Capitalism: A Love StoryMicheal Moore, writer/director
Yep, Micheal Moore taking on capitalism – specifically, the collapse of Wall Street (and how that affects Main Street).
Yet Moore – in hyperbolic ways, in quiet discussions with Catholic clergy (what would Jesus do?) and members of Congress (eep!) – suggests that capitalism is something we can’t repair or regulate, but need to remove. He, at one point, equates it with child labor. Some – at that time – said that we (the USA) could regulate so it would be safer for children to work in factories. Fewer hours, higher pay, safety standards.
Moore – and most people – scoff at this: OK, it’s now OK for an 8-year-old to work 8 hours at a textile factory??
Socialist talk!
But he does a good job of stating his point (complete with over-the-top Moorisms); interesting film. The extras should be viewed, as well. Dig a little deeper into various areas.
I watched Micheal Moore’s “Capitalism – A Love Story” this weekend, and – yes- it was the typical Moore treatment of the subject: Non-objective, cherry-picked examples and so on.
But it wasn’t untrue. And he tried to get input from many that didn’t return his call and so on.
It was a good and long (just over two hours) movie, and it set out some facts (again, cherry picked) that were (again) not untrue and disturbing:
- Salaries for regional airline pilots – those who keep us safe in an aluminum sausage at 30,000 feet – can be as low as $16k. This is minimum wage. Moore talked to one pilot who was on food stamps; others that had 2nd/3rd jobs. Leaving aside for a moment the (possible) injustice to pilots, do you want these pilots flying you? The pilot who just got off a 10-hr shift at Dennys?
- More numbers about the have and have-nots: Yikes. 1% of the US population has more wealth than the combined wealth of less-wealthy 95%.
Much of what Moore railed against was the whole concept of capitalism, but I see a deeper flaw: As Moore showed with his Wall Street reporting, we’re not using capitalism to make anything but to make money.
Using existing money (bonds etc.) and leverage same to make more money.
Brilliant – but short-sighted. Which is why we’re in this melt-down.
Capitalism has its flaws – many.
But capitalism works – has worked for 200+ years here in the US.
We’re no longer a capitalistic society (yes – broad generalization) – we are a “leveraged” society: We make money off of money (derivatives etc.), and not off innovation/hard work. Wall Street is Main Street.
Gross generalization? Of course?
Am I an economist? – nope, far from same.
But I am a writer, and this is what I’ve written