The Truth behind Capitalism

The Truth behind Capitalism

2015, Politics  -   34 Comments
7.19
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Ratings: 7.19/10 from 166 users.

The Truth behind Capitalism explores the precarious foundations and fallacies inherent in this widely championed economic system. In the wake of the largest global market crash in history, the film implores viewers to reconceive their notions of capitalism by providing provocative contrasts with the teachings of social scientist Karl Marx.

In 2007, the United States stock market suffered the largest point drop in its history. Banks were on the verge of complete collapse and a global recession of unparalleled magnitude seemed a foregone conclusion. In its aftermath, much of the ire focused on the U.S. banking industry, and the flagrant lack of regulations it had enjoyed and prospered from for far too long. A growing movement of citizens, however, pointed the finger at the entire capitalistic system as a whole; a charge the documentary endorses by exploring examples throughout history as a map to potential future calamities.

Karl Marx viewed capitalism as its own worst enemy in that it promoted a class struggle where the exploitation of the working people was conducted in the service of the super wealthy. Under capitalism, he argued, the fat cats would get fatter while the average laborer would continue to suffer. This poor treatment of the working class would eventually spark a revolution, and the resulting implosion would culminate in the creation of a classless society, which was a concept for which Marx was a great proponent.

The film mirrors the philosophies of Marx beside the movements occurring in our present day, particularly the Occupy protests which have taken on a global reach and significance. The protestors who lead this movement are calling for stricter regulations, and a system that supports the working class instead of demoralizing them.
In the United States, socialism is considered a dirty word, as it is widely feared that it will lead to a catastrophic loss of the freedoms and long-held ideals which have defined the country. Through a hodgepodge of newsreel footage, political hearings and assorted viral elements, The Truth behind Capitalism challenges this perception.

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David
David
2 years ago

Pro capitalist anti socialist sentiment is the result of brainwashing, as the mindless comments about crony capitalism, and socialism has never worked are repeated ad nauseam, over and over, with no context by those have zero expertise and know absolutely nothing about economics

Every single attempt at socialism, without exception has been immediately been invaded and put down by the despots ... THE BIGGEST MASS MURDERS IN HISTORY.

Indonesian workers took power in 1965 and the US and Australia worked with the Indonesian military murdering an estimated 700,000 who had decided to run their own country VILE DISGUSTING BARBARIAN HYPOCRITES. This only one of over 50 such cases involving the USA. Just look at the Middle East today.

Every time you vote for a republican or a democrat, you are signing the death warrant of innocent victims of US imperialism...but you are too selfish and too stupid to care.

As for crony capitalism, it does not get more stupid and infantile than this claim, as there are no markets, just the third world created by the west that is raped of resources and its peoples forced into slave labor sweatshops. Our standard of living relies upon their continuing misery.

Ask any westerner to speak on any subject of their choosing of which they have a good working knowledge......and you will get silence. They just parrot learned memes...that make no sense whatsoever

Jon Jonzz
Jon Jonzz
3 years ago

How many people do you know that risk their lives to go to a Socialist country? Answer-NONE!!!

Geo
Geo
3 years ago

Don't be fooled by wrongly defined words.

If you say Capitalism INFECTED by Socialism and the other flavors of Collectivism and their greedy corrupt Marxist politicians, to the point it is no longer capitalism, then yes, that is the bad thing we have now.

But actual Capitalism: The ability of people to trade freely among themselves WITHOUT govt interference, has been the only bright spot in the long history of the world, where people can choose their life rather than having it chosen for them.

With Capitalism, even school dropouts can be successful if they develop a valuable skill. I know some of those. These people would be forced to clean toilets or dig ditches in China rather than fly their planes and have additional rental house income in the usa.

Capitalism would happen naturally if there were no govt. Capitalism works Fantastic, IF only we had capitalism in the usa once again.

Govt of any kind, IS the problem, Not the solution. Karl Marx was a lying weasel, knowing full well it was just a ruse to dupe and use the workers to gain power for a group that couldn't get it honestly.

Anyone who falls for socialism has failed to look at how rotten and greedy it is. Those at the top sit pretty while the rest starve. That is what they call "equal". Equally starving.

