Ethos
Ethos, a powerful new documentary hosted by Woody Harrelson, is an investigation into the flaws in our systems, and the mechanisms that work against democracy, our environment and the the common good.
With a stunning depth of research and breadth of analysis, this film delves deep into the inter-connected worlds of Politics, Multi-National Corporations and the Media.
Most of us have wondered at some point how we have arrived at a situation where democracy is touted as having created an equal society when all we see is injustice and corruption.
Politicians openly deceive the public with the support of major corporations and the mainstream media. Wars are waged, the environment is destroyed and inequality is on the rise.
But what is the source of these institutional mechanisms which - when we scratch the surface - are so clearly anti-democratic, so contradictory to the values we hold in common and yet so firmly embedded that they seem beyond discussion?
Ethos opens a Pandora's box that has it's roots in the cross-roads where capitalism-meets-democracy, implicates every power-elite puts profit before people and finally offers a solution whereby you - the viewer - can regain control using the one thing they do care about - your cash.
OK, what to tell about movie?
Movie and Woody tell us WHAT, but what missing is WHO!
Average watcher get impression, yes there are some people who work behind wall against all of us, but this you get impression who are those people?
NO!
Why? Because if you spoke against them you are anysemith, speach of hate etc.
Yes, since 1910 USA is in hand of so called jews. And yes all bad in your contry which is just one big company led and ovn by jews.
You american people read what Henry Ford write about jews and then tell my am I right.
All evil on this planet come from this half rase people, and only way to resolve this problem if you american people open eyes and fight your enemy in your country.
Did you ask yourself how come that you work all that is in interes of israel?
Think twice!
Good film. Bad grammar. Its, without an apostrophe, is the possessive of the pronoun it. It’s, with an apostrophe, is a contraction of it is or it has.
Does anyone know where any citations or sources can be found from the movie?
so what can you do to fight against corruption in our government?
What if i told you that this documentary is a piece of the puzzle; an instrument of fear.
We are in a man made matrix designed by the greedy, power hungry elite.
We need an e-government. I would happily come home 2 nights a week and vote on whatever my government needed me to vote on.
I bet it would take us 2 years of bi-weekly voting to get out of the mess they've put us in... but think how cool it would be. The whole family could get involved and discuss what vote to take.
Kids would learn straight up to research, listen, and think critically.
We do not need a congress any more... and especially not this one.
I am tired of them controlling what we buy. Everything is so cheaply made it falls apart almost as soon as you buy it and of course then you have to buy either another one or something else that is just as bad. I want more manufacturing plants back in America and good quality things that don't fall apart just so you have to go buy another. You can't even buy a decent razor to shave with that last as long as it did 20 years ago. They want you to spend and spend and spend. TIRED and FED UP!
I have spent 20 yr travelling this beautiful plant.
I lived in Isreal in 1989/90 when Bush started his Space wars
I was in Borneo in 1997 when the rainforest was being slash and burned. When I was there 70℅ was virgin rainforest, like Brazil half is gone in a short time and soon it will all be gone. The forest are the lungs of our planet.
I have swam in the Pacific Ocean when I was sailing from Japan to San Francsico in 1998. Now it is a graveyard a sad quiete place since the power station disasters.
If we do not make change now, what will be left for a children and our children's, Children.
Why are we living on this planet as if we have another one to go to.
We can make a difference and it has to be now.
I am asking everyone on ground level to stand up in the street for 5mins. For a life time of peace it is not a long time.
The difficult part is getting everyone to understand the importance.
At a certain time on a certain day, we all stand up, it would be like a wave of positive, peacefully energy continuing due to the different time zones, but the impact would be incredible, the energy would be overwhelming. It has to be a globe stand from the ground up it will not work (as proven in 2003 when millions apon millions stood up and yet the war went ahead) if we don't all stand together.
We have only 5mins of our busy life to lose and so much to gain.
Please "like" my status if you are prepared to stand up against these warmungering misers.
We need to stand up and say enough is enough.
The world is a life cycle and we have stopped turning we need to do the full cycle and the opotunity is there if you have the courage to stand up.
Once the hole world is one. The date and time will be set.
Please have faith in yourselves, courage in your heart and a willingness to change.
Like my status, make a change
Thank you and Thank you Woody :-) x x x
very disappointing end to the whole idea being portrayed. Whoever believes that choosing to spend your money ethically is "active citizenship" is fooling themselves into inaction. Real gains will have to mean real battles. In the market but more importantly in the political arena
In the documentary he actually just says watching what you spend your money on would be a good start.He never said that would be all we have to do.
The answer is not the left or the middle or the right of any political movement. the answer is science and knowledge which can only be slowed down yet not stopped.
I found the Fucault!
World inequality is not on the rise; world wise inequality is falling.
Sorry, wrong. Inequality around the world is on the rise, and soaring in the US.
i have watched so many documentaries and the evidence is so uncanny, so true, so realistic and the people that fight against this truth is because they are in FEAR. They do not want to believe that we all are a prisoner...we live in an invisible prison cell that always has eyes on us....my ONLY CONCERN is that this movie DOES not tell us the only real solution to this chaos and pain and attacks on HUMANITY, not just Americans....the answer is
we have to go back to agriculture based society.
we grow the food ourselves...in your backyard...people like living comfortably where they don't have to work hard to get food BUT they rather be a slave at a job they despise and constantly be poor when they get make their own resources
PEOPLE please read ISHMAEL BY DANIEL QUINN
a quote that i absolutely adore from this story:
“There's nothing fundamentally wrong with people. Given a story to enact that puts them in accord with the world, they will live in accord with the world. But given a story to enact that puts them at odds with the world, as yours does, they will live at odds with the world. Given a story to enact in which they are the lords of the world, they will ACT like lords of the world. And, given a story to enact in which the world is a foe to be conquered, they will conquer it like a foe, and one day, inevitably, their foe will lie bleeding to death at their feet, as the world is now.”
The Ringing Cedars Movement in Russia is doing exactly that. Thousands are starting eco-village communities based on the "Kin's Domain" model.
The Russian government at the state level has begun to grant land to average people in 1-2 hectare (2.5 - 5 acre) plots. It takes about 5 yrs to rehabilitate the wasted agricultural lands and establish a clean food production operation at the cottage industry level. With other craft industries factored in, they price these established Kin's Domains at $1,000,000 each. This is no joke.
Also, the UN has been helping smaller countries to establish "e-Government" programs wherein the people do the voting and dispense with elected representatives that can be purchased by outside interests.
Hard to take this seriously when they didn't address the elephant in the room, animal agriculture. More destructive then all transportation combined.
I am currently watching it. I didn't feel this was so legit, especially about the Federal Reserve System, so I did some research and there really is not straight forward answer. Is it best to remain ignorant and die careless or learn all conspiracies and sleep worried? I don't know but it really increases my perspective so I can make a strong opinion one day.
At the end of this movie they suggest we can make a difference by what we choose to spend on. Well there is a HUGE problem with that. here is one example: Right now I am heating my house with Natural Gas I have NO choice where that gas comes from or if i agree with how they got it out of the ground. I can not afford to put in a off grid solar system and even if I did I am sure the company that manufactures the solar cells and the batteries needed is polluting. Then there is the problem that if you look close enough ether the thing you bought or the somewhere down the chain or the manufacturing process it is bad in other words if you live in the system you are not part of the solution but part of the problem the only way to remove yourself from being part of the problem is remove your self from the system. And move to where you can live in a substance lifestyle problem is there is NO way the massive population we have today can all do that. No matter hom much I would love a change the more I look in to it the more I have to say it is NOT going to happen. ONLY a complete destruction of our society will change it. I just do not see how at this point anyone can change it you can't buy anything or spend a dollar on anything without being part of the problem. IN FACT our monetary system itself IS the biggest part of problem. When we create money it is creating debt greater then there will every be to pay it off. Why because the reserve banks create and loan and the amount of that loan is equal to the amount of money the treasury can print but we have to pay it back plus interest where does the money come from to pay back the interest? No where. You can NEVER pay back the debt as to get the money to pay back the first loan plus interest you must take out a even bigger loan to create the money to pay the interest but now there is MORE interest and so on and so on and so on until the debt grows and grows to the point it exceeds the GDP completely then you have no money left except to pay the interest. The whole debate about how to pay back the national debt is stupid as the truth is IT CAN NEVER BE paid as long as we are trying to pay it with money that was itself just created out of more debt.
