Mark Zuber, a parent of a child at Big Sky High School in Missoula, had a stronger reaction when a teacher showed the video to his daughter last year. “There was not one positive thing about capitalism in the whole thing,” Mr. Zuber said. New York TimesDavid Seaton's News Links
I stumbled onto this film in yesterday's New York Times and was amazed by it's incredible coherence and power of synthesis. Here, take a look at it.
Annie Leonard presents "The Story of Stuff"
Now, what amazes me and, as a child of 1950s America, pleases me even more, is that this film is a viral hit all over the USA... because the parent in Montana that complained that the message of the film is anticapitalist is absolutely right... it certainly is anticapitalist.
In fact this video is one of the shortest, clearest, encapsulated and most brutally lucid devastations of capitalism since Marx and Engels whipped out the "Communist Manifesto" way back in 1848.
Again, let me emphasize that more than its exceptional brilliance of exposition, I am impressed by its wide success and acceptance.
Now, I have no doubt that there are many among the good and the great that manage our affairs and guide our destinies who would rather make money than breathe and I wonder and shudder to think what mischief they are going to come up with to put a stop to all this nonsense. DS
In fact this video is one of the shortest, clearest, encapsulated and most brutally lucid devastations of capitalism since Marx and Engels whipped out the "Communist Manifesto" way back in 1848.
Again, let me emphasize that more than its exceptional brilliance of exposition, I am impressed by its wide success and acceptance.
So far, six million people have viewed the film at its site, storyofstuff.com, and millions more have seen it on YouTube. More than 7,000 schools, churches and others have ordered a DVD version, and hundreds of teachers have written Ms. Leonard to say they have assigned students to view it on the Web. New York TimesYou can see why the right wing is constantly making fun of ecology, global warming and the plight of baby seals and polar bears etc. They can see the writing on the wall. Environmentalism is the wedge that is opening people's consciousness and creating a mass movement of a new and oppressed social class, which I would call "the breathing class". Because, yes, breathing has finally come into contradiction with our economic system.
Now, I have no doubt that there are many among the good and the great that manage our affairs and guide our destinies who would rather make money than breathe and I wonder and shudder to think what mischief they are going to come up with to put a stop to all this nonsense. DS
8 comments:
The guy running round the TV-Mall-Work wheel is stuck in my mind...
If it is stuck in your mind now, wait until you have to try running on the wheel yourself, then you'll find it stuck in somewhere else.
Nothing needs to be done. The ace up the sleeve that conservatives have is there are more Mark Zuber's than there are Michael Moore's.
Here's proof if you dont believe me:http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/just_53_say_capitalism_better_than_socialism
Nevermind the "only 53%" believe in capitalism, notice how even if every single undecided swung left towards socialism, they'd still be outnumbered by capitalists. I also take heart in the fact that the poll shows as people get older, they grow up and leave childish things like socialism behind. Those older voters are also the most likely to actually show up and vote on election day.
6 million have viewed it? That's nice, but if you add up people that have ordered a DVD version or seen it on You Tube that probably only comes out to about maybe 10 million out of 350 million. As a conservative, I like those odds.
People make fun of enviromentalism because it's adherants are absolutly convinced the apocalypse is coming, but have no real evidence to back it up. It's like a bunch of intellectual Millerites gathered on a mountain waiting for the endtimes that wont come. Go watch Penn and Teller's Bullshit where they go out and sell carbon credits on the street. It's just hard not to look down on those people's intelligence.
As you mentioned in your 2nd to last post, you've seen this before and you know how it will end. History's a bitch ain't it?
Adam
Gee, for somebody like me that grew up in the 1950s, to hear that only 53% of Americans think capitalism is better than socialism, when most of them probably wouldn't know socialism if it came up and bit them on the ass... this is encouraging news. If this is a trend, 20 years from now we will be celebrating May Day on the Washington Mall filled with red flags, open with the Star Spangled Banner and finish with The International.
Great stuff. Also inspiring to watch Bill Moyer's podcast about that grassroots group in Massachusetts, City Light, helping people to challenge the banks that are illegally evicting them.
Two major issues; torture and banks. Either we're still an interesting experiment or a bunch of people shopping...
No one would know Socialism if it came up and bit them in the ass. Because it doesnt exist. That's like waiting for a leprechaun to bite you in the ass.
The great experiment is that we are a bunch of people shopping.
Adam
"The great experiment is that we are a bunch of people shopping."
If that is all we are history and future generations will have nothing but well deserved contempt for us.
Don't fear the brownshirt's comments.
The future lies with children, and we have to educate them, and even overcome thier own parents entrenched prejudices.
His "aces" are held by older voters who are dieing younger and broker - thanks to a boost from our 3rd world health care system and Reaganomics.
Penn and Teller and other anti-environmentalists don't even rely on scientist or science to make thier arguments.
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