Anyone who claims Sweden is socialist is lying or simply wrong. It is a capitalist system infected with an even larger degree of welfare statism than the usa. That is NOT Socialism.
Socialism is the nicer version of Communism where you fooled the people into voting for it rather than just taking over by force. The end result is the same. Karl Marx would agree.

If you are the type that believes what your Marxist teacher spews, because why would they lie? Indeed, actually follow up on that question, get to the answer of why are they lying. There is a reason.

Because you would never have any interest in Socialism or any other Collectivism if they told the truth about it.

Capitalism would happen naturally without any govt. Don't you think natural is better than a bunch of weasels trying to control everything, including you? If that is the claim against Capitalism, see the first sentence again, they are lumping the evils of socialism under capitalism. The evil weasels are misleading you just like any liar trying to get you to buy some pile of crap. To any Marxist, the ends justify the means. They have zero integrity.

Jair
Jair
3 years ago

The faults of capitalism are evident, and Marx made them very visible. What Marx never show was the way to a better economic system! ...and his mistakes started with assuming humans are good and prone to help their neighbor. The failures of the soviets,(communal work) taught him otherwise what we know very well. Humans are greedy, coveting with a propensity to advance their own cause at everybody else's expense.
Today socialism is promoted in campuses around the nation, a new generation is deceived to make the same mistakes that cost 100 million people their lives at the hands of socialism policies.
Here is how to spot socialist mistakes:
1) Progressives adopted Darwinism as the theory of their origins. Problem is Darwin said only the fittest survive and looking at the animal kingdom, we humans have been very successful. So why the eco warriors want to exterminate humans en masse to appease the climate change gods?...if you want climate hoax then drop Darwinism!
2) Marx proposed that societies advance following the dialectical materialism, a thesis calls for an anti thesis that will bring a new advancement. This is how the economic class struggle is portrayed. Notice one punch is matched by a counterpunch, but not in today's colleges. If you say something against socialism, race, globalism, etc, they will physically attack you. No dialectical struggle is taking place, is pure dictatorial stalinism, better known as fascism.
Capitalism has its faults, what we call the Deep State, the entrenched financial, United Nations cabal that dictates to nations, don't blame the system, we can reform, regulate and adapt capitalism to our needs, but the unseen class opposes us and they work both sides of this conflict. Today's Silicon Valley rich people are in favor in socialism, Soros has over 100 organizations that he supports,...hey are the enemies, the Deep State.

Cindy
Cindy
4 years ago

Socialism does not work. It has been proven throughout history it is the leading cause of millions deaths. View the proof :

Cindy
Cindy
4 years ago

Capitalism is not the problem. The problem is the corrupt in government. The great depression was brought on due to lack of proper measures and laws to regulate banks. The Federal Reserve was the biggest mistake in history of U.S. It is why our forefather's refused to let the Federal Reserve into the U.S. but after Woodrow Wilson, all went to hell and continued.

Adam Downs
Adam Downs
5 years ago

The idea of socialism could very well work, and work well if was run properly, had stability(social,economic etc) and could be left alone, from corruption within and opposition outside. That said,the powers that be will never allow it to take root on a major level. There are powerful forces at work , undermining the poor and working class. Finding ways to keap us indebted, complacent, and oblivious to the realities around us. We believe we have a general understanding of the world and events happening, but it's all smoke and mirrors. We r e led to lookin this way or that, when the truth is hidden from view. Misdirection, division among ppl, mass manipulation , mis information . Threse are only a few tactics deployed aggressively by the ultra elites.Complete deception, manipulating, mind control, preying on our most humanizing traits. Bit by bit our freedoms are eroding, when once social welfare was responsibility of the collective and state(thru taxation,pays for hospitals , schools etc) , the burden is more and more being thrust onto the poor. The whole system is a pyramid scheme, designed to strip away the wealth from the bottom and siphon it up to the top. Business interests have ruined the government. Getting off gold standard, switching to a neo classical economy , Deregulation of industries/institutions, these are all put into effect by the super wealthy.

