 | This is the most blatant of Moore's anti-capitalist films to date, I believe. (I've missed a few, somehow...) The fortunate thing that I noticed first at one of the very first showings, at the only theater in the OC actually showing the flick, was how very few people were in attendance. Clearly Regal Cinema expected a massive turnout, as the attendants lined up behind the snack bar were all wearing t-shirts with some kind of positive take on the movie emblazoned on them.
I asked them how much evil profit Regal was expecting from the sale of the T's. I forgot to ask if they were mandatory for all employees, or if anyone had objected to being made a shield-bearer for Moore's crusade.
Most of the handful of other patrons were older than I, which is unusual. I'm guessing that they were mostly ultra-liberal professors, based on their appearance and demeanor.
To give credit where it is due, Moore makes a few good points. There were even a few places where I could agree with him. His discussion of how the evil capitalists ravaged the world economy was generally more or less factually correct, so far as I could see, but his failure to include the tie-ins that show how the situation was really a tale of state corporate crime that would have been impossible in a real free market was only to be expected.
He did point out several examples of thriving businesses that were owned by the employees. I am a fan personally of Mondragon and similiar enterprises, although I certainly don't see anything wrong with other forms of business ownership - with the exception of the corporation.
Given the subject matter and the context, I thought that he could have done better, even from his own perspective. There were too many anecdotal sideshows clearly aimed at pushing people's buttons and too little substance and serious analysis. At least he wasn't shy this time around about promoting his own "ideal" system - socialism. Always nice when people are straight with you about what they're pushing.
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