Michael Moore’s Romance with Capitalism
by Jeff Swenson, Art Editor
July 15, 2009
Michael Moore is coming out with another film to let us know more about evil corporations (as if we didn’t already know), Capitalism: A Love Story.
This new movie is the subject of this week’s cartoon.
Moore has been know to use questionable, deceptive, and misleading tactics starting all the way back with “Roger & Me.” Now that GM and the major investment banks, the target of much of Moore’s criticism, have been forced to reinvent themselves, a new release gives the filmmaker a chance to bask in his pyrrhic victory.
The screening of the film begins with an “alms collection” for the “host of needy banks.” While greed did serve as a major driver of the financial downturn, it’s too simplistic to blame capitalism per se – instead, there’s a lesson to be learned about human nature here, independent of the regulatory system.
Further, it’s interesting that a film criticizing capitalism is released to earn profits from sensationalism. I don’t plan to buy a ticket– there are plenty of other worthwhile things to spend my money on during this financial downturn.
Michael Moore wants to tax multi-millionaires to the point where universal health care can be offered to the poor masses for free, even if this means no more rich people, period.
Fine.
Anyone remember when the owner of the anti-Moore site, Moorewatch, was almost forced to shut it down due to – ironically enough – an expensive medical emergency, but Mike donated a few grand to the cause and life went on? (The site is still up, but comatose.)
I, too, am over way my head in medical debt through no fault of my own, and repeatedly tried to contact multi-millionaire Michael Moore to see if he would reprise his paradigm of the rich (regardless of race, creed, color, political affiliation) giving to the poor (regardless of their race, creed, color, political affiliation) with no strings attached.
Nothing. So I asked said site owner if he could perhaps reach out, but he, too, basically told me to “get f-cked, a–hole.”
It may be too late for many of the sick and disabled to wait for President Obama, whom Michael campaigned and likely voted for, to confiscate Michael Moore’s upcoming “Captialism” payday, much less distribute it fairly. It seems the masses need to remind Michael of this serious problem, ask him to remember his roots and convictions by donating, again, freely, now. Not if and when the film does okay.
[...] Criticize Michael Moore all you want, but this film clearly demonstrates countless hours of research. While many, including myself, don’t agree with how Moore interprets some of his research, his data is very sound. Moore also does a wonderful job interviewing famous and not-so-famous individuals. For someone that does a lot of qualitative interviewing, I respect his ability to conduct such high quality interviews no matter how many takes he may have had to get it right. There are several memorable takeaways from this film including how derivatives are extremely complicated, dead peasant insurance is immoral, and FDR would have rolled over laughing in his chair (ROLIHC?) if he heard people calling Obama a socialist. [...]
All romanticism is kitch. All ‘ism’s are romantic. M.M. is a derivative whacko. He’s merely added a repulsive element- Well, look at him!