I personally have thought this ( everything in the documentary) for awhile, and I think that the majority of you (yes you the person reading this) have too. I do believe that we the people do have the power to change the government, it is going to be tough and quite frankly expensive.
A new avenue to look at- The new gun laws! Our so called government is trying to tell us what we can and cant have. In the Constitution on the 2nd amendment it states that The people have the right to bear arms and that right will not be infringed upon. They have been infringing upon that right for longer that I have been alive(39 yrs). Who are we to let them do this? If you are reading this and getting upset because of my thoughts or beliefs stop to think for a second, If that gunman was not able to get the guns and kill all those beautiful children, He most probably would have gone in to the school and killed with another weapon. He was a sick person and (from what i understand and have been able to gather) thought about doing this for a while. He tried to buy a gun before that tragic day and was denied so he went and got one another way. More people are killed by way of a baseball bat knife or even with bear hands than are killed by guns each and every yr. All in all this is just another way that our GOVERNMENT is trying to control us so we can not fight them. I am ready to fight and will!
BUT what if the majority of the population (not one or two people controlling the government) actually want to have better gun control laws? THE PROBLEM IS we pass gun laws and then the Gun manufactures lobby to reduce the effectiveness of those laws even if they are perfectly reasonable laws that still allow for law abiding people to own what ever gun they want as long as they buy it legally. You see the Gun manufactures will not be happy with profits of just selling to law abiding people no they want to be able to sell to anyone with money and they do not care really who's hands the guns end up in as long as they can return a profit to their share holders. up to about 50 years ago hunting was a very popular sport even in the urban areas people bought a lot of guns for sporting use Even people who lived in in cities would take hunting trips and belong to rod and gun clubs. NOW in urban and suburban area hunting is losing polarity among that population. (how many times do you hear Oh you shoot Bambi how can you do that? well That shift cost the gun manufactures a lot of money so they shifted from selling sporting arms to the public to marketing weapons initially designed for military and law enforcement to the public so they can now continue to sell weapons to people that no longer hunt. I am all for hunting sporting weapons but if you want to carry a AR15 or any assault rifle then join the army they will let you carry one all the time and even send you where you will get to use it for it's actual designed use. TOO KILL PEOPLE and not just one or 2 people that might be breaking in to your house no it was designed to kill as many people as possible not for protection. THE word ASSAULT is not a defensive term is it a offensive term and a Assault weapon has no purpose being marketed to civilians. IF YOU are so afraid of your own government that you feel the need to Arm yourself against it you are in trouble anyway as I doubt no matter what weapons they allow you to own you and even a few thousand of friends will not have much chance vs the US Army should they decide to turn against their own people. I am sure any fight against the US army vs any of the private militias would last only a few days max and would have only one outcome and that would be the US Army would win. Unless you happen to own a few hundred tanks, jet fighters, a Navy a few million men and the manufacturing base to supply them your argument that arming your self is going to protect you from government tyranny you really are in trouble the 2nd amendment was written when the most advanced weapon was a canon and a musket AND nothing in it excludes regulations that limit what types of weapons or requiring a license to needed to own a gun. NO ONE is suggesting you can not own any gun you want hell even now if you want to own a fully automatic machine gun you can as long as you apply for all the proper licenses and meet the background checks. ALL we want is reasonable regulations NOT complete ban of all guns
THANK YOU, MICHAEL FOURNIER!!!!!! Finally, someone with some brains, that can express what MOST Americans feel about this ridiculous gun debate!!!!
What about the huge amount of accidental deaths through arms? Kids playing with their grandfather's shotgun have blown their own heads off, many times. Many people have been shot accidentally, or shot in the spare of the moment and all of these people would still be alive if guns weren't so easily available in America. I know it's hard to imagine life without guns in America, but it's worth remembering that life in England WITH guns is equally unimaginable. It's culture, and culture can change.
The fact is my American friends is that you need to control your guns better. The constitution needs to adapt with the times. If the American constitution is immune from amendment then America will fail and die. The laws need to change with the times!
You're 100% misinformed. Please don't attempt to regurgitate what you read and hear from the mainstream media from the actual facts about firearms.
You're just falling back into the trap. Huge amount of accidental deaths from firearms? Tell me where this statistic comes from? Now compare it, not biased, to other weapons heavily used in crimes. Fact: More people are killed by HAMMERS than AR-15s. Yet, the govt is trying to remove them from us because they are "so" dangerous. The FACT is, a firearm is no more than a tool. Drunk drivers? Lets start banning cars. Stabbing? No more kitchen knives... I can go on. Banning, or "controlling" firearms more will do nothing. Most criminals do NOT buy their firearms from legal vendors, lets be real about that. Just because the media shows you the rare cases where they were able to get them via those means, doesn't mean that is the standard.
There is no such thing as an "accidental" shooting. Guns don't just go off. When was the last time you were watching a gun, sitting alone and it just went off? It doesn't happen. Those are called negligent discharges. That's when a person sets the gun off, not the gun setting it's self off. Again, the firearm is a tool, not conscious of anything.
Just like there are good drivers and bad drivers out there, safe drivers and dangerous drivers... it's all who is BEHIND the wheel, not the car it's self. Same goes for another tool, firearms. Guns are NOT evil. It's impossible for a piece of metal with some plastic to be evil. People can be evil, people can use firearms (or any other tool) to be evil.
Just like anything, there are good and bad people. That individual person will make that tool act in according to them. If someone wants to run someone over, they are going to do it because that person is evil. If someone wants to pick someone up in inclement weather to be nice and give them a ride, the tool is used for good. Same goes for firearms. Someone can run in the street and rob you... or you can pull a gun out and safe someone from getting robbed.
Just like we want to educate people with non-sense from our public school systems, but we won't take a minute to educate on firearms? Weird... that used to be normal. People, like anything else, need to be educated on firearms. We educate on dozens of non-sense crap in our public school systems, but we won't teach how a firearm can be safe, a tool and can only be mishandled by the handler. Rather, we teach how firearms are evil, how people die from them and how they are this or that... complete non-sense. Again, a firearm is only a tool. Like a pencil, a car, a knife, a baseball bat... etc.
If I were to test my guns everyday and place them on my bed and see if they are going to shoot me.. I can bet they would never get up and just "accidentally" shoot me. It's physically impossible.
The media puts fear into people about firearms. I can find a million ways to make cars sound just as dangerous... but that won't help anything. Cars cost money, go to big corps, which uses gas/oil, which is also a huge part of our system, etc, etc...
The PERSON is what makes this or that tool evil, including firearms. That is a fact.
Do you actually know what the second amendment says verbatim? It speaks of being able to form militias... And besides, what was good for society 300 years ago is possibly not necessarily good for society now. I'm quite certain our founding fathers' did not foresee the contingencies that would impact the 2nd amendment in this day and age!
The reason we experience all of these problems is because society is based on the unspoken principle of scarcity. That is, there is not enough to go around so, if you want something you must deprive someone else of it.
Because of this assumption, competition takes precedence over cooperation, fear over trust and profit over ethics.
I am quite prepared to demonstrate that scarcity is (and always has been) an illusion and that there is plenty of everything to go around. You see the problem is not one of sufficient resources but rather mankind's ability to efficiently utilize these resources.
Finally I believe that the ultimate expression of the (net neutral)world wide web will be to make representative government largely obsolete by the evolution of direct vote democracy.
if we make an excuse then you haven't watched this you have to act we are many they are few, so what is the problem lets start to organize by just passing this link and start by just being open that something will start to change. knowledge is power and this is giving you the power to act by passing this on to as many people as possable and ask them to do the same, that is the start then a world wise boycott one day where we dont go to work we dont buy any thing that one day will cost our goverment's billions they will sit up and listern if we can give up one day that's all you will be suprised call it ethos day start a face book page pass on this idea.
it will change the world our world we live here not corporations we have created this monster we can tame it .
This is an interesting perspective. The problems of cronyism and corruption are just coming to head now in the U.S, but the wealthy have always been in control of every major society in every country, past or present, and probably future, even since the conception of the U.S. The Founders were all wealthy aristocrats. We preach the rhetoric of democracy-that everyone is created equal, everyone should have a say in how their govt is run, etc...but humans are like inherently greedy, just as any other species on the planet. There are so many socio-economic problems because we don't practice what we preach. We talk of fairness and equality and justice, yet the entire system is built to be unfair, unequal, and unjust. To be equal goes against nature. Consider the theory of Social Darwinism. Survival of the fittest. If democracy is going to succeed it will take an immense amount of selflessness and self-discipline to fight mother nature.
