Last night I reluctantly went to see Capitalism: A Love Story. It was a chance to see some good friends so what the hell. The first fifteen minutes or so into the movie thought to myself maybe I was wrong about seeing this picture, maybe something big is about to happen but by the end I was more convinced than before that the situation is almost hopeless. What situation am I referring to? Well what I'm talking about is a real critical analysis of the current moral crisis that led to this mess. An analysis of the foundational cornerstones of just about everyones thinking; both the economic winners and losers alike. I want a critical analysis that reaches and convinces a broad audience to at least consider that some of what they have believed in the past is just not true anymore or maybe never was.
Without giving away the play by play of the movie, I think that just when Moore has the audience right where he wants them he trots out a bunch of folks to deliver the deciding blow that have such a questionable past with regards to their own behavior that for many of us it renders whatever they have to say as "you gotta be kidding, these guys have the answer" ...... even though much of what they say is actually true.
I realize that the folks he "trotted out" are his champions and I don't mean to say he doesn't have the right to adore them but in the interest of delivering a clear message I think one has to be careful about including the voices of people one worships. The individual speakers I'm sure are wonderful people but one's affiliations does warrant consideration is a situation like this.
In conversation with friends after the movie I expressed my disappointment. A dear friend who is also a really smart guy pointed out that if Moore had the made the film I wanted to see less people would have come to see it because more didactic films tend to have smaller audiences. After thinking about what he said I have to agree. It is a real shame but we can be counted on to behave true to form, like the addicts that we all are, and avoid the medicine that would make us well.
Somewhat of a far reaching aside, but not really .....
I remember the last time I saw Steve Cokley speak in public. His audience had shrunk to almost nothing and Steve was a shadow of his former self. I hope he is alive and well somewhere having explored the reasons for his sacrifice, he is now preparing his next steps towards peace.