The sad thing is, Michael Moore is a really, really good filmmaker. A gifted story teller too, in that he makes everything, no matter how dire, or how dreadful, or how boring, interesting. But this doesn’t mean what he says makes sense, such is the case with Capitalism; A Love Story.
Despite his fondness for showmanship, he does make valiant criticisms in regard to capitalism, such as the shady Henry Paulson rescue, but they are simply too far in between. Instead, what we get is a diatribe that is inherently incoherent and distorted. Populism puts on a good show, but it never amounts to anything. Why? Because it is irrational, and it is destructive.
Capitalism is not perfect, but, as Winston Churchill so eloquently puts it, it’s the worst system except for all of the other systems. After all, capitalism is efficient, progressive, and innovative. But like all games, it needs rules. Laissez-faire doesn’t work, and we all know it. Even Milton Freidman has to allow that regulation, well bad, is still a necessary evil.
Therefore, I think it’s unfair to criticize today’s woes on the system of capitalism. True capitalism is fair play, what we see in today’s Wall Street is pure greed and cronyism. Therefore, a more rational assault would be on the true felons instead of crying wolf over the entire system.
And it’s not like the people or democracy is never at fault. Those people that got thrown out of their house had borrowed against their real estate to make unnecessary indulgences, and in a fair system they need to be punished as well. And democracy produced George Bush and Dick Cheney. I rest my case.
Besides the imprecise, ideological and illogical criticism, Mr. Moore’s hopefulness also seems naïve. Barack Obama’s election win? No, it’s not change that’s coming. He’s exactly what they wanted. FDR’s speech and idealism is truly moving, but , and I quote Wall Street the movie, the rich has being doing it to the poor since the beginning of time, so despite Mr. Moore’s expectation of the black messiah, we will always be here, in the same position, waiting to be anal raped.
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