We all need to do our part, one person at a time. That is all we can do.
This is all well and good, but unless a large majority becomes involved, all is just a futile expression of our sense of injustice. Nothing more...
I would add that new businesses would also help in structuring their businesses as cooperatives. It is my opinion that the reason that corporations go so wrong is something close to why a mob goes wrong, or when things go wrong in high school. Everyone is feeling like they need to go along with the group, but no one wants to, so they give up their feelings of accountability.
We need to work together to overcome these evils coming our way for some time now. Let's stop shopping. Lets barter our services instead. Rain
thank you for this documentary! If more of us would open our minds to a truth that we must seek to know, there will be a major shift in the world paradigm...New thought leaders are communicating this message ~ Stop educating yourself on lies from television b/c it is designed to wash your brain and program you for failure, struggle and poverty!
its about time! I dont agree with it all but its so true in so many ways! Im 35 years old and **** was starting to get crazy when i was a kid so i thought. Then my viet nam veteran father and activist mother started educating me about the corruption of our great nation, i made it a point to research things before passing judgement. guess what? The only truth about the U.S. is that the pres. doesnt actually run things! Ask J.F.K or his brother Bobby. MONEY DOES!!! And thats why they were excecuted! They were already wealthy and didnt need special interest money to run the country! Until someone steps up and challenges this corporation control of our politicians very little will change.
An Opinion is a verb; An opinion is a selfish desire to express one's own ignorance. We as a society must define what is our own ignorance and how best to express our desire to best live our own lives. Without having to encroach on the opinions of other individuals and Societies, we must define Life for our ownselves and how we choose to live it.
Life is a noun; Life is the shortest distance between two points. The longer you live the shorter that distance becomes. Living and dying is synonymous.
We die a little every day until the day comes when we die no further.
Companies are no different eventually they all have an end. We, like Companies must always be vigilant and wary for the day will come when the distance between the two points will no longer exist. Living is for those that have come and gone before us. Life is for those of us that have been left behind and must afford it. Whose face is on the American Quarter?
I say " Give Washington what is Washington's and give American's what is America!"
Kull’s Five Freedoms for the 21st Century:
Freedom to learn and become informed (Can Not)
Freedom to behave as one wishes without harm (May Not)
Freedom to pursue happiness and create value (Will Not)
Freedom to have access to resources (Have Not)
Freedom to choose what to say and do (Which Not)
Happy Halloween!
What Every American, especially voters should see. View free at this link. “Those who know the least obey the best.” George Farquhar late 17th Century Irish Playwright also known for for "Necessity is the Mother of Invention" So, If you ...think you know, maybe time to consider that you don't know what you don't know. Get Informed. Avoid Mainstream media.. They have a clear agenda and it's to divert your attention and sell you what they choose to make "News and Information" QUESTION EVERYTHING
If you're on facebook, we invite you to re post your comment on our post of this movie. Or, is it okay if we repost your comment with your name... Because of all of it but especially the reference to the Irish playwright... Thanks, "Bonsanto" facebook page
Ethos on #LinkTV Everybody needs to see this.
I went to the website and all I see is the page for the provider. I want to know what things we can do to stop big business. I want to get this information to the people I know and all of us start taking the steps. I have already taken a few steps. I make my own laundry detergent, shower gels, and fabric softeners. I eat garden vegetables when available. Greenhouse is next. I want to get off the power grid at some point and use well water. But that will be in the near future I hope.
It warms my heart to know you are on the right track. All we can do is stop encouraging the current madness without our purchases and choices. Doing otherwise takes imagination, courage, commitment, and freedom.
This video rings true in so many ways. Thank You for connecting the dots it all make sense now.
@Alan Brezin...with all due respect to my elders. I was trained to respect old people. But I think you missed what Stephon was saying. Read it again...
@ Stephon J. Graham...AMEN!!! That's what I went to bed thinking after I watched. Thank you Lord for your mercy and grace...
Great movie though. Too bad people buy into party politics. Just think what we (meaning ALL the people) accomplish working together. But we won't do it...too many hang ups because we have been trained to hate each other. Come soon Lord Jesus.
@ Stephon J. Graham...AMEN!!! That's what I went to bed thinking after I watched. Thank you Lord for your mercy and grace...
Great movie though...
Powerful movie! Even though I hope everyone here has the sense to know and understand that the only real way that all these things will be fixed is by the Almighty JEHOVAH GOD. That is the only way. Strong Movie good job Woody!
Stephen, do you really think the mindless faith in an Almighty deity will overcome the manipulative emotional control by an Almighty corporate power that also claims to be annointed by that deity?
religion causes more problems than it solves
Organized religion IS the problem.
Organized religion is evil.
the website is down..?
What bothers me here is the lack of communication. There are not enough people discussing these issues. The news sites are booming with activity, that is not the case here. I don't have the personal power to move this information into the mainstreams of thought. All I can do is say what I see and acknowledge when things are not going well.
There is one thing that comes to mind, quit worrying about what to call a body of politics. People are so ready to get uptight over names. Those who control the masses don't even worry about those things, they just do what they're going to do and damn those who oppose. (To those who question wind up dead... go figure.)
I don't think you mean 'socialist.' that is an econmic system. Tyranny, and having decisions made for us is Fascist. Which is what we have now in America.
Socialism works in small doses, but on such a large scale as America...we'd be drowning in insurmountable debt within a year. If it's truly to work, we'd have to divide the country up smaller sections (which would of course require several civil wars), close our borders to anyone looking to become a citizen (all while alienating our allies), and raise the taxes up to at least 90% (causing everyone to become fully dependent on the government alone) just to support every existing citizen in America today. It's a great idea on paper, but in practice...not on this scale, not the most brilliant of ideas. No matter how much I actually agree with Socialist doctrine, I'm not going to deceive myself into believing it can be done without great sacrifice on the part of EVERY American Citizen. Take Sweden for Example, a Socialist country possessing some of the greatest musicians and physicians in the world. Truly, they pay over 75% tax rates, and with that revenue the government pays for their schooling, medical care, lodging, and will even support an unemployed worker until he is gainfully employed again. Sweden is the size of what, New York State? Try implementing such tactics in a country the size of America, and see how far you fall before becoming a permanent additive upon the pavement of reality.
Democracy leads to Tyranny. We are supposed to be a republic. But we are a socialist democracy heading toward tyranny. Corruption at all levels are what got us to this point. A few have made the decisions that rule over us, since 1913 or even before that. But 1913 was the last nail into the coffin with the introduction of central banking. Usury.
It seems the movie has been removed??!??! Does anyone know where i can i find it online?
netflix streaming
it's on nextflix. just watched it.
hulu - docs.
Wonderful and telling. Let's all try the solution.
Remarkable that this film not only points out the problem, but more importantly, the solution. Thank you for that.
in freedom to facism Aaron russo before his murder he was planning more of the films.which woulda been great .am glad for this film ethos its kinda like a part to.i know 9-11-01 was a job the the goverment knew was going on just like pearl harbor or the war in europe it was staged to get us in it.
kennedy was getting out of vietnam which got him killed to much money to be made. my father was a advisor in vietnam or indo china at the time he said it was a unwinnable war with a no win for united states
I was very happy they included Aaron Russo's statement about Nicholas Rockefeller telling him 9/11 was going to happen a year before it did.
9/11 *WAS* an inside job.
i never would have thought 9/11 WAS an inside job...but now...im half convinced...
What is it going to take for US, common Amerikan ppl, to come together and not only be heard, but be a force to be reckoned with? WE as a whole should have the power. NOT the Boob Tube, Politicians, or Corporate. Really what do we do? We all see these things right in front of us and no one agrees with 90% of it. Yet we sit and do nothing. Sometimes I feel that even if we did do something, there is that overwhelming power that will veto all of US.
As far as the end of this movie...Remind you of the Mark of the Beast. I had to pray that me and my family do not see the day that this makes it's way into our lives as a law.
I have taken my health into my own hands. I no longer feel helpless on what I eat. I only buy organic and have quit eating meat. Next for me is my own veg garden.
Watch Forks Over Knives, Meat . Org, Food Inc. and it may change how you feed your family.
I am going to stop buying all those cleaners too. Vinegar and water and baking soda is all you need to clean. Google it.
Informing ourselves is up to us. We have an unlimited amount of information at our finger tips.
