Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy
A global economy, energized by technological change and unprecedented flows of people and money, collapses in the wake of a terrorist attack. The year is 1914. Worldwide war results, exhausting the resources of the great powers and convincing many that the economic system itself is to blame. From the ashes of the catastrophe, an intellectual and political struggle ignites between the powers of government and the forces of the marketplace, each determined to reinvent the world's economic order.
As the 1980s begin and the Cold War grinds on, the existing world order appears firmly in place. Yet beneath the surface powerful currents are carving away at the economic foundations.
Western democracies still struggle with deficits and inflation, while communism hides the failure of its command economy behind a facade of military might. In Latin America populist dictators strive to thwart foreign economic exploitation, piling up debt and igniting hyperinflation in the process.
With communism discredited, more and more nations harness their fortunes to the global free-market. China, Southeast Asia, India, Eastern Europe, and Latin America all compete to attract the developed world's investment capital, and tariff barriers fall. In the United States Republican and Democratic administrations both embrace unfettered globalization over the objections of organized labor.
Episodes included: 1. The Battle of Ideas, 2. The Agony of Reform, and 3. The New Rules of the Game.
YET ANOTHER BLOCKED FILM IN THE NETHERLANDS
I found this extremely biased and closed to any compromise of opinion; black and white, and 'socialism' is black. If we do wish to describe economies in terms of opposing forces, they are clearly not government vs. the market but rather government vs. the corporation. If you want to see the mess that Reagan and Thatcher's ideas eventually got us into, take a look around now. The truth is that the people will never prosper unless they are willing to do what it takes in demanding self-rule. And on that point, this documentary had absolutely nothing to say.
well i go to say that this has given me a new list of books i want to read ..wouldn't regulated capitalism, nationalization and abolishing price controls be what a free market is? wouldn't this cause the economy to be self regulated by the consumer? of course this would work if the united states if only the major companies didn't outsource to find cheap labor in foreign countries ..but instead worked with the labor unions to install a favorable wage that people could live on.
shouldn't privatization be seen a corrupting force? a force that is destroying true "free markets"
shouldn't we be looking for a economic system that is favorable towards sustainable growth for society ?
Coal and Oil are kinda outdated non replenishing sources of energy ..shouldn't science step up and offer another solution into renewable energy sources like geothermal, methane, wave, tidal, solar, or wind energy and possibly many more.
End of Rant-
This is a follow-up to my previous blog. Now that I have completed watching all 3 parts, the 1st, and 3rd are by far the best, with an abundance of information that makes for a good documentary. In my opinion, comments by Richard Cheney, Larry Summers, and George Bush severely hurt the credibility of the documentary as a whole.
The most important contradiction is the idea that capitalism, and the creation of wealth for all people, is somehow their priority. In reality, these people are only interested in making as much money as they can, at the expense of anyone who gets in their way. (exploitation) It is too bad that this documentary ends at 9 11, and does not look into the fiasco of the 2008 financial meltdown, or these individuals would be seen for who they really are.
It should be noted that on some level, globalization is unavoidable, but will never bring about a level playing field without regulatory limits placed upon those who are calling the shots. Ultimately, the idea of 'fair' to all people is impossible, because the 'haves' want more, and can only obtain it from the backs of the 'have nots'.
George Bush's quote after 9 11, that "there is an opportunity here" proves this point by going into Iraq, and killing a million, while displacing 4 million more, when they had nothing to do with it. War has always been the most profitable business plan for those in a postion of power, yet the global economy, and the 2008 economic meltdown is proof that war is obsolete in the new world order, and threatens to destroy the very prosperity they hope to achieve!
I must say, that the 1st installment of this documentary is relatively good. With that said, there were certain factors that weren't calculated while trying to determine which ideology had the most merits. (severely increased world population equals severe unemployment)
The 2nd installment shows heavy revisionist history, that is revealed within the documentary itself. Salvador Allende was a democratically elected leader who was ousted by a CIA backed Junta, (Augusto Pinochie) which was part of the 'Chilean experiment' created by Milton Friedman, and the Chicago boys.
Mohammad Mosadeq was the democratically elected leader of Iran, who was ousted by the CIA, and replaced with the Shaw of Iran, which led to the blowback of religious fundamentalists who are running the country today.
Furthemore, most Bolivians today spend almost 50% of their income on water, because all their natural resources are now foreign owned, the price of getting loans from the world bank. Oh, by the way, it is illegal in Bolivia to catch the rainwater, because it is owned by the Bechtel corporation of San Francisco. (Major shareholder Donald Rumsfeld)
Smeddly Darlington Butler, a general for the American military, exposed a fascist attempt to overthrow the American government in 1936, (Dupont, Goodyear, etc) because he no longer wanted to be a 'gangster for capitalism'. He had already defeated governments for the exploitation of Oil, fruit, and other commodities for corporate interests.
