Lying Propaganda

Townhall.com ^ | September 23, 2009 | Walter E. Williams

[Kaslin]

Michael Moore's new film, "Capitalism: A Love Story" will be released next month. I've neither seen nor read reviews of the film, except for a short piece in the London Telegraph (9/6/09) titled "Michael Moore film calls capitalism evil." Aware of Michael Moore's previous films, I know that it will be at best a misleading story about capitalism. So let's do some defensive mental preparation, not about the film but what is and what is not capitalism.

Capitalism is an economic system characterized by private ownership and control over the means of production. The distribution of goods and services and their prices are mainly determined by competition in a free market. Under such a system the primary job of government is to protect private property, enforce contracts and ensure rule of law.

There has never been a pure free market capitalistic system just as there has never been a pure communist or socialist system, where there is government ownership of the means of production and each individual has equal access to society's resources. However, we can rank economies as to whether they are closer to capitalism or closer to communism or socialism. If one ranked countries according to whether they were closer to the capitalistic end of the spectrum or the socialistic or communistic end, then ranked countries according to per capita GDP and finally rank countries according to Freedom House's "Map of Freedom in the World," he would find a pattern that is by no means a coincidence. The people in those countries closer to the capitalist end of the economic spectrum have far greater income and enjoy greater human rights protections than those toward the socialist and communist end.

According to the London Telegraph article, Moore's film features priests who say capitalism is anti-Christian by failing to protect the poor. This is pure nonsense and revealed as such by asking, "If you're an unborn spirit, condemned by God to a life of poverty but allowed to choose the country in which to be poor, would you choose a country near the communist end of the economic spectrum or the capitalist end?" If you chose the United States, you'd find that according to the government surveys, the typical "poor" American has cable or satellite TV, two color TVs, and a DVD player or VCR. He has air conditioning, a car, a microwave, a refrigerator, a stove, and a clothes washer and dryer, and whether he has health insurance or not, he is able to obtain medical care when needed. Try to find that in Cuba, Russia, China or North Korea. If we buy into the nonsense of Moore's priests, the world's poor people are incredibly stupid. Whether fleeing legally or illegally, their destination country is likely to be closer to capitalism than their departure country.

Most of our country's serious problems can be laid at the feet of Congress and the White House and not at capitalism. Take the financial crisis. One-third of the $15 trillion of mortgages in existence in 2008 are owned, or securitized by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, the Federal Housing and the Veterans Administration. Banks didn't mind making risky loans and Wall Street buyers didn't mind buying these repackaged loans because they assumed that they would be guaranteed by the federal government: read bailout by taxpayers. Under a capitalist system, financial institutions would not have been intimidated or encouraged into making risky loans and neither would they have been bailed out if they did so.

Social Security, Medicare and its coverage of prescription drugs have an unfunded liability that exceeds $100 trillion. When those roosters come home to roost, they will make the financial meltdown we've been though look like child's play.

Not withstanding all of the demagoguery, it is capitalism not socialism is that made us a great country and its socialism that will be our undoing.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

It will win an award because it trashes capitalism, not for its quality.

[Hardastarboard]

the typical "poor" American has cable or satellite TV, two color TVs, and a DVD player or VCR. He has air conditioning, a car, a microwave, a refrigerator, a stove, and a clothes washer and dryer, and whether he has health insurance or not, he is able to obtain medical care when needed.

I've been saying for a LONG time now that we have the richest poor people in the world.

[ETL]

Ex prez jimmy carter with michael
moore at 2004 demonRat convention
Note: This was 3 months *after* Moore made
the following comments on the war in Iraq
________________________________________________________

Michael Moore (quote), from his website, April 14, 2004...

"The Iraqis who have risen up against the occupation are not 'insurgents' or 'terrorists' or 'The Enemy.' They are the REVOLUTION, the Minutemen, and their numbers will grow -- and they will win. Get it, Mr. Bush?"
[actual quote from Michael Moore (2004). It still appears on his website]
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?messageDate=2004-04-14
________________________________________________________

The Communist Party USA (CPUSA):
"We are a party of unity in action. We are an integral part of every struggle and movement for change to eliminate poverty and joblessness, against racism and for full equality. We are participants, initiators and leaders of every movement to make life better now and much better in a socialist future." Yeah, so they supported an oppressive dictator, like the Repubs and Democrats haven't? The CP is still around, has apologized for that whole Stalin thing, and has a quickly growing youth section.
[see: MichaelMoore.com-->Links-->PoliticalAction (bottom of the page--CPUSA promo)]
http://www.michaelmoore.com/links/index.php?linkType=Political%20Action
________________________________________________________

From the Revolutionary Communist Party website
"A Viewer's Guide to Fahrenheit 911"

Revolutionary Worker #1246, July 18, 2004, posted at http://rwor.org

"People have been lied to. And many can see it. Invasion, occupation, police spying, round-ups, even torture camps--plus far-reaching changes in law, treaty and doctrine --they have all come wrapped in deceit. The President lies. His whole clique lies."

http://rwor.org/a/1246/fahrenheit_911_guide.htm
________________________________________________________

From Monday, April 21st, 2008...

My Vote's for Obama (if I could vote) ...by Michael Moore

Friends,

I don't get to vote for President this primary season. I live in Michigan. The party leaders (both here and in D.C.) couldn't get their act together, and thus our votes will not be counted.

So, if you live in Pennsylvania, can you do me a favor? Will you please cast my vote -- and yours -- on Tuesday for Senator Barack Obama?

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php?messageDate=2008-04-21

[aruanan]

I've been saying for a LONG time now that we have the richest poor people in the world.

And a large portion of the disease suffered by American poor is a consequence of over rather than under-nutrition.

[Military family member]

My question is whether Michael Moore will allow people to see his movie for free, or better yet, will he personally subsidize all the movie theaters willing to show his movie?

Or will he take the profits from his movie, and put them in his pockets and his already swelling bank accounts?

[Aevery_Freeman]

The major health problem of America's poor is obesity!

Nuf' said.

[Just A Nobody]

Banks didn't mind making risky loans and Wall Street buyers didn't mind buying these repackaged loans...

Not sure they didn't mind as much as they were FORCED to make and buy them via the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 and thru the steroids that were injected in 1993 and 1995.

[The Great RJ]

Both von Hayak and Milton Friedman made the connection between economic freedom and personal liberty. The closer to the socialist end of the spectrum the less individual freedom.

[OldMissileer]

I've been saying for a LONG time now that we have the richest poor people in the world.

In the book, Mig Pilot, Lt Belenko states just that sentiment in the last chapter after being allow to travel the country unrestricted.

He also stated that we were more Socialist than the USSR, and this book was published in 1980.

[Le Chien Rouge]

I’ve been saying for a LONG time now that we have the richest poor people in the world.

...and the most overweight.....something I’m sure Michael Moore fails to notice...

[driftless2]

Like Williams I’ve neither seen nor read reviews of Moore’s flick. But if it is as anti-capitalist as some people are claiming, then naturally Moore should donate all the filthy lucre he’s made from his books and films through the capitalist system and turn to a life of materialistic self-denial. Now what are the odds of that happening?

[yazoo]

A real simple means test. If you took 1,000 people and dropped them on an island capitalism would form naturally. Socialism never comes naturally, it always has to come through the power of a gun, or when those in power convince everyone to give up their freedom in exchange for security.