"The End" will come for war mongers, pollution, the Fed, unhealthy food, dysfunctional Governments, and all things unsustainable, based on the definition of 'UNSUSTAINABLE' I wonder when the puppet masters will understand this.
"has it’s roots in the cross-roads where capitalism-meets-democracy". Can anybody explain to me when the U.S. switched from a Republic to a Democracy?
The "answer' is there is No answer. Its the golden rule...he who has the gold, makes the rules.
"With a stunning depth of research and breadth of analysis..." Really, REALLY?
Look, I did like the film and it does put the responsibility where it belongs, which is with the consumer. That is to say, with you and I.
However, what many don't understand is the "consumer" also borrows money for college and advanced degrees, borrows money from banks for homes she or he can't afford, buys "cache" luxury products made by companies such as Apple which are manufactured in factories in countries overseas which don't have OSHA or regulation and which seem to be one step above the problems which spurred novels such as "The Jungle" in this country in the early 20th century. These same people routinely max out their credit cards to get a latte and the latest goods and fashions. Many of these people drive cars they can't afford, refuse to recycle or combine trips to conserve precious resources and "save the planet."
I could go on, but why waste my time?
Okay, so who is really responsible here?
To answer your question - you are responsible, now try communicating responsibly instead of pointing a self-rightous finger at others as if they are to blame.
As long as people continue to embrace & share your type of attitude we will continue spiraling out of control.
I wonder, did you actually watch this documentary?
The banks were, by LAW, charged with the responsibility to make sure consumers can't borrow money ( pretend it's crack) when they cannot demonstrate their ability to repay the debt. Wall Street makes money loaning out investor money (who will lose) to consumers (who will lose) and Wall Street then makes money on both ends - with no risk to their freedom.
I love this documentary it should be translated into many languages: spanish, Freanch, Chinese, Hebrew, Arabic....etc.
I will not be satisfied unless we all live in tents, eat only rice and are sterilized. I prefer to be controlled by communism. I know what Tasty Hweat tastes like.
Why not leave your address here, I'm sure you could be accommodated.
dana, I do not understand your point of view. If we buy something from another country how does that hurt them. It offers jobs to them and brings in money they would otherwise not have, and I don't understand how being proud of your country is destructive.
Joseph, I did watch the movie with my vegan daughter. I try to be open to these ideas but my comments are based on reading between the lines in this movie. The stated intention is to hit these mega corps in the wallet to get them to behave better. I believe the real intention is to cause us to be so hopelessly frustrated with out capitalist system that we will be open to a more socialist system. So many "facts" with out sources, or totally biased sources. I am open to boycotts and do prefer local business when practical.
Socialist, Communist, Marxist leaning people thrive in things that demote or demonize capitalism, like environmentalist, animal rights and the bogus global warming crowd.
Maybe I prematurely judged this,I will look at the website and see if they have legitimate sources there. I know we have a lot of corruption but so do they in countries with other political systems. I still say the USA is by far the best and offer anyone who disagrees to go try another country that has a system that you respect.
People who do not connect to what is real will always miss it. Think of your body make up........ What matters? Life, Earth? Money, societal structures? You have been conditioned beautifully;)
have you ever lived in a democratic nation?like swedan or norway,or march against and kicked out a political leader?it happens in other democratic nations,americans mostly just dont hear about it......wonder why that is?
The question put more aptly, should be "How will a capitalist society survive in a socialist world"? Our society which remains capitalist, has not evolved despite the revolutionary actions of Roosevelt in the 30's. In this nation "Socialism" has become a filthy word. The concept and the word do not deserve the bad rap. For examples look at the other industrialized countries who are our neighbors. Look at history, what caused the depression and what sort of instruments were drawn to pull us out of the depression up to and including those that were drawn and rejected in this nation and adopted by the Japanese who to this day benefit socially from the plan Roosevelt drew. Then, after educating yourself, you may attempt to continue demonizing socialism. We as a world have no perfect solution. The point is to be willing to get to a solution. The way we live now is not sustainable and will not continue to provide answers for generations that follow us. While Robber Barrons plot to accumulate yet more and more, all the while reaping benefits of that old dirty word socialism. They have 5socialism, we, the surfs must content ourselves with capitalism. The sources have been abundantly apparent for years, Did you attend high school? But so many of the population have been content to believe that they will rise to the positions held by those so called capitalists who are now in the overwhelming minority. Which means that over 90% of us believe that one day our ship will come in. It isn't coming in. Wait if you like but I think it's time we started planning a system that looks after all of us. The role of government should be to lead and yes, to provide. What the hell are we paying them for instead of those duties? Ask yourself what the role of government is if not to see to the needs of its people. Perhaps you are of the philosophy that government is all about making more laws to trap more people in a penal system which has no equal in the world. The statistics on that state that the average citizen cannot leave his or her home without committing at least five infractions of the law in a day. That includes you. Some of those infractions involve laws that you didn't even know existed. Laws that were written with the express purpose of entangling the ordinary person into paying yet another tax that isn't called a tax. But you wouldn't fight a ticket if you got one would you? You'd probably just pay it and forget about it. The problem is, that everyone does that. Everyone assumes that the little annoyance called a ticket is easier to pay than fight. And soon enough, you'll be happy to pay a fine for speaking too loudly in public or walking in a "controlled area".
@Rrrighttt not what they are saying in this documentary at all. They are talking about BIG International corporations. Not your local farmers who sell to the smaller grocery stores, or the local restaraunts in your city/town where you live. Spend money at those places that matter to the community, not the places that feed the big wheel of corruption and dominant power. They are talking about Viacom, The Federal Reserve(privately owned corporation,) FDAA, Phizer, the Carlyle Groups of America, McDonalds, Coca Cola - (Israeli owned Corporation) who have interests in One World Government over all continents, and one world currency. Did you even watch this movie, or did you just comment on it with your bias opinion?
Greatest nation on this planet?? Did you watch this documentary? You're seriously saying that the whole world is better because of OUR nation? Nationalism, being proud of where you are born, has to be the most ignorant and self destructive ideology that humans have ever embraced. This isn't about Obama or Bush or left or right, it's about money. Being free isn't possible if those with the most money are able to direly or indirectly keep drowning us; you, me, your neighbor, their children. I for one am going to do something, I will choose to look at where I put my money. Think about what I NEED, and what I am TOLD to need, and try to do anything I can to help make life better for myself, and thus those around me. This message board is an incredibly indicator of how easy it is to be divided, I pray that we can put aside petty debate and intolerance so that we can make way for intelligent conclusions and solutions to a problem that if untreated, will destroy not just us, but everything on this planet.
you can have Nationalism and still think the government is crap. Nationalism is being proud of how your country came about! Think about it! We are the revolutionaries (in general), and our own government is England. What we need is a "Boston Tea Party", a big screw you to the government.
I have read many of your comments here, conclude that you and the makers of this documentary will not be satisfied unless we all live in tents, eat only rice and are sterilized. You probably prefer to be controlled by communism. Open your eyes, Yes there is corruption and greed, but capitalism built this country into the greatest nation ever on the planet, and the whole world is better because of it. Our prosperity feeds others and when we are weakened by bad government policies like Obama's social junk, the whole world is weakened with us.
what country ?
amerika has passed into oblivion, as corporations have taken control
are U still asleep ? ? ? ? ?
Why,blame Obama for what have been going for a long time.Thank God for Obama
uhh did you watch this movie?
If everyone took time to watch this there would be a revolution.....But they won't and they will continue to bury their heads in the sand. A position that the 1% love !
It is this whole the more money you can make the more
blind you have to be. It seems to always be the same players. I really
thought water quality was a big problem, but apparently that is only
half of the water issue maybe even less. I know this great quote by the Dalai Lama, " Man. because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die,
and then dies having never really lived." Which seems to be the
perfect statement for how to describe these people of non-ethical or
non-moral character. The people on the other side, fighting for
everything, are the ones who experience the human condition. Because
of horrible people (elites), life births people that think for
themselves, and their knowledge and passion drives relentless effort
towards goals for the common good. It is truly never about the money,
it never could be. Money is not part of the natural world. It can
never exist cooperatively with nature. I believe that the elites have done some of us a favor, that our lives have direction and purpose. you cannot replicate the emotions of fighting for what you believe in, buy purchasing the newest ipod...
