Irony?

"Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story (Overture). After a $57K per theatre average on 4 screens last weekend, the picture broke to a wider 962 locations with terrible results. The “documentary” only sold an estimated $1.3M in tickets to start the weekend, and it will finish at about $3.9M for a PTA of less than $4,000."

Pulled this off of the Left Coast Rebel

My Perspective:

I find it interesting that Michael Moore abhors capitalism -- or should I say "capitalism," for what he is really protesting is Cronyism -- considering until his last film it was serving him quite well. More on Cronyism later.

In a hilarious twist of irony Moore's attempt to show how capitalism has failed everyone, including himself, has actually caused him to fail in capitalism. See, capitalism does not fail people, people fail capitalism. Sure there are people who have bad luck, but that is not an attack on the system of capitalism at all, for people have bad luck regardless of political or financial policy. decrying bad luck is simply decrying a fact of life. If you plan your wedding for a time of year that is supposed to be warm and dry, yet the weather is cold and wet on the day you tie the knot, then who is to blame...you? I guess you are the one that picked that day, but you could not have known the weather that far in advance so the blame falls on no one. It is simply the cause of nature and that is reality.

When Moore says that capitalism has failed him in his life he is outrightly lying (which he seems very good at doing, I mean it has earned him millions of dollars). It is simply not true. Moore has reaped the benefits of capitalism his entire life. Yes, even before his movies made him filthy rich. How? well quite simply, Moore, like all people who live in a capitalist society, get to where they are by way of capitalism. When Moore was a child and needed food (albeit more than the average kid) he was able to do so by way of the capitalist system. When he decided to buy a car to get to work he did it by way of the capitalist system. He worked a job, saved some money, went to the car dealer who sells cars made by men in machine shops, who make cars out of materials made elsewhere by other people all who get paid for their labors so that they can better their lives by earning wealth. This is the capitalist system. Capitalism sets prices, wages, and provides people with products and services that better their lives; yet, it does it all without force.

Seeing as capitalism is a system that emphasizes freedom, it only makes sense that capitalism is good for all. If participating in a capitalist system did not better people's lives then no one would choose to participate. If Moore really hates capitalism then he should not be making movies, he should not be buying any products. He should live on a farm on which he grows just enough food for his own consumption. No profit Michael!! (although he may need a bigger farm than the average individual). By simply participating in the capitalist system, he is validating it.

I wonder how he makes his movies. I would imagine he buys cameras and lighting, hires employees, and uses all forms of computer technology. Would that exist without capitalism? Could people like Moore even exist in a non-capitalistic world? The answer is plainly no. Without capitalism, which is simply the distribution of wealth across people whom freely decide where to distribute it according to their best interests, the modern world could not exist.

Back to Moore and the poetic justice of capitalism...

Since Moore created something that people did not want, and since they were free to choose how they wish to spend their money, very few people bought his product. I find it hilarious that in his attempt to disprove capitalism, Moore disproved himself. Not only did Moore use capitalism to make his film, but the movie which was supposed to be the fall from legitimacy for capitalism turned out to be the fall from legitimacy for Moore. Was the movie a success? I think so, but not the one that Moore had hoped for.

Now, to get back to Cronyism:

In short, Cronyism is when companies/special interests use government to obtain a desired result that benefits themselves, usually at the expense of others. This is an area that Moore and I agree on, although Moore thinks it is a problem solved not by less government but by more government. Of course one run by the people he likes. Cronyism is a direct effect not of business or capitalism, but of government. It relies on the use of force, and business cannot do that on its own. It requires government.

Moore would have you believe that Wall Street greed caused the financial mess and now they are taking our money to pad their bank accounts. The truth is, this entire crisis was caused primarily by the power hungry actions of government who thought they could make the world a perfect place all while using their generosity to stay in power. They make political decisions to gain power and then political decision to stay in power, and when their imaginary wonderland they promised conflicts with reality, they must change reality or they risk losing their power. It is no different than middle school government when the popular kid promised the students new vending machines, no homework, and to reinstate recess. These people flock to them because they want those things, but they rarely stop to think if its even possible to have everything you want. The world is not perfect, and we should stop trying to make it so.

There will always be death, There will always be homework, and the poor we will always have with us, but there is one system that can and has made life better for all and that is capitalism. It seems as though there is a choice being posed by Moore: Capitalism or Government? Government is power, and power corrupts. The more government, the more corruption. However, Businessmen cannot control people without the arm of government to force people in their decision making. So the choice remains: Capitalism or Government? Liberty or tyranny?

Just keep in mind: Without government there is no corruption, but without capitalism there is nothing.