[afterthefact]

A letter to all of the people who hate this movie.

Why do movies like this make you so pissed off? And I don't mean the corporate bigshots who are being attacked, but I'm talking to you, the everyday people who aren't even connected. Why does this bother you? I mean, this only presents facts. If you look into anything they are saying, the facts only back it up (and I am talking specifically about this documentary with this statement; obviously not ALL such documentaries have as much integrity). So where is the complaint? It's like you are in denile. It's not that you don't know corporations are preying on the developing minds of our children and that they value the US Dollar more than human happiness and safety. Everybody knows that. You just would rather not think about it because it shakes up your perfect little idea of how life is. You like the Gap; why would you want to think about the fact that they use sweatshops to make their clothes? Isn't easier to just pretend you didn't hear that part? Of course it is. And if you are going to go through the trouble of dumbing down your conscience so that it allows you to still buy these products without feeling an ounce of guilt, obviously you are going to be pissed at the person who tries to show you that things aren't so happy-go-lucky as they appear to be, and it that it might actually take a little concern and action on your part to fix these atrocities.

Well you know what? You piss me off. It people like you who make the fight against these problems harder. Because as long as you don't care and keep buying into any product/idea/etc that they push on you, they aren't going to stop. They've got a good thing going as far as they are concerned, so why would they?

[Inhuman]

The Marlboro Man is dead. The American Cosmetics industry makes enough money each year to feed the entirety of Africa. Foreign aid in the western world remains at 0.7% GDP and only 0.3% fulfilled (I'm protesting this with a few others on friday!). Here's where to start:

Research EVERY business you buy into and make sure it's neutral material
Boycott Walmart
Boycott Tim Hortons
Buy Fair Trade
Shoes

[SynthethicalY]

When it comes to Capitalism to me, it is just one thing I always keep in mind. It just has to be regulated, not let it go so rampant that it destroys the economy of poorer countries, or elsewhere. It just has to be regulated, other than that they can do or sell whatever.

[Inhuman]

The problem with western capitalism is it creates too much of a difference between the upper and under class. Businesses have to stop being so damn greedy to get their prices as low as possible and start using ethics. By them raising their prices to buy from fair trade sources WON'T affect our econony all that badly at all. For people that really can't afford that, then there's minimum wage regulation and welfare that protects them, plus there's a hell of a lot more people you're supporting than the underclass within western civiliz.

[SynthethicalY]

Well true, but people who are on welfare, or any system like that can't afford the good stuff, trust me man. You have not live with the poor to understand that. But I do see your point, but welfare does not really help.

[Inhuman]

Originally Posted by SynthethicalY

Well true, but people who are on welfare, or any system like that can't afford the good stuff, trust me man. You have not live with the poor to understand that. But I do see your point, but welfare does not really help.

What I'm saying is it's better to have a western civilization with less affordable yet ethically-made goods than one that has unfair trade. Sorry I was a little unclear. Welfare and minimum wage regulation are also on a basis of what the minimum amount of money you need to at least survive is, although as you said, my opinion is probably somewhat biased because I am not poor

[SynthethicalY]

Yeah, that is what I thought, I mean I grew up poor, and know what that shit is. It is just enough money to let you live on some run-down apartment. Filled with crack-addicts, and whores, and death. But I don't think we will ever have any ethically made products, it is weird but we won't.

[pbradley]

I saw the movie and enjoyed it (by enjoyed I mean appalled). However, I don't think buying Fair Trade or boycotting whoever will solve or even affect the issue. What we have here is an outdated ethics (namely that of socio-economic darwinism defended by utilitarian theory of Adam Smith and Herbert Spencer respectively) that should be addressed/removed. There needs to be a moderation between self-interest and social responsiblily (read: not all social responsility a la socialism) that doesn't exist nowadays.

[SynthethicalY]

Socialism is just a failure, when will people realize that. We need a combination of both, good system to put for the citizens, and good economic for the nation.

[ricechex]

Originally Posted by pbradley

I saw the movie and enjoyed it (by enjoyed I mean appalled). However, I don't think buying Fair Trade or boycotting whoever will solve or even affect the issue. What we have here is an outdated ethics (namely that of socio-economic darwinism defended by utilitarian theory of Adam Smith and Herbert Spencer respectively) that should be addressed/removed. There needs to be a moderation between self-interest and social responsiblily (read: not all social responsility a la socialism) that doesn't exist nowadays.

Good points. Adam Smith would not be pleased with the free trade we have today. Socialist fear in America is completely unfounded and is something that is said by those making tons of money at the top at the expense of the country's best interests.

[chuck norris]

Synthethicly has a point. Capitalism is not a bad thing, but it needs to be regulated. I like the writings of Paul Ormerod on the subject of the economics and poor countries:

http://www.paulormerod.com/
http://www.paulormerod.com/articles.html

Consumers need to be aware of their responsibility. I was discussing the meat industry a few days ago with some collegues. Does anyone really know what kind of suffering goes on behind the small packages of meat in your local supermarket? (the transport must be the worst part) I don't know how bad it is, but I would like to learn.

I haven't seen this film The Corporation, by the way. Never even heard of it.

[Iain]

I just got this film out of the video shop as it happens and will start watching it later probably.

I hope it's good but some of these well meaning lefty docs piss me off a treat. The Wal-Mart one was fucking terrible. A haphazard and shoddy attempt to say...well, I don't think the filmmakers really knew what they wanted to say apart from "walmart sucks!!!" and, guess what, I knew that already.

[the ikara cult]

Its hard to make docs like this watchworthy, sometimes they slip into invective and forget to state the facts behind the arguements, but to be honest when companies have so much influence on the world its only right that people should be critical of the way theyre run.
It was weird when i read about Adam Smiths philosophy, seeing as its cited as a foundation of capitalism, how idealistic it sounded (albeit at the rather superficial level i was reading it) and how the way things are now seem rather at odds with it.

[afterthefact]

Originally Posted by the ikara cult

Its hard to make docs like this watchworthy, sometimes they slip into invective and forget to state the facts behind the arguements, but to be honest when companies have so much influence on the world its only right that people should be critical of the way theyre run.
It was weird when i read about Adam Smiths philosophy, seeing as its cited as a foundation of capitalism, how idealistic it sounded (albeit at the rather superficial level i was reading it) and how the way things are now seem rather at odds with it.

I agree with both statements. This film was pretty good about it in my opinion. Although it did start off bad, and I thought I was getting into 2 1/2 hours of "Big buisness BAD, hippies GOOD!" But they did end up backing their statements pretty well.
And the original ideas of corporations were good. They were very effective in getting things done that needed to be done when you didn't have the big bucks to do it. I feel it was around the time that corporations began being recognized as a person that things went on a downward spiral.