Many times I have tried to engage the average American in any sensible conversation. My wife for instance does not care one whit about any of it, she would rather stick her head in the ground and hope I did not notice when she actually dozed off. Any meaningful topic is boring to her and the majority of these slaves to the dollar bill. My own mother claims it is I who is bashing and judging just bringing these issues up in the first place. Fear is the tool this government has used for so long that people have gotten used to it as normal. Many folks I initiate a conversation with are not willing to just listen. Educating ourselves as to the inner workings of any power or authority, government or corporation is our duty as citizens. But sadly most people want to stick their heads in a hole and are only concerned with themselves, missing the point that we are all in this together and together is the only way out of this mess we allowed to happen.
This doco contains chunks of The Noam Chomsky doco "Manufacturing Consent" as well as the Adam Curtis doco "Century of the Self". I'd urge people to check both of these out.
We have always, as a nation, followed rich, elite, pompous, and greedy leaders who have had only one goal, to capitilize off of the weak and the poor to further increase their wealth and fame.
They successfully enticed the same weak and poor from around the world to follow their examples, so that they too may prosper as well. Armed with their manifest destinies and hopes of wealth, they flooded to this continent and took what they wanted.
It has created a society that endorses all the ideoligies that prevents us fair and just citizens from ever uniting to the point of having any real say in governing a fair society that really does believe that we are all created equal (in worth). Only business puts a dollar amount on your worth.
We are mostly a society of people who want to prosper at any cost, even at the expense of others.
We have a very large population of obscenely wealthy, mostly due to old money and inheritence, a very small but successful middle class, and a very large working lower class, many of whom try to appear like middle class by burying themself in debt and flaunting their expensive toys and homes.
Sadly, most here are already rich, want to get richer or just dream of being rich.
Our government is operated like a corporation. A giant AMWAY, (which is short for american way). They do not care about your religion, race, political beliefs or what laws are made or enforced to protect you. They only care about what most americans care about, how to get richer. Nothin personal, Sorry, it's just business.
Like AMWAY, it works on a pyrimid where only a few can ever be at the top feeding off the lower levels work and profits. They continue to prosper as long as others below them follow their rules of business. Make money your first priority in life, and get others to do the work for you.
We do not have a real or fair government. It is an illusion made by the corporate elite who have made it clear what their agenda truely is.
And just like many big businesses in the past that have funnelled their assets and profits out of the corporation before going bankrupt so that they can move to a more profitable venture, while cheating it's investors and turning a blind eye to morals or responsibilities. Our government seems to be following that plan.
The way they have manipulated us to fight amongst ourselves over issues that could and should have been resolved in a fair and just manor long ago and the way they have pit us against each other in politics to the level of accepting their incompetance as normal, is just another sign of what is to come.
Unless the population of this country can unite for reasons other than getting rich, and set aside age old fighting over religion, politics, and race, We will never be able to establish a real or fair government that adheres to the constitution the way it was written.
Regardless of the fact that it was primarily written to appeal to the poor and white, to gain supporters for the future "Corporation of America", it holds many ideals that we all should follow and respect.
Before they take all of our rights away, stop dreaming the american dream and start dreaming of a fair and honest leader to lead our people by good and fair examples instead of corrupt, purposely incompetant, and corporate owned businessmen.
And to those of you who say, if it were not for the job makers, we would have no jobs, I say to you, if not for the sweat and hard work of the poor, the rich would have no wealth at all.
And if it were not for the government endorsed huge corporations, we would still have many mom and pop stores, family farms, local jobs and some dignity.
An excelent summary.
But you ommited one deeper question : Why are masses so easily manipulated by greedy capitalists and politicians?
Isn't it because they are as greedy as those on the top? You can olny manipulate someone who is on a lower or the same lever of consciousness as you are.
The capitalists are greedy bastards always looking for number one, but so are the massess! Olny the later are lagging behind in a hope that one day they are going to make it. This is what you call "american dream"
Well, it may be hard to swallow, but this is the thruh. Counting out a rare exceptions here and there, the masses don't really want a decent, peaceful and equal society. They only pretend so to keep a good image. What they want is more money, riches and prestige for themselves, and that's why they're constantly fall victims of their own greed.
It is all an illusory race of idiots trying to grab as much as possible, instead of comprehending that noting in this world is of any lasting value and therof why not simply relax and participate creatively in this strage phenomena we call "life".
This may reiterate some concerns from the presentation but an active role as a citizen and other roles of community leadership should be more powerful forces toward socio-economic change as well as control of government and social-institutions to ensure they fulfill their noble purposes, even at the fundamental level. Relegation to a mere consumer has not accomplished anything but promote abuse, alienation, reduced access, and broadened disparity. I state this since corruption is so prevalent in government for elected reps, the kleptocratic-industrial complex, so-called "law enforcement" that has become as remote from their communities as they are militarized, and even the courts where judges are biased so that they promote their affiliations especially if they came from a background that maintains those connections. The perps have circumvented the reasonable and just means for participation, involvement, and appeal but also want to control information as well as reality. The situation now involves subsidization, bailouts, and other such unjust promotion of irresponsible if not criminal people that have utter disregard for socio-economic opportunity and parity, let alone any concern for moral hazards, ethical challenges, or the actual law that should restrict their actions. The corporateers, kleptocrats, and other perps are supported for their own sake. Too big to fail should even be an idea or uttered much less policy. For the people that have thought government should behave more like a business, unless they have transited through the revolving-door or received other hook-ups, well as you should realize that is a terrible idea much less practice since the reality is evident. Beside those matters, there are problems with having insiders and other such biased promoters that compose a kleptocracy where the roles of guardian and protector have been compromised if not vacated. They have also perverted if not crippled the social institutions including medicine, education, utilities, infrastructure, and other concerns that should be priorities, accessible, and provide benefits to all under exclusively objective public management. However, this the era where ScAmerica exists and it is rotten. Awareness of individuals and such organizations should be enough to direct efforts into separating them from further involvement and influence but the methods will have to adjust for achieving the desired objectives since the given avenues are biased, controlled, and unjust. There are also problems with a legacy of access. The perps, pillagers, and plunderers aren't being reported, investigated, prosecuted, or penalized to the extent they so deserve and that the public would benefit. Those matters could bring improvement and satisfaction while recognizing, protecting, and promoting the just and capable. Even as an honorably retired USN since 2003, basically into poverty and disillusion while dealing with injuries during and since that have occurred which have provided personal experience as well as other evidence gathered from my critical research into the issues of our time but make me reflect and distinguish what it was that I bothered defending. It's tough but exposure, disclosure, and sharing the burdens will be helpful toward resolving some of my personal concerns as well. Thanks for sticking with me and perhaps supporting my views, else help me understand that a better world will eventually make its way to reality. Power for Peace.
So many people are going on about a paradigm shift recently, mostly over the 2012 Mayan prophecy. But I really think that we stand at a keystone moment in human evolution. The more popular anthropological theory on our dominance of our environment over other creatures is our capacity for empathy and the will to help our fellow man. But now we're not competing against other species we're only competing against ourselves. The need to help others is being replaced or out-bred for the need to help ourselves to get by, sheerly because we have not dealt with the one thing that keeps us on par with animals. That is the fact that all life is innately greedy, if you've ever had a plant you know not to over water it, if you've had a snake you'll know not to over feed it. These days one of the biggest health problems is obesity... People will actually eat themselves to death. Guilt is a mechanism that prevents this sort of behavior but people now believe that guilt holds us back so we have created corporations out of necessity a way of bypassing guilt...Corporation: An ingenious device for obtaining profit without individual responsibility.
Ambrose Bierce.
So we can continue to take the short cut to evolution by effectively in-breeding psychopathy and allow that to be the path we take or we can actually address the similarity between us and supposed lower life (greed) and strive to change that then we would have actually evolved.
@Bryan: that the fed returns a profits to the treasury (after expenses) is true... however, the commercial banks are profiting by creating about 95% of the money at their level and taking interest on fractional reserve lending. Guess who owns the Federal Reserve Banks, the Commercial Banks in their regions. Slight of hand.
This doc is okay... some truth mixed with some uninformed paranoid nonsense.
The stuff about the Fed taking interest payments from the government is complete BS. The Fed is required by law to return all its profits to the treasury department. You can read their yearly financial statements, and see that they do this all the time.
Other than that, it's description of the problems is pretty accurate.
The final conclusion is ridiculous though. Only in America could this documentary be made. The belief that consuming products has this magical, mystical power to change the world is proof of the ideological dominance of capitalists in the USA. They control everything, right down to what thoughts and solutions the opposition can think of.
