Michael Moore Administers "Capitalism" Punishment - an IFC interview by Aaron Hillis

[Bozita]

http://www.ifc.com/news/2009/09/michael-moore.php

Michael Moore Administers "Capitalism" Punishment

By Aaron Hillis on 09/25/2009


It's been 20 years since Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore -- then just a regular working-class Joe from Flint, MI -- effectively and literally changed the face of documentaries today with his masterful debut, "Roger and Me." Armed with a camera, a microphone and a liberal agenda to confront the greedy capitalist swine responsible for devastating the auto industry workforce in his hometown, Moore went from being the little guy to the most well-known personality in nonfiction cinema today. He entertainingly set his aims on the firearms debate in "Bowling for Columbine," won the Palme d'Or at Cannes for taking George W. Bush to task in "Fahrenheit 9/11" and sought a cure for the horrors of the health care biz in "Sicko."

Though his man-and-bullhorn techniques haven't changed drastically in his latest bit of muckraking, "Capitalism: A Love Story," Moore moved quicker than ever to expose a subject that's hurting every American: the economic crisis. A culmination of his last two decades' worth of work, the film builds on his previous revelations and adds personal backstory to reveal how corporate greed again is responsible for one of the biggest shitstorms in our nation's history. Since Moore has been seen as a controversial figure in our polarized country, I attempted to ask tough but even-handed questions about the efficiency of his activism, letting off President Obama easy, and what some might debate as limitations of his heartfelt new film.

I have a sign in the edit room that says, 'When in doubt, cut me out.'

Though capitalist philosophies have been seized and mutated by powerful money grubbers, can there still be good that comes from these ideas to counteract these modern perversions?

I would have maybe said that 30 years ago, but not now. I think the beast is too long out of its cage, and I don't think it can be put back in.

The film is entertaining, heartbreaking and infuriating, but I still left the theater thinking: "What am I supposed to do next?"

Well, one thing is to stop believing what you're being told, that this crisis was caused by a bunch of greedy working-class people who shouldn't have been buying things they couldn't afford. Secondly, don't participate in the system. Don't have credit cards where you're carrying a balance over from month to month and paying outrageous interest rates. Don't put your pension in the stock market, it's way too risky. Things like that.

"Socialism" has been bandied about as an evil word, but I'm curious why you didn't go further to demystify the progressive principles that could perhaps improve this country if we were some sort of capitalist-socialist hybrid?

Countries like Sweden and France, that have these hybrids, they work for them in part because they never let capitalism get too far out of control. They've always had it chained down. They just look at things differently. It's all about the profit motive in those societies. If you lived in the U.K., when you buy your first house, you don't have to have the down payment. The government will provide it, and charge you a very low interest, and you pay it back when you can. But you don't have to have that $40,000 in the bank.

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