The awful truth is free markets do not lead to freedom or democracy, but to plutocracy, where a small number of wealthy elite are carving up the planet (pyramid scheme) for their own welfare. (manifest destiny)
I leave everyone with a paraphrase from Albert Einstein. "Communism, socialism, nationlism, militarism, etc while constituting diverse political ideologies, ulimately lead to the subjugation of the people by the state, putting an end to liberty and freedom for all".
P.S: Since the passing of Margaret Thatcher, I haven't seen a outpouring of grief, but the exact opposite. Whether it is deserved either way, is for the viewer themselves to decide.
Very good documentary, but, it just show half of the entire history, it does not tell the role that played the unilateral choice of the US government (Nixon) of dumping the gold standard back in 1971,making the US dollar almost worthless, (lots of US dollars were coming back home, nobody wanted them, producing inflation here in the US). The only way the FED found to stop inflation here in US, was to take out those cheap dollars and giving them to the first i*iot down the road : Latino America, producing hyperinflation in those countries, why?? because their rates of exchange was tied to the US dollar (consequence of Bretton Woods), so, if their economies took huge amounts of cheap dollars, they had to print mega-huge amounts of their currencies. Latinoamerica is the backyard of US, as Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy are the Backyard of Germany.
LOL @23 where bankers whine about runs on the banks. They should all be strung up on polls.
An interesting piece of work but incomplete. While swinging back and forth in focusing on the 2 main economic philosophical arguments, they leave the bulk of exterior factors aside. Racism, geographics and weather, religion, war born removed from the economic ideologue influences, etc. Instead, they falsely profess a world in which all other factors must submit to the omnipotent manipulation of economics.
They also fail to examine the very specific individuals manipulating events to cause disruption of the systems that did not benefit them the most. Ideology moves people to action at it's best and worst but real people (generally, people with money/ power) actuate, agitate, and manipulate reality to their desired ends.
Where are the Kochs, Dulles', J.P. Morgans, etc. that move their chess pieces to speak in favor of whatever abstract philosophy suits them best? Where are the economic hitmen and others that get to actually make the decisions on what makes a GDP? Those that manipulate the numbers to fit their master's desire?
Economic philosophies are equal to racial, religious, political philosophies in their use as tools of those in power to maintain power or those that wish to rest greater control from those in power.
Again, Economics and those that profess it's ultimate power exist outside of the complete, balanced reality that is existence. No examination of any given subject can hope to be complete without accounting for all influences. Thus, ultimately entertaining, this series is an epic failure. Epic only because of the time spent in making it and watching it.
Market based economies and social based economies both fail to account for anything that isn't human and fail to think of consequence in any form outside their limited scope and aim (growth vs. shrink or stagnation). An apple from the opposite side of the globe should not cost 40 cents. Unlimited and unregulated (by 'market demand' or state dictate) Industrial growth of either sort sans ecological considerations equate to starvation of resources and the potential death of our species.
Hoping to find these broader nuanced perspectives is maybe hopeful thinking but throw a thinking human some sort of a bone....seriously!
A true "free market" economist would not only oppose government planning in industry, but also government interference in the price of money through the central banking mechanism (Federal Reserve), undue influence through government coercion in the form of corporations, and most of all, excess government power as a result of militarism. A "free market" would never condone allowing certain private interests to control the states desire and ability to wage war. Free marketers can't have it both ways. A "free" state only wages war in self-defense. A "free" state leaves the currency markets to the participants, it doesn't dictate legal tender and hand over control of the economy to a single industry with a government enforced monopoly. These are the contradictions that kill the free market. Where in the "free market" theory does it make it tolerable for certain individuals and groups to petition the government for a special kind of citizenship, ie; a corporation, that makes them above the laws of man and nature? Corporations don't have physical bodies, they can't get sick or die or go to prison. How is that "free"?
If we are going to talk about freedom we need stop wringing our hands about Keynes and start looking honestly at the way WE have allowed the power of government to be abused by wealth and power for the benefit of wealth and power.
The difficulty I have with economists is they operate in a world totally oblivious to human nature and, in some cases, reality. It's like they live on a planet where all is just, wonderful and utopean. They like simplistic answers based on naive, simplistic assumptions based on some reality I've never lived in. But don't we all.
I enjoyed the series as it helped me understand the fantasy I, presently, find myself living it. As I watch a vastly over populated planet bitterly fighting over a vanishing resource base, the ideas seem frightenly childish.
You all really need to stop watching intellectually nauseous documentaries and start getting some real education.
Good starting point: read Frank Chodorov's gem of a book.... The Rise and Fall of Societies.
The amount of idiocy coming out of your mouths ( or pens/keystrokes ) should experiment a considerable reduction thereafter.
Everybody seems to be turning Kensyan right now. Well, it is understandable because of irresponsible behavior of financial sector - but I really feel sad about it.
I hate government control and bureaucracy. I grew up in communist Yugoslavia - people who did not go through it, know little about how oppressive a systems, which want to achieve equality, can get.