The truth is, the problems in the USA are just the natural, logical results of capitalism. Controlled government and media, apathetic population preoccupied with "bread and circuses", environmental and social collapse... that is all just capitalism doing what it's supposed to do.
The solution is not consuming different products while keeping the system intact, it's to fundamentally change the system. The problems will never be solved if you don't see the root cause.
The root cause of the problems is definitely capitalism. So, the solution is to get rid of it, and replace it with something better.
Oh Right, so we are just going to get rid of capitalism? Yes, the route cause is capitalism but the only way to change that is to get the people on board. The people feel powerless, this films solution though it may seem simple is to offer a way for people to get involved and that is vital. Our lack of involvement has been fundamental to the abuse in our system. Further, the message is to buy less and to be careful what you buy, learning the facts, and acting accordingly, taking responsibility, to dismiss a film like this is to show arrogance`based on ignorance and shortsighted thinking. That Woody presents means this film will get to a wide audience, people who have never even considered these ideas. Last point-The Federal Reserve. I have no idea where this person gets their ideas from but the Fed do not return profits to the government, they do not even pay taxes.
Great film well worth watching.
The stuff about the Fed taking interest payments from the government is complete BS. The Fed is required by law to return all its profits to the treasury department.
Maybe you don't realize...
If you give me 100% plus interest, I'll be glad to give you the profit from interest (I still keep 100%)
With all due respect, the Fed has no law.. it is not governed by anyone but itself. They don't answer to no-one but it's own 'law makers' who are by the way associated with very suspect sects and 'societies'. Yes, you may think that it's all a conspiracy and blah blah blah.. but have you even researched upon it? I'm not being rude, I hope I'm not, but it seems to me that you're basing this on hmm, nothing.
Agree. The day I evicted Chomsky, Zinn and others reactionary fire alarm virus from my head was a revolution. Every few years these guys arrive with yet another load of propaganda to preach to the choir and make $$$$$ for themselves. I have managed, owned and made a decent living for myself and staff by starting 3 small businesses in the last 20 years of my own free will and no one stopped me. Maybe they should go out and try it and LEARN. Not healthy to allow others paranoid illnesses into your head..a conclusion I came to long ago.
were can i read about that?
Dude, you have NO freaking idea how the Fed an the monetary system work.
The Fed is a private bank owned and controlled by several large banks, and indepenent from the U.S. government. The national debt is created when the government borrows money from the Fed, issuing governmental bonds that are payable later with an interest payment attached. How the money lended by the Fed / banks to the U.S. govenment is created out of air, is another story. There is a number of documentaries on this website explaining this in detail. Some U.S. presidents, such as Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln, spent quite some time fighting the corrupted banking system. Or do you think they were full of it?!
Just don't be too ignorant and try to be more open-minded.
There is a number of documentaries on this website explaining this in detail. Some U.S. presidents, such as Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln, spent quite some time fighting the corrupted banking system. I don't know if anyone has pointed out to you that Benjamin Franklin, was never President of these United States, No less a great man.
Not bad. Sobering, yes. We do have more power than we realize in the spending of our money......and i n choosing NOT to consume certain items.....
Isn't it funny that people seem to think we have reached the optimum point of civilisation. People look at history with the sure sense that NOW things are right. They don't realise slavery is more prevelant than ever; both physical slavery and mental slavery. We have supposedly reached an intellectual height and yet phillistinism is more common than ever. Our universities are full of idiots: university is no longer the refuge of the Bohemian or the forward-thinking intellectual. It has become the symbol of normality. People do not realise that our society, our civilisation is fundamentally flawed. Those who can help are pushed to the edges of society as radicals: we don't learn from the past. Past intellectuals like Oscar Wilde were seen as dangerous and imprisoned, whereas we now see them as forward thinking. I wonder which of our 'thought criminals' of today will be seen as forward thinking in the future. Which of those who are ridiculed by the stupid masses will be seen as the prophets of the next age.
Optimum point of civilization!? Civilization hasn't started yet.
Whats pathetic is that people don't stand for anything anymore. They sit there saying oh those right wingers are crazy, oh those antisemite's are ranting again, oh the liberals are loosing it, democracy isn't the same, and I don't like where this government is going. Meanwhile they sit behind their computers talk s*** and don't do anything or stand behind anything. What a bunch of losers. At least pic a side and support something for a better future instead of b****ing about everybody.
which side did you say you were supporting again?
Like said earlier, this film sets up the right problems, but doesn't bring it to the logical conclusion. Their message is that we can buy the right products to support the right kind of corporations. Earlier they posited that the biggest problem is US' dependence on the military industrial complex. Consumers have no influence on the military industrial complex, we're not buying guns and tanks for Iraq. That's being paid for with (unconstitutional) tax money.
Maybe I'm wrong here, but I worry about this new trend in marketing: the fake-activism hook. I saw it first in a BBC program called: 'The Sex Education Show - Stop pimping our kids'. In it, the presenter together with a group of people protested outside a well known shoe retailer, seeminlgy disgusted that they were selling high-heeled strappy shoes for 8-year olds. This was followed by a good look at the side and above view of the shoes on a white background with in the upper righthand corner the retailers' name and... the price of the shoes.
I worry that we're being sold here the idea that buying 'green' products will be enough. And it won't work because the corporations will just put up the image of being 'good'. Remember a certain global fast food chain's attempt to counter the argument that they were unhealthy? They introduced a range of 'healty' salads, but the things that make it tasty (dressing and meat toppings) turned out to be just as bad as their burgers. It's about trying to use quick fix to not decrease profit.
It is only logical for government/business to counter trends that are not beneficial to them. I worry that they will use the fake-activism hook. I think it will be recognizable as being given shortcuts, instead of being motivated to think, question leadership and talk to others.
Just say it men! Parapapa I'm Lovin It.
This was a good film, but it has one glaring flaw. Consumers DO NOT have the power to change the world by spending 'wisely'. There are no 'good' corporations. The system is rotten to the core, and it cannot be reformed. We should not be trying to create some sort of 'responsible' global economy, because as long as Capitalism exists, there will always be exploitation, destruction, corruption, and injustice. The media presents the Left as wanting to Publicise business and the Right as wanting to Privatise it. There is no difference, in the Left and Right as well as the two major locus of control, other than presentation. A small group still owns everything regardless of whichever is chosen. The best choice is LOCALISATION. Start looking into buying from farmers markets, or better yet grow your own food, or at least part of it. Reduce, Reuse, and Upcycle. Research sustainable building (such as Earthships) and learn to use resources efficiently. Corporate control of the world happened by our inaction, and it can only be ended by our reaction.
Amen brother! Biotecture and Permaculture are a massive part of humans reconnecting with each other and the earth. Lets try and design out our reliance on corporations.
Very good almost until the end, but then you guys blew it. Your last line was that people can excersize their power by chosing how they will spend their money (Is that the same money that was created out of debt, by privately owned Federal Reserve Bank, as you mentioned earlier in documentary?)
The same money that is being used to take our civil liberties away, will help us break free? I dont think so...
Interesting film, interesting premise. Yes, it is factually based in terms of the influence of corporate and banking interests exercise upon the US government, and it is constructive in offering a solution, but it is a bit idealistic in it's solution. Simply being a wise consumer is necessary but not sufficient. We also need to be participating in government, building a global mentality, and above all, instilling a sense of humanity for all people over competition.
yet expecting the ones "participating in government" not to be greedy, corrupted etc.etc...is a bit idealistic. Better play our own part as wise consumers and contribute to our social responsibilities. As expressed in the film, our cash counts.
I’ve had several realizations over the last 5 years.
Elections are a complete sham. And even if for some reason the "Other" guy won, cause the voting couldn't be fixed, properly. The Other guy was pre-selected by the real rulers of the country. /and
Left and Right is an illusion.
Wall street is a legal (not by the laws set out for the rest of us) casino.
But imagine this? It’s a Vegas Casino, where all the High Rollers, are personal friends of the Casino owner, and he can make the roulette table stop on 12, make all the slots pay off, and use loaded dice on the craps tables.
BUT, he screws up one long weekend and his friends win way too much money and its going to force the Casino into Bankruptcy…. The Owner goes to his bosses and says “Hey, I bankrupted the Casino, by indulging my buddies all weekend. Help me out.” So the bosses say, “That’s okay we will just set the machines to screw everyone else who walks through the door for the next 1000 years or so, and we’ll break even.”
