Movie Review: Michael Moore's 'Capitalism: A Love Story'

I watched Michael Moore's 'Capitalism; A Love Story' and I disagreed with the apparent over-riding theme "Capitalism is evil." I also disagree with his inference that everything done on Wall Street and in Washington was a conspiracy. I disagree with his opinion that the bail out was a give-away of tax payer's money.

However, I give Michael Moore credit for producing this film and I hope people watch it. Despite it's many flaws, the film is a wake up call.

Michael Moore is quick to point out that our nation was not born a capitalistic nation. He points out that the word "capitalism" is not in the US Constitution. Where in the US Constitution is the declaration that we are a "Christian" nation? Where in the New Testament does our Lord endorsed Capitalism?

Capitalism is not evil. Capitalism is a word. It may represent ideas that are not in harmony with Christianity. But it definitely is not evil.

However pure unregulated capitalism can lead to self destruction just as surely as Communism can destroy our Bill of Rights. I'm not comparing Capitalism to Communism.

I agree with Micheal Moore's view of the abuses, committed by financial institutions, that caused the current recession. I agree with his view of struggling workers receiving wages they cannot live on. Many of those struggling workers applied for and received food stamps.

Here is one distortion in the movie. It stated that the bank bailout was a give away. It was not. The Treasury Department bought stock from the banks. The Treasury Department did not gain voting rights with the stock they bought. The banks received money for the stocks. When the banks recovered and paid back the bail out money, the Treasury Department sold the stocks (which had risen in value) for a profit. That's right. The stocks were sold for a profit. So the Treasury Department not only received the money back. The Treasury Department yielded a profit.

Here is another distortion: The government allowed the bailed out banks to give huge bonuses to their executives. This statement is absolutely false. The Treasury Department does not have the power to negate an existing business contract. The contracts dictating the conditions under which bonuses were paid existed before TARP came into existence. To negate those contracts is unlawful and a violation of Federal law. Giving the Federal Government the right to negate existing legal contracts is a very dangerous step. It could be the first in a series of steps to destroy capitalism.

I'll conclude this review with my own opinion which isn't a far deviation from the opinion expressed by Michael Moore. Republicans and Democrats used the global economy to eliminate unions and drive down inflation. The result was the disappearance of companies and good paying jobs in the US. The result of retraining was lower paying jobs that resulted in workers defaulting on their mortgages. This in turn lowered the price of real estate as I learned when I considered selling my condo. If several houses like yours are in foreclosure, you will not be able to sell your home for a price higher than the price the financial institutions sell the foreclosed homes for. Hence, you cannot escape your own foreclosure via the sale of your home.

So after the foreclosures happened, our 'fair minded' conservatives blamed the people who were foreclosed on. As more and more jobs disappeared and investments shrunk, the Republicans voted against unemployment benefit extensions calling the extensions 'give-a-ways' to 'lazy people.' They declared this at a time when 250 applicants would show up for one job in CT! So the Republicans effectively drove these ex-middle class people onto Welfare and Food Stamps. And guess what the Republicans want to do now. They want to slash the Entitlement programs. Do they like kicking a person who is down? Do the Republicans count their callous cold blooded acts in Government when they talk about Christianity? They insist we are a Christian nation.

Where in the New Testament does the Lord state that the Government has the right to trample the poor people? Cutting off entitlement programs will leave people freezing to death or starving in the streets. That is a subtle form of genocide. Where in the New Testament does the Lord state that government has the right to commit genocide? Is it okay because the Government is doing it? But wait. We are suppose to be a Christian nation. Right?

Are we becoming a barbaric nation where those who cannot attain a good career due to emotional or mental scars are abandoned and left to die in the streets? That is what will happen if we eliminate entitlement programs. Are we becoming a barbaric nation where premature judgments are made on those who are not working? That is what is happening.

We may very well be a charitable people when dealing with the poor in other nations. But we are not a charitable people when dealing with the poor in our own nation.

And finally, I think we are the "suckers of the world" giving away the good paying jobs to the people of other nations while forcing our own wages lower. We gave away our industrial status. We gave away our jobs. And now --- are we giving up our Christian values when dealing with our own poor?