Wealth brings power, with power they can influence. Wealth= Power=Legislation. Legislation to bring them more wealth. Repeat, repeat, repeat... until the country founded on certain values n principals, is totally perverted/ unrecognizable.

Sokami
Sokami
7 years ago

@Bruno

Everything developed in the existence of capitalism, has ultimately been created by the workers themselves. It's just that the workers did not reap the rewards of their labor and did not have a say in their labor. The capitalist reaps the rewards of the hard intellectual and physical labor, and the low wage research and development think tanks of other people. Hence why it's called the "capitalist" system. Capitalism itself does not develop or create anything, it only allows capitalist to siphon the rewards of what other people create, and what other people build, as is how the capitalist profits off of other peoples labor. hence, why it is necessary that we develop institutions like worker cooperatives, where workers control the work places they work in themselves, and where all the workers in every workplace has a direct say in their own working lives, and with an inherent fundamental human right to the fruits of their own labor. In other words, literally bringing power directly to the people right in the economy itself. Workers controlling the means of production directly, through worker cooperatives, is in effect implementing economic democracy straight in the workplace. It is the only way to make any kind of "democracy" successful, while simultaneously getting rid of the vampire that is the capitalist from the whole equation.

mike m
mike m
7 years ago

socialistic democratic capitalisim with corporate "personhood" removed, is my vote

Millie
Millie
7 years ago

If morons would quit snapchatting and learn the differences between crony capitalism and legitimate capitalism, perhaps America stands a chance of not buckling.

David
David
7 years ago

Yes Bruno, both the computer and internet enjoyed considerable taxpayer funding for their development. A little thought and or research will reveal many other taxpayer subsidies from which they also benefited. Many "capitalists" profited greatly from these developments and prefer NOT to have free markets. They also do all they can to make sure the public takes the risk and pays for their mistakes and mismanagement. The Wall Street bailout is an old story with a slightly new twist.

Bruno
Bruno
7 years ago

'Capitalism doesn't work' - said the guy behind a computer, using internet at home

Parker Hollar
Parker Hollar
7 years ago

But at their core both have shown that their followers will go to cinemas and see politically pointed documentaries, not just in select th 8 eaters but all around the country, side by side with the latest studio hits.

DustUp
DustUp
7 years ago

Unfortunately "robito"(the propagandist of this docu) is yet another dupe casualty of collectivist propaganda (major TV media of the BanksterCorproGovtMedia complex) which has had great success, upon far too many, at blame shifting, just like the 99.9% bald faced liar Obama and all of that ilk (Bush1, Clinton1, Bush2, Obama, Clinton2, many on both sides in congress, all puppets of the evil elite).

All you have to do is read THEIR teachings; where they got their bent minds from and it will be very clear. Just like the Q'ran or koran, they teach to lie because no one would go for it if told the truth. Read Saul Alinsky's Rules For Radicals (Obama's and Hillary's play book) Lie, lie, and lie some more to rake in the cash.

How does a REAL community organizer like obama or politician like clintons amass millions while telling you to sacrifice for the greater good of all? It certainly isn't honest work since their salaries aren't that much. They want you to be good little socialists because it benefits THEM not you.

No doubt the overly greedy are a problem. Does collectivism(marxism, socialism-communism, progressivism, fascism) lessen greed? Or does collectivism enable easier and worse greed for those at the top who get themselves in charge of controlling things in such centrally controlled collectivist systems? If you think corruption is bad with capitalism, it is far worse with socialism. Obviously. Are we much more socialist than we used to be? Are we much more corrupt? Results matter to capitalists. Only symbolism and feel good matter to Socialists, so what if they all starve, its the thought that counts, right? One of the quickest ways to learn a true and harsh lesson about socialism is to apply it to farming first. Nationalize all the farms and let your cronies run them. Oh guess what those cronies hire family and their cronies to manage and work them who skim and pocket as much as they can while doing as little as possible. They pay minimum wage to the workers who fiddle around because no one really cares. They grow and hide enough food for themselves. The store shelves are bare. Does Russia ring a bell in the twentieth century? Zimbabwe? Any socialist has NOT studied history. All they can hear is emotional symbolism.