I'm glad they are getting the word out, but I think the combination of Peak Oil (resource depletion), climate change, and population growth will in the near future make our economic systems irrelevant. Spending money more wisely still puts the money in the pockets of those who control us. It is smarter, I think, to try and become more self-sustaining. The less you need to depend on money and oil based products the better off you will be.
...and yet how many gas guzzlers do you STILL see on the road? people ARE idiots, and sometimes i almost think most of us DO need to be controlled...i mean what smart person spends 4 times as much as he has to to get from point A to point B? all because they need to have the coolest vehicle...
Am I Wrong?
Out spoken message: Be conscientious of purchases, personal consumerism
Moderate message: Control population growth by utilizing birth control
Underlying message: Extinguish the Carlyle Group, the Bildebergs, the Rockefellers, the Morgans, the Warburgs, and the Rothchilds before they kill any more of us.
just joking
Has anyone else noticed than males don't recycle as much as females. Just go to any value village and you will see female stuff takes up most of the store. Males also break more things and make them unusable and thus generate more garbage. Much more wasteful of food stuff as well.
"Female stuff takes up most of the store", is because they buy clothes, and then more clothes, because they never have nothing to wear! not counting the 150 pairs of shoes most females have.
Good thing there are thrift stores or garbage bins would be overloaded!
Yes men recycle, men "fix" things, women don't! (LMAO)
Your generalization of men versus female consumerism makes me laugh. I agree many women are hooked on shopping for clothes, shoes, make-up, jewelry, sunglasses,purses, perfume...with the intent of attracting a male. At 52 i use what i have acquired inside of me to attract a male and i am single because my body image is not what the guy my age are looking for. They do want the 30-40 well decorated shoppers!
very good film, have not seen Zeitgiest (will check it out though) so don't know about those comparisons, could nit pick this r that but really, simply put well done film.
Good doc...and although similar to Zeitgiest in it's way of fighting the system, it is a different film and will touch different people. It is vital that the mass or as i like to call it the human plankton wakens up, it doesn't matter how many similar films comes out, the more the better. Yes it is not all truth but most importantly it is mainly possible as a hidden reality. Only the unity of the mass will change our world, we are not meant to be puppets with strings controlled by the minority of inhabitants although it is the story of our life for now. We are waking up, thanks to the efforts of people who have decided to speak, thanks to the internet. az
can't help it!
he ll always be mickey nox to me....
Didn't know that howard zinn died last year.
R.I.P. big man
Chalmers Johnson, also in this film, died last year as well.
R.I.P.
I was disappointed in the ending. Advising consumers to curtail their spending seems to focus on the individual, just what the capitalists and businesses want, consumers isolated from one another. Economic pressures are effective, but only in the form of organized measures like strikes and boycotts. What is needed is political and social organization with pointed and practical goals like campaign-finance and health-care reform. Change will come through the activities of the radical groups such as MoveOn.org, the workers' unions, and world-wide socialist movements promoting a capitalism that is responsible to the people.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was making you think he doesn't exist...boo!
A ridiculous, blatant and shameless rip-off of the Zeitgeist films. The difference? Nowhere near as good or revelatory as the Zeitgeist films.
To the narrator: Please never narrate again, for the sake of the audience. Thank you.
it was in the document, it wont make certain people rich...
(sitting in Jordan right now)
being so close to these problems i can't help but wounder why the US won't get up off there ass and protest against the countries over dependence of oil. there are so many other renewable and sustainable recourse that would create jobs. that are better then going to war and killing people and children. i just don't get it.
@will~
When it comes to ideas about equality, fraternity and brotherhood, it's not called a "rip off" but rather a shared political concensus. These things require repetition.
Stop buying gas-try walking or cycling;personally I could care less if oil went up to 200 dollars a barrel,maybe you"llget it. I would like to see these dictators like Bush crime family,rumsfield;Cheney,tony Blair hung for treason,not without a fair trail first of course.
Revolution here in the States. Then we need to bring to trial the last three presidents and their gang of thugs.
Revolution in the United States. If they can do it in the Middle East we can do it in the United States.
I liked it, very informative and caught my attention. It is somewhat similar to the zeitgeist or other political docs but still enjoyable.
Not sure where the one guy got his stats for "1 in ever 2 men will have cancer in their lifetime, and 1 in every 3 women will" If its true thats scary! I know prostate and testicular cancer in men are rising fast but 1 in every 2?
Pammy(26) asked a very interesting question. I would like to know about the implication of that scenario.
Is somebody able and willing to give a sensible opinion about the chain of casualties of that scenario??? thanks!
Please say "brazenly lie to" rather than "openly deceive".
It's more precise.
Not only that, the only people who believe American politicians any more are the ones who think they can get something by it.
Thanks.
well yes, that is nice. try a different spiritual system, and a well armed secular system will kick spiritual butt. it is the will for power, that corrupts everything. and it corrupted even spiritual systems.
Just another doc that points more of inevitable failings in all human systems.There will always be another political system, another economic model, another "savior of the people". Secular systems will always be corrupted by the selfishness of all men. If its not one thing it will always be another. We have to look within ourselves and own attitudes towards the world we cannot control or we will always be running in the "hampster ball".
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
William Shakespeare
Macbeth, 5. 5.
most people do not give a s...
This doc is just a rip off of a bunch of other documentaries. There is virtually no new info here.
Check out:
The Corporation
Zeitgeist
Manufacturing Consent
Century of Self
and also have a look at...The Story of Stuff...and show it to your young ones.
DOWN WITH THE FEDERAL RESERVE!!!!
To anyone who likes the above film and hasn't seen 'Fuel' on TDF, very recommended. It talks about technologies (like Diesel engines, originally designed by a peanut farmer to run on veggie oil, and who was assassinated) that can and are directly transforming economies around the world, as we speak, away from petro-chemicals. I think it was Sweden, who will be completely free from hydro-carbon fuel by 2015. How? Instead of importing or subsidizing petro-fuels, it's subsidizing production and sale of bio-fuels. In other words, bio-diesel and ethanol based gasoline are both cheaper at the pump, right now, and will completely replace crude-based fuels in just under 3 years.
They may be hard to spot from within the chaos, but there are many examples of success happening right now. Unbridled access to information is 'fueling' this change. Pun intended.
@Hambone
Run a google search for 'Go Further' (2003), a documentary in which "Woody Harrelson and a group of friends take a road trip on a bio-fueled bus to demonstrate ways to be environmentally responsible and visit people who live by that principle." /quote.
I agree with a lot of comments; I recognized direct use of interviews and subject matter from about 8 other docs in this film... but if this one inspires people, and is actually seen by a broad audience, awesome.
@Hambone Littletail
I just saw you asking if Woody sold his car, therefore questioning if he actually lives by the values he seems to portray in this doc. As a Maui resident, Woody lives near my neighborhood of Paia and I can tell you that he does not quite live the excessive life of a celebrity. While there is no doubt he his wealthy, he is very modest and I think lives a respectable life that most celebrities seem to leave behind. In Paia town there is only one grocery store, Mana Foods- only organic and lots of local stuff- that's probably why he lives here. While I do not know him personally, I really respect him and do think he lives by the values he discusses- a celebrity that IS a great role model for positive social change. KEEP IT UP WOODY!
Good show here, but it's "The Corporation," and a few other docs, with a face-lift. Go watch the source.
*Hambone, sorry for that typo. Soz
@Hamboone Littletail
haha, have you watched No Impact Man? What would be your comments on that? IT takes on another branch of the whole present problem (mainly on environmental issues but hey, it's all connected).
"The car is the single biggest drain on the world's resources." Seems to me, if the "common man" is so damn concerned about this planet, he would do as I did two years ago and sell his gas-guzzling car (thereby ELIMINATING all future purchases of gasoline, oil, tires, car insurance, traffic tickets, etc.). Has Woody Harrelson sold his car? I doubt it. The "common man" is a helluvalot more concerned about that damn car than he is about the state of this planet, the "blood in the oil," and abuses by multi-national corporations (from automakers to the oil companies) and the police state (traffic cops, insurance companies, DMV, etc.). And THAT is the "bottom line" of the problem. So much talk, so little action. Yawn.
no but he has a hybrid
Woody is da man he helps us to see a painful reality with some hope that we can make a difference.
@People referring to Zeitgeist.
Lets start a little talk here. (First: Those who have not SEEN Zeitgeist should. And either way it really is in parallel with this documentary) However i Agree with Zeitgeist and btw his funny reference to Monty Python was gold.
