By Donald
B. Ardell – October 11, 2009
"LeBron decided not to go to college. He found seasonal
work in Cleveland."
(Seen at the bottom of the end-title updates on what became of the players
featured in the film, More Than A Game, Review by Joe Morganstern "On
Film," Wall Street Journal, October 2, 2009, p. W3.")
I love understatement. Michael Moore is NOT known for this
quality, but he does exhibit it nicely on at least one occasion in “Capitalism:
A Love Story.” This memorable moment occurs when he off-handedly remarks that
it is kind of hard to make a case that capitalism still works in America when
one percent of the population controls more wealth than the "lower"
95 percent.
“Capitalism” IS an issue for wellness promoters, in case you
are wondering why I would review this movie. REAL wellness may focus primarily
on matters of reason, exuberance and liberty while celebrating lifestyles that
enhance quality of life, but all such efforts will fail if the social order
deteriorates. Maslow made this abundantly clear when he described the security
and safety foundations of his memorable "hierarchy of needs. A sound
economy and a functional economic system are prerequisites, it seems to me, for
success at individual and social advances towards the benefits of physical and
mental well being.
“Capitalism: A Love Story” starts with a clever montage
contrasting America's current fiscal crisis with the fall of ancient Rome. Classic Michael Moore—and it gets
better as it goes along. Well,
with one exception, soon to be noted.
I came away from this show with five major impressions -
four are favorable about the show. The fifth impression or point of view about
Capitalism is not so favorable, but it's a minor quibble compared with the
positive reactions, as follows:
1. Wall Street and other fiscal leaders have either learned
little from the implosion and near-collapse of the economy or they just don't
care, provided they can hold on to power and increase their own wealth.
2. “Capitalism” really is, as Moore describes it, "a
beast that needs to be reined in" by the 95 percent of us who have so many
more votes than the one percent that has the wealth. In Moore's words,
capitalism in this country at least is "an economic system that doesn't
work, it's not fair, it's not democratic, it's not just and it's got to
go."
3. In the year since the fiscal crisis began on September
13-14, 2008 with the fall of Lehman Brothers, little has been done to reform the
root problem—capitalism itself.
4. While there
are countless villains responsible for nearly bringing down America and most of
the world of nations with us, outsize "credits" are given to Ronald
Reagan (an actor-pitchman-turned “spokesmodel president”), George W. Bush and a
team of current and past fiscal experts. President Obama, it seems, did not
pick wisely when he assembled his economic advisers.
My fifth impression is the negative one.
5. Michael Moore seems to believe that representatives of the
Catholic Church in the Midwest are the best people to query on the subject of
contemporary capitalism, particularly if it should be considered “evil". I
wonder why Moore chose to offer so many interviews with religious figures, who
offer little but godtalk to support their opinions. The insertion of priests
nearly ruins the movie, in my opinion. And then, at the end, the audience has
to endure a hymn! What was Michael
thinking?
Naturally, “Capitalism” is not a fair and balanced
presentation. Those shown in unflattering ways have no opportunity to defend
their actions or rebut Moore's assertions, but who expects such a thing from
Michael Moore—or wants it, for that matter? Not me—I enjoy the red
meat stuff, and Moore rarely fails to serve it up, most of which seems just
right to stimulate and entertain my ideological taste buds.
The film may be less authoritative than what you would
expect from Karl Marx or any other deep thinker, but it is impressive in its
scope, nonetheless. Give Moore credit for addressing a wide range of issues
surrounding the financial meltdown of 2007–2009. Moore also treats, in
entertaining ways, the following:
* The recovery
stimulus plans.
* The casino
mentality of Wall Street.
* The horrific
case of a for-profit youth prison scandal.
* The influence
of one firm, Goldman Sachs,' in shaping government policy.
* The scandal
(and dangers) of underpaid regional airline pilots.
* The practical
dynamics of home foreclosures.
* An up close and personal look at how capitalism promotes
and enables "runaway greed."
Highly recommended, despite the religious distractions.
Don Ardell is the Well Infidel. He favors evidence over faith, reason over revelation and
meaning and purpose over spirituality. His enthusiasm for reason, exuberance and liberty are reflected in his
books (14), newsletter (504 editions of a weekly report) and lectures across
North America and a dozen other countries. 