Capitalism: A Love Story (movie) - Research Paper Example

? Throughout history, the United s (U.S has been known for its wealth and high standard of living for its citizens. While these luxuries are often attributed to the economic system of the U.S., capitalism, there is a darker side to capitalism that is often forgotten. Michael Moore’s documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story investigates these darker sides to challenge the idea that capitalism is the ideal economic system. In his film, Moore uncovers several social problems ultimately caused by flaws in the capitalist system. These issues include the gap between the rich and the poor, the power of corporations, and power-hungriness or greed. While the movie may downplay the benefits of capitalism, it proves that it is also the root cause of worsening social problems in the United States. The film uses examples from real Americans’ lives to question the benefits of capitalism. While the film uses the late-2000s financial crisis and the recovery stimulus as a foundation, it also discusses the current detriments of the economic system in the United States. Moore begins with a portrayal of the mass foreclosures experienced by the American middle class, their cause and implications. He also addresses the nominal wages and benefits of many middle class workers at the expense of large salaries and benefits for the rich. He moves on to Wall Street’s role in the social issues caused by capitalism and the influence of corporations in political policy. The over-all tone of the movie shines a negative light on capitalism as it uncovers its negative consequences including extreme greed. Nevertheless, Moore does discuss the benefits felt by capitalism in years past and how the system began to decline (2009). Moore raises interestingly problems that question whether social justice can thrive in a capitalist society. Moyo notes that while capitalism may be great for the economy, it forgets that those living off the economy are human beings that deserve natural human rights. He proposes a new libertarian-based economic system that emphasizes the rights and freedoms of citizens in a true democracy (2010). Another theory suggests that global society has been conditioned to associate capitalism with power and wealth such that its negative aspects including worker alienation, class relationships, and class struggle are veiled (Streckieson 2009). Moore’s film is, ultimately, based on the thinking of the latter two authors and the issues with capitalism discussed in their papers are prominent throughout the film. A major issue explored in the film is the detriments of a large gap between the rich and the poor. A major difference between the salaries of the “haves” and the “have-nots” creates problems for the “have-nots” including poor health, substandard housing, homelessness, and unsatisfactory schooling (Macionis 2011). The film details the causes of these problems including the economic plan set up by Alan Greespan and the U.S. Treasury that led to the economic housing bubble, inflated housing prices, and, thus, increased foreclosures (Moore 2009). Under this new system, the middle class began to suffer and move closer to a state of poverty. Nevertheless, certain employees at wealthy companies such as Countrywide Financial used VIP programs to ensure already rich people, such as members of Congress and political figures, received favorable or discounted mortgage rates (Moore 2009). This causes rich personnel to be able to maintain their wealthy status. As components of capitalism employ systems for the free-market that ultimately are detrimental to the middle class, the class begins to disappear and the gap between the rich and the poor widens. Michael Moore also addresses the problems of overly powerful corporations in a capitalistic society. A capitalist system provides a foundation for businesses and corporations to get rich if they provide services that the majority of the population wants and will buy (Macionis 2011). However, the American system has intertwined the economics of their corporations with politics, which creates social issues for the working people. As the economy of America has been on a downward slope, these companies have used tactics such as mass layoffs to insure they stay at the top. These mass layoffs leave workers without any severance pay, pensions, or health care. Moore shows how some citizens stand up for their rights by engaging in sit-down strikes until they get proper severance benefits (2009). One of the largest issues that shows the relationship between economics and politics in the United States is the 2008 bailout that essentially provided corporate welfare to several large, failing companies using the tax payers’ dollars. While the money was supposed to be paid back, Moore investigates where this money went only to find that even the head of the U.S. Congressional Oversight Committee did not know (2009). When Moore attempts to uncover how money is passed through these big banks and Wall Street companies, he discovers a system so complex and elusive that it allows these companies to do whatever they please. It is also important to note the emphasis Moore places on the direct involvement of business figures in politics. Specifically, the company Goldman-Sacs influence in Washington D.C. For example, the current Treasury Secretary used to be the CEO of this company (2009). While in a capitalist society, the people are supposed to determine which companies or businesses they want to have a prominent position in the market, the American capitalist system allows the companies to control the people and maintain their high status in the market. While power is a problem in corporations, there is also a general problem with power-hungriness and greed in American society. When jobs become less and less available, mortgage rates drastically increase, and the middle class begins to merge with the lower class, people will do anything for survival. This includes flourishes off the detriments of others such as the rising jobs of “Condo Vultures” that reap the benefits of foreclosures by buying them cheap and selling them for profit quickly (Moore 2009). Budget cuts also effect the lives of valued workers, such as airline pilots, to where the working conditions and benefits of such a necessary job is pitiful. The film follows the lives of several pilots that barely make enough money to support their family and are forced to work grueling hours nevertheless (Moore 2009). The desire for airline companies to increase their wealth has les to poor treatment of their workers and pilots. The film also describes a new phenomenon of for-profit prisons. In this system, prisons actually make money if they incarcerate more people. The effects of this greedy system are shown for a particular children prison. Children were arrested and jailed for essentially non-existent crimes such as fighting with a friend or parent. Eventually it was uncovered, that the prisons were paying off the judges so that the more children the judges convicted the high payment received by the judges (Moore 2009). The greed of this system and the judges led to many children’s lives being negatively changed forever as they were wrongly imprisoned for years. The desire for corporations to stay on top is also portrayed in the film. Moore discusses “dead peasant insurance” policies held by several large corporations including Wal-Mart. Under these insurance policies, the corporation takes out life insurance for an employee without the employee’s knowledge. When the employee dies, the corporation then receives the policies payout instead of the employee’s family (2009). The power-hungriness and greed caused by the United State’s capitalistic system leads regular citizens, judges, prisons, and corporations to engage in money-gaining tactics that undermine the happiness of other people. The film Capitalism: A Love Story by Michael Moore discusses key social problems present in American society as a result of capitalism. The capitalistic system in American has presented many problems for the middle class during the 2000s, as the gap between the rich and poor grows larger. Budget cuts and layoffs for the formerly middle class causes them to merge with the lower class, while increased benefits and salaries for the rich allows the rich to get richer. Corporations are given seemingly omnipotent power in both the economic and political sector. While a capitalist society is supposed to be driven by the people, the system in the United States has allowed the businesses to take control. Finally, American, its people, and its companies are plagued with power-hungriness and greed. This causes them to do anything for more money or power including at the expense of other people. Moore’s film serves as a sound portrayal of the social issues that arise from a capitalistic system such as that possessed by the United States. Academic writers have noted that capitalism does not provide the best avenue for natural human rights and the conditioned association of capitalism with well-off countries disguises its negative aspects. Now that the issues and their causes have been uncovered, perhaps, policy makers can move to institute news reforms that revive the system to its original status when the middle class flourished. Works Cited Macionis, J. J. (2011). Social problems, census update. Prentice Hall. Moore, M. (Director, Producer) (2009). Capitalism: A love story. The Weinstein Company: Dog Eat Dog Films. Moyo, O. (2010). A Commitment to Social Justice in a Capitalist Democracy: Are We Being Critical Citizens or Just Moving Along Cliches?. Journal Of Progressive Human Services, 21(1), 3-7. doi:10.1080/10428231003782236 Streckeisen, P. (2009). Knowledge Society--or Contemporary Capitalism's Fanciest Dress. Analyse & Kritik, 31(1), 181-197. Read More