To date nothing matches the Communist Manifesto theoretically or programatically.......Sure beats Nostradamus and the Book of Revelations that's for sure.
RR
The fact is capitalism works in a small way, but with a world economic system and globalization the only system that will ever work is a resource based economy...
@djjames99
The United States of America is a Representative Democracy sir. Also America has never been a totally "free market" economic system. Free market economics is based on a model of unforced coercion of which American History has NEVER had "unforced" coercion to purchase goods and services. We have always forced the consumer to buy goods by eliminating or taxing and tarrifing the competition to improve our own economic investments. Nowhere on this planet is there this pure form of "free market" capitalism that you speak of. It never existed. It was a falsehood constructed straight outta 1984 by Milton Friedman to explain why the rich should get richer and the poor should starve.
Plus the Constitution of the United States is a living document able to me amended as seen fit by our elected representatives in conjunction with the people. "Eroding" institutions like EPA, FEMA, NEA is quite hilarious in your omissions of such needless entities as NSC, DIA, CIA, NSA and USAID all of which are not part of the Constitution according to it's founding principles. It's funny how these entities are never mentioned when discussing unconstitutional government organizations by right-wingers, only Soc. Sec. and Medicare and Dept of Ed. I ask have you ever seen a federal budget? Nearly 70cents of every taxed dollar goes to defense. Do you even know what goes to other departments? The "Entitlements" as right-wingers call them only get about 10cents to 20cents depending on our current war spending. Any discretionary surplus is then funneled into smaller agencies and whatever is left over is then gobbled up by the defense budget. Don't come on here spouting foolishness unless you got some facts. Tired of the rhetoric. Give me honest government that doesn't treat it's citizens like children.
TWO simple items everyone needs to study and learn the true meanings of:
1) The United States of America IS and has ALWAYS been a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC based on Capitalism and the Free Enterprise system ever since we won our Freedom from the British.
2) The United States of America has NEVER been a Democracy NOR has it ever been based on Socialism.
If you don't know the difference, you may be asking for something that is the LAST THING IN THE WORLD YOU WOULD EVER WANT! If you think you want Communism, Marxism, Socialism, or Radical Extremism, you need to move to another country! Those are anathema to our CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC.
If you really DO want our elected representatives to adhere to OUR U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, then all currently Unconstitutional entities need to be shut down (from the EPA, to the FED, to FEMA, to the NEA to name just a few), and every elected official from the President on down who refuses to act to set this country back on the proper road needs to be arrested for Treason, put on Trial, and then suffer the appropriate consequences, if found Guilty.
Those who are out "protesting" for CHANGE and REVOLUTION need to learn EXACTLY WHAT IT IS they are ASKING for and make VERY SURE that's what they REALLY WANT.
Most people are not aware of the way our elected officials have slowly led us down this EVIL garden path away from the Constitution over the past 100 years, BUT it's time they learned. Then, if they want to protest, they will know EXACTLY WHAT TO WRITE ON THEIR SIGNS!
This documentary is garbage and nothing but propaganda!
A documentary sponsored by corporate interest. Gimme a break.
False flag documentary
lmao globalization did not create poverty...blatant lie...rest is just propaganda mixed with truth
It's not bad as long as you recognize that it is somewhat propagandistic. I have watched it a few times. I like that Galbraith is in it. His Age of Uncertainty is considerably better. I saw that back in 1977 and just found it on YouTube last year. It is curious how some of the best information gets disappeared in this society.
I have watched these a few times. I think it is very good providing you don't base all your economic knowledge on it. It helps you understand the 'formal' (for a lack of a better word) understanding of what has been happening with the economy over the last few decades. Goes into a lot of detail. I think its a must... again ensuring you don't watch it in a vacuum.
Are you freaking kidding me?! This "documentary" even starts with an introduction from Dick Cheney, and commercials of BP, some trust, and a number of other companies. I can't watch more than 4 min of this nonsense. If you want to learn the PURE theory of how everything SHOULD work in this world, get some good books on international economics. But we all know that in the real world the picture is totally different.
Internet and media these days are full of all kind of information and opinions you can think of. Get a decent education to develop a good CRITICAL THINKING/JUDGEMENT, and FILTER all you see and hear. Learn how to analyze BY YOURSELF.
In theory, socially-responsible capitalism is probably the best model out there. But in reality, what we see is that large companies tend to abuse their power and influence to promote their interests at the expense of everything else. What is now going on in the world is pure madness! The larger the company, the more lobbyists it has, and the more it controls politicians. And large companies grow bigger through mergers at incredibly fast rate.
obviously what summers said at the end is the best approach using the markets to your interest but not allowing them to run wild.. you need some regulation and you need elements socialism because the market force are the people and when you dont keep a watchful eye you will have 1929 and 2008 all over again
Please explain why inflation was going through the roof in Chile while most of the industries were under state control. Thanks!