human beings, which makes ME WANT TO DO MORE in life in order to help out in any way I can. Maybe you didn’t hear me. I WANT TO DO MORE in order to help out others, NOT just mindlessly give my money away to crooks in Washington. Yes I said mindlessly, mostly because I am feeling spunky, but also because I believe it is the lazy persons way to contribute—only if they are forced to and only if others are forced to as well.
Michael Moore is making a killing off of capitalism, and the people who think he is an expert on anything other than eating cheeseburgers. That is not a jab at cheeseburgers, I love them very much. Capitalism is amoral—it only takes the shape of those that decide to use it for good or evil. I plan to use it for the good of others myself.
Crap! Did I just write a blog post?
Nice post Sam, no Micheal Moore for me though. LOL
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Hey Brad, great comment. It does seem like Michael likes one too many cheesburgers huh? Im so impressed he’s worth $50 million, and bags capitalism so much.
I’ve been wanting to see this movie! As for whether capitalism is good or bad…well, I honestly don’t feel I know enough about economics to say for sure, but this country has stayed afloat for many years with this system. I often wonder what it would be like to live in a socialist country. I think all systems have their pros and cons.
Hey Sam,
Good review, i haven’t watch the movie.
I read somewhere it estimated Moore’s net worth as 50million dollars
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It’s like an overweight Dr. Phil writing that book about losing weight. WTF? Michael Moore is worth $50 million bucks and feeds off the poor for his own well-being.
I hope nobody buys his movies!
I haven’t seen the documentary, but as far as journalists go, it’s not their job to stop what’s going on. Just to report on it. One person can’t change the world, and while Michael Moore donating his money could help people, it won’t change the system or help everyone.
I often wonder how documentarians are able to film things without getting involved. Especially in the case of animal documentaries. I don’t know that I’d be able to let nature “take its course,” (i.e. smaller animal getting eaten by bigger predators) but when it comes to reporting the facts, I don’t think it’s the job of the reporter or documentarian to change the situations they’re describing. Their reporting is instrumental in the change that hopefully occurs later, but it wouldn’t be ethical for them to get involved personally. Their job is just to remain objective and report the facts.
Sorry, had to throw my two cents in! :)
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Send the DVD this way ! :)
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Capitalism is very good !
.-= Moneymonk´s last blog ..Always think Long term =-.
beats me why he bashes capitalism, it’s made him rich. Sure beats socialism which is where America is headed with this Federal health care bill being shoved down our throats!
I think its funny the writer of this review finds it more important to criticize Michael Moore rather than to focus on the points he tries to make in this movie. The companies that are focused on in the movie have been screwing the middle class. I agree that just handing them OUR tax money without really having agreed on what it would be spent on. Those bonuses were ridiculous. I had to buy toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and Kleenex for my little brothers school because of budget cuts. just to think that someone who makes about 15 times more money than me gets a huge bonus and i get stuck buying school supplies