Either way. The facts that Zeitgeist points out are In my opinion a fair way to look at the actual system. However, he advocates a new system called Resource Based Economy. Ideologically i would be inclined to pursue that, but realistically, I don't believe it would/could be realized. The whole idea of that Venus Project doesn't take into consideration a few factors,
such as human Ego, INTERNET influence (Such as what we start to see in N Africa and US recently). And actual technological advancements/researches.
Considering this Documentary, i believe it to be more ''Terre à Terre'' (Down to earth) approach of exposing facts. EThos does not blame the system, just denounces the imbalances and the corruption.
I believe the most important messages of these 2 docs are for the following: Wake people up. People should go ignorantly from one system to another. Wake people up, and the world will lead itself towards a more sustainable system. And I bet everything on the internet (the useful part anyway :P, not people talking about their cats).
However you look at the situation, it reminds me of the Matrix. Many people are afraid to change and stay behind. A minority of people are curious for change, and if they really do want Change, they should be ready to risk sacrificing everything. If not, then they are hypocrites.
I am about to begin a career in a field that directly contributes to cyclical consumption. My aim will be to create a desire in people where one need not exist. It will be my job to distract people from everything accept my message including the fundamental issues that surround their lives. I am not happy about this, but I realized that if I don't play the game, I will lose.
What would happen to these powerful banking families if Governments REFUSED to repay these loans???
Could these bankers have the power to bankrupt Countries? If so....what exactly would that mean???
In response to Brian, a rational decision is one that maximizes the goal of the individual at the point they make it given the information they have at the time. It may not be rational for them later on and it may not be rational for society, but the simple fact that they were better off, whether materially, aesthetically, or emotionally at the time that the decision was made makes it a rational decision. So in fact, people are acting rationally even if they are "ignorant", since it improved their welfare at the time they committed their action. You can be stupid and rational.
Yeah the point really is to stop buying stuff you dont really need. I can fit everything i own in one suitcase,and i get allong just fine. I get high,i get laid,i get to eat and drink. What more do you need?
This documentary is worth watching!
Good entry level doc for those with a suspicion that some so called conspiracy theories may not be theories, nothing new for those of us who have had our eyes open for some time. But for those who found docs like Zeitgeist to sensationalist... this is easier to digest.
Yes, it may be a bit basic in some instances as someone before said. But a simple message is a powerful message. The simpler the message the more people can understand it and accept it. Especially if it tells you what you already know - that something is wrong in this world - but could never connect the dots between seemingly unconnected things, understand why it is so and what can you yourself do to change it.
I loved this documentary for its powerful simplicity!
This doc nailed it. A corporation is not a citizen. It is an organization with its own agenda. As we, in the west, have written into our constitutions a protection against religious organizations, we should also do the same with corporate institutions. A single individual cannot fight against the might of a large, rich and well organized group. This was true of the Church and it is also true of the Corporation. We, the People, have to realize this to hold on to our individual freedoms.
Now I understand why Berlusconi has been in power in Italy for so long!
Brilliant doc. with some good 'springbords' or those who are inclined to do deeper research.
I especially like the ending which reminds us WE are the only ones with something to contribute to their game. Without us there is no game!
Anyone watching this MUST also see Zeitgeist Moving Forward.
We are legion.
Please replace all your chemical domestic products with Soap de Marsielles - your great-grannies probably used it (or something similar) - I promise you will be amazed by it's cleaning power, cuts through the worst grease with the help of a scratchy pad, cleans paintwork, windows, floors, really everything and it's completely bio-degradable, smells nice and doesn't cause cancer. It's also a lot cheaper and takes up less space in the cupboard under the sink than all those nasty un-recyclable plastic bottles.
It used to be as popular in Europe as it is now in Africa where it is still used for all cleaning - because it is cheap. Prices in Europe are higher but still reasonable. It's also worth noting that it is bought by expensive beauty salons and used for it's purity (it's made from 100% olive oil).
I love it and give it as a gift as often as possible. A kilo block lasts for weeks too!
please give it a try! Love and Peace out.
lol I can't believe most of this stuff is new and revolutionary for people. We've been in a Capitalist economy for over 500 years, its become a world economy this last 200 years. I'm only 22 and have been thinking about what I do since I was 15... Its almost depressing, but I have to admit people aren't rational at all. People will most likely still by crap and drive their cars everywhere, ignorance is bliss. So will we change for the better? or just change to be more ignorant? My bets are on the ignorance, I wish I'd be proven wrong.(points at the US) lol
great doc :)
@Sabr
i think indeed the problem is that people need to become more aware of the world around them and how systems/things work around them and for them, so they can eat and drive to work and al that.
The very basis of all evils is not 'money' but 'ego' - also known as the 'superiority complex' of assuming oneself to be in someway better/above another. Look at the domino-effect of 'ego' - Racism (Europeans on Africa & Americas; Nazi Aryan Race), Caste-ism/Feudalism ( India & Europe), Ideological-superiority (Communism, Religions in general & the latest influence Modern Corporations).
We may need a real-life Robin-hood.
i have seen much of whats in this docco in other doccos.
i have not seen the 'consumer choices' at the end of this docco in other doccos though, which was a good start.
i think that people becoming more and more INdependent (as opposed to INTERdependent) will ultimately be the single biggest key in the array of keys available.
solar power makes people independent of power companies and possibly oil companies.
a freezer can make people independent of city water corporations. i recently did a simple experiment where i collected the water that was collected by my air-con over periods that varied some ..... the biggest amount of water i collected was about 5 liters (about a gallon) in the time of under a full days use. i'm betting that i could collect quadruple that amount with a freezer left on outside overnight. if you have water you have life (and food)!!!! i have yet to perform this experiment.
so, whats everybody else doing to be more INdependent.
i'd sincerely like to know
Thankyou, Vlatko. I enjoyed this very much. I am going to research which companies are ethical and only buy from them!
Quite frankly the biggst trick that those in power have pulled is to make mice of men. But when you look in sufficiant depth at the Notion of power and control you realsie that it is an illusion like any other. The real Boss of man is nature and it will always be so, weather we want to admit it to ourselves or not.
Fairly interesting, but its mainly a rehash of Adam Curtis's work, indeed it even uses some of his interviews and identical terminology and snippets of film which he used. Quite annoying really to get ripped of like that i hope he gets a nod in the credits.
Thank you, Vlatko. I hope many will/can see this documentary. An eye-opener. I posted the link to my facebook and twitter page.
These wide topic, documentaries aimed at the general population are virally critical to the overall movement as they allow the majority to spark rational thought and thinking critically. This is our only hope of salvation.
Yes, the power is with the people!
Think before you 'do'.
Stop buying 'stuff'.
Consumerism is killing us.
Shake off the money-making-business-idiots.
We can do it.
Very good doc Vlatko keep it up bro
in canada it seems like the governments goal is to import
cheap labour to be workers for the corporations,and to have
the already stressed tax payer finance it.helping other people come to this beautiful land is fine but not to the
point where the incentive of the existing population is
being destroyed.where is the reward for families who have
helped build this country for generations.year after year
our politicians promise prosperity and yet all we ever see
is the erosion of our standard of living through the misuse
and mis-management of our resources and tax dollars which
have been handed to corporations To do with what they will.
not only must we be careful of what and from whom we buy
consumer products, but also of which companies we work for.
WHAT IS THE PRICE OF OUR OWN PERSONAL BOTTOMLINE?
This documentary will open your eyes,.. believe it, live it, strive for this change that human society desparately requires.
There's a new sun Risin' up angry in the sky
And there's a new voice Sayin' we're not afraid to die
Let the old world make believe It's blind and deaf and dumb
But nothing can change the shape of things to come
There are changes Lyin' ahead in every road
And there are new thoughts Ready and waiting to explode
When tomorrow is today The bells may toll for some
But nothing can change the shape of things to come
The future's comin' in, now Sweet and strong
Ain't no - one gonna hold it back for long
There are new dreams Crowdin' out old realities
There's revolution Sweepin' in like a fresh new breeze
Let the old world make believe It's blind and deaf and dumb
(But) nothing can change the shape of things
To come
Alright film, a little basic for my taste...but for the beginner it can be a startling wake up call. World-system theory, many anthropology perspectives, and perpetual economics in a finite world might be further topics to investigate if you find this films interesting.
Although the points made in this documentary have been hit upon many times in other docs, it is a nice refresher for the critical mind. Worth watching.