Everything Else•Capitalism: A Love Story - Discussion

  • Just a topic on what everyone thinks about this film. I noticed the article and I was just wondering was the rest of the SSY was thinking about Michael Moore's lastest work. I have not seen the film myself but I plan to on Friday or Saturday. However I have high hopes as I have read 2 of MM's books (Stupid White Men and Dude, Where's my country) however I was 13 years old so I would like top look at them again. I have also seen Bowling for Columbine and the Armchair revolution (which was poor) but I have not gotten round to seeing SICKO.

    Just comment on Capitalism: A Love Story and MM in general.

    Over to you....

  • Hey, I am looking forward to seeing it too.

    I know a lot of people have criticisms of Moore (particularly that sometimes using devious methods and false claims makes him an easy target for the right to discredit, and therefore can make all lefties look a bit silly, his American-centrism and therefore the way he sort of unconditionally lauds the systems in other fairer countries that by all means still have a lot of problems brought about through capitalism) but I think for what he does - bringing essentially socialist issues to the popular imagination through funny and controversial things - he does it spectacularly well. It was certainly through him that I got interested in socialism - my first political reading was Stupid White Men and I went on to read most of his books and see most of his movies. I found Fahrenheit 9/11 to be a bit too dry to live up to how well put together Bowling For Columbine was, but Sicko was absolutely brilliant and really brought attention to just how bad healthcare in America is - I had no idea there were so many things you could be refused treatment, and left to die, for.

    I think he's got a formula that he knows works and sticks to it, which is fair enough. I'm hoping that by actually bringing the debate back to capitalism itself this time and not just specific issues created by capitalism (cause we all know that the healthcare situation is bad, and that guns are bad, and that war is bad, but a lot of people stop there and it doesn't occur to them on the same level that capitalism is at fault). So yeah I think maybe an SSY field trip could be on the cards, we could try and encourage people to go see it in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow and then chat about issuez n that. I'd really like to see Roger & Me as well.

  • I think we're definitely going to have an SSY school trip to see it in Glasgow, hopefully other areas can do the same!

    I love Bowling for Columbine! <3

  • few of us thought thursday would be best for a glasgow SSY trip.. does that suit people? turns out it's only showing at the GFT (so i think leafleting opportunities would be kinda limited, so i don't think there's much point now..), how does the 8.15 showing sound?

  • Interesting I was planning going drinking on Thursday, but I really want to see the film. Maybe I could see the film then go drinking. Wow! That sounds like a great plan.

  • I don't know if any of you have actually seen it but I beleive the film was basic and did not expand greatly on capitalism or socialism. I realise he is talking to an American audience that has hardly any knowledge of socialism or its own system. I believe any person interested in socialism proper should read many sociolgists mainly Marx and Engels. Although wrote mostly two hundred years ago it still holds many truths. Adam Ferguson is another to read also to understand capitilism you must try and read Adam Smith Wealth of Nations. Generally I would also tell people to read history books which tell in great detail some of the reasons for governments coming to decisions.

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