Let us explain WHY collectivism is INTELLECTUALLY BANKRUPT and Marx was either a mental midget or evil. Here is why: In your utopian world where this year you are now going to school on everyone else's 100,000 dollar bill (used to be 10k until the socialists were installed throughout the education system by Rockefeller). In your favorite 3 classes called writing, arithmetic, and science, tech giant Elektromatrix promises to award the highest grade score in those classes a job. Most anyone would want a job there because with stock options you are set for life in 10 years and the work environment caters to the newbies as well as the rest of the employees. Employee heaven. Since the govt is covering your school expenses via stealing from others to pay for your education, they feel they are entitled to run things their way. Since you want that job you study extra hard, up late getting the homework correct, and it pays off, you get the top scores ... except you don't. With race and gender equalization on the curve, with mostly women and minorities in your particular writing class, your high score points are divided up and passed on to the others who didn't do so well. Same for your Arithmetic and Science classes. Grade normalization, equalization, welfare, stealing, whatever you want to call it, govt is calling the shots and nothing you can do because that is how it is when socialist-communist-progressives-fascists control things. It would do no good to switch schools since in utopia, govt controls them all. Matter of fact since you are a dreaded evil white guy who really deserves to be hung anyway, all your equalized scores end up being qualified for moping floors. Oops, sorry, that goes for you Asians who tend to like to study even more, having seen the rewards from it of others before you, as well as valued and promoted by your parents.

So the artsy minority girl who can sing, dance, and draw well ...but only a hair above average in the specified classes, ends up with the Elektromatrix high paying job. Actually many just like her from other schools are hired in a similar manner and in a few years Elektromatrix is no longer doing all that well. People decided to keep their old stuff because it works better and other companies are in the same boat for the same reasons. They all have to make layoffs, cut pay, cut everything. With less pay, less items being sold, the economy is drug down and everyone suffers. Of course I am racist as hell in this example except for the fact that the super smart minority gals in those 3 classes also got their grades "socialized" and given to the less fortunate, some of them being dumb white guys and gals. Happy now you blithering emotional socialist hair brains?

And you voted for it because it wasn't fair for others to not have nice stuff (like high grades) even thought they didn't work for it. You were emotionally duped all your years in emotionally duping school. Even the smart guy working the mop gets canned because they are not selling enough product to afford to pay him. Except for the mopping dudes in govt! They always have a job because a socialist govt will even steal other peoples' savings to pay their own salaries. Don't believe it? You didn't do your homework. Look up Obama's executive orders. The authorization to take people's unused money. When they get desperate for money, they will do just that. Won't the first time either when progressive admin in the 1930s took people's gold.

The problem isn't capitalism. The problem is information and the lack of truth in what they do spew. We have a socialist fascist(corporatist) system which is designed to get rid of the competition in favor of those companies owned by the so called elite. The puppet masters who actually run the govt by buying or installing their men into govt. Is that capitalism? Not at all.

How was capitalism its own worst nightmare? It simply was doing so well people were busy and not watching the store while Rockefeller infected the universities with collectivists which produced all the mental midget socialist teachers and media, as well as collectivist docu makers.

Collectivism is all about the big boys getting rid of the competition and limiting your freedom to compete. Checkmate. They win, you lose and must be happy about it or off to the gulag. No soup for you.

How did Russia and China or any other country climb out of their holes? They let a good dose of Capitalism into their economies.

Looking at it another way, who the heck are you or ANYONE else in govt at any level, who are they to tell me, also just as much a human as they, who are they to tell me what I can and cannot do as long as I am not harming anyone but myself?

Socialists fear freedom because it also means the freedom to fail. Like failing is evil. Henry Ford failed many times, more than most any man would have before giving up and going to work for someone else. Too bad he turned out to be a nazi supporter, a collectivist, as many of the big boys do after they make it big, in an attempt to secure their position rather than having to continually compete for it. Would Ford or GM exist today if they didn't own the govt enough to put Tucker out of biz just as he was getting his car under production? Would Microsoft exist if it hadn't stolen everything under the sun, from Xerox, from Amiga, from Apple, from Netscape, etc.

Blame shifting is the socialists blaming the problems of incremental socialism on capitalism. The reasons for doing so should be obvious to any grade schooler who farts. You know, the bloated liberal progressive grain eaters whose tummies weren't designed to process very much grain at all... yet they have been emotionalized into "saving the planet" by eating grain.

from Poland with love
from Poland with love
7 years ago

Capitalism is freedom. You're rebelling against it because you believe in unicorns and magic and that the root of your problems is that other people don't want to support you while you slack off.

Ballsrog
Ballsrog
8 years ago

@ Harrison. Lol, might wanna try doing some research yourself. Ron Paul is 1000 percent libertarian. Meaning the bare minimum of government.

Snark
Snark
8 years ago

We need to try communism just one more time. Maybe the results will be different

Harrison
Harrison
8 years ago

Since capitalism is so wrong, I hope you used state funds to make this documentary! And corrupt central banking is far from capitalism, you yourself mention the English king, a huge proponent of Mercantilism. Debt spending and fiat money are not symptoms of capitalism. And marxism raises the quality of life for the working class? Really? Our friends in Cuba would tell you otherwise, but they can't because they live in abject poverty under communist serfdom. Reading a book or two might help next time. Good job sampling Ron Paul by the way, committed Marxist right there.

robito
robito
8 years ago

Thanks for the comments so far! Glad so many of you like the documentary. Jeremy, sorry I got the Canadian Central Bank wrong. I also got the Chinese Central Bank wrong, but it doesn't affect the message and I cannot change it now cause the documentary has more than 26,000 views already. Next time I will be more vigilant :p It took a lot of work to put this documentary together and I am very pleased that it is being commented on and shared.

Dave
Dave
8 years ago

Every 7 years the market collapses. A wise investor can make tons of money. Use index funds balanced by the bond index of your country. I have made a ton of money in the last 5 years, even after the collapse this year.

Jeremy
Jeremy
8 years ago

I Just want to point out that at 6:17 you are showing many pictures of central banks of different countries, and the top left one is RBC Canadian bank which is a normal bank and not the central one. It is named Bank of Canada. Might be a little mistake but you might want to update that slide. Keep up the nice work!

James
James
8 years ago

This video is absolutely chock full of inaccuracies and downright untruths (JP Morgan 'causing' the Great Depression with rumours, central banks lending money to commercial banks, etc). The reason why history (used) to be taught in school is to remind people what the alternatives to capitalism, property rights and the individual pursuit of health, wealth and happiness was really like. As Churchill would have said, capitalism is the worst way to run your economy, except for all the others. Get real people

Dungbeetle
Dungbeetle
8 years ago

The truth is that the american government is curropt to the core.

John J
John J
8 years ago

@Alex ? Majority of mankind's existence has been without money.

Alex
Alex
8 years ago

It's not about capitalism or any other economic system, it's about money, the only agent that keeps mankind going.

Breima
Breima
8 years ago

I agree with the video 100%. Capitalism is carrying the elements of its own distruction, among which is greed that robes people of their humanness. Human relations are now based on money grounds and money became everything, to the extent that if you have no money you are nothing!! Should the world is to retore its dignity and humanness Capitalism must go.

Ben
Ben
8 years ago

capitalism has been in human society for 10000 years. People regardless of what controlling system you impose will always buy, sell and trade goods and services. Every other system requires the death of the different or disagreeable and the imposter end of a few to control The many.
Stop looking at capitalism and look at the alternatives.
Please don't forget the 100,000,000 people who were murdered over the last hundred years trying to make freedom go away.

Cool E. Beans
Cool E. Beans
8 years ago

Am about to watch/listen to this and without needing to, I can tell you that at least America has not had true, real capitalism since 1913 and Andrew Jackson was the last U.S. President to attempt and succeed in restoring a capitalistic system in America.

The foundation of true capitalism is a non-controlled and non-manipulable non-profit money system. Until that is established and guaranteed, what goes on world wide will always be able to go on by those few who DO control and DO manipulate and DO directly profit from THEIR ownership of the system that is in place now which is NOT capitalism.

biruk
biruk
8 years ago

Really true and capitalism works for the veeeeeerrrrrry small group of people at the top level not for the 99%s.