Politics (slightly) aside for a moment -- this may be the most important film of our age. Its focus is on the unweilding power of the corporate entity, and the often negative consequences to humankind and our ecosystem (to name a couple) all in the interest of profit.
It is riddled with a great deal of extremist-type images and metaphors (the corporation is compared blatantly to a 'psychopath') and is lacking in opposing arguments. However, I implore you to have a look at this film.
Some of its highlights:
1. The privatisation of basic necessities -- as part of lending agreements, the WTO and the IMF force third world nations to privatise many of their basic infrastructure elements such as water. Rain water, in fact, is 'property' owned by the corporation. Bolivia, who sold its water source to Bechtel in San Francisco as part of a loan agreement from the World Bank, is highlighted.
2. Corporations have been granted the right by the Supreme Court to patent lifeforms, only limited to full-birth humans. The DNA of many of our earth's animals is now corporately-owned. The long-range implications of this are astounding.
3. Corporations routinely employ the labour of children and exceedingly impoverished peoples of third world countries, and then depart from that country when the laws of supply and demand drive the wages up to that country's legal minimum wage. The average Bangladeshi garment worker, for example, earns less than 10 cents per hour, 80 hours per week. 'Everyday Low Prices' are brought to us on the backs of these workers. Over half of American garments come from sweatshops like these.
While I will concede that this may be among the most left-leaning films I've seen to date, it may very well prove to be one of the most important. Even if your only concern is for capitalism at its former grassroots level -- when the Mom and Pops actually stood a chance -- you need to see this film.
It is riddled with a great deal of extremist-type images and metaphors (the corporation is compared blatantly to a 'psychopath') and is lacking in opposing arguments. However, I implore you to have a look at this film.
Some of its highlights:
1. The privatisation of basic necessities -- as part of lending agreements, the WTO and the IMF force third world nations to privatise many of their basic infrastructure elements such as water. Rain water, in fact, is 'property' owned by the corporation. Bolivia, who sold its water source to Bechtel in San Francisco as part of a loan agreement from the World Bank, is highlighted.
2. Corporations have been granted the right by the Supreme Court to patent lifeforms, only limited to full-birth humans. The DNA of many of our earth's animals is now corporately-owned. The long-range implications of this are astounding.
3. Corporations routinely employ the labour of children and exceedingly impoverished peoples of third world countries, and then depart from that country when the laws of supply and demand drive the wages up to that country's legal minimum wage. The average Bangladeshi garment worker, for example, earns less than 10 cents per hour, 80 hours per week. 'Everyday Low Prices' are brought to us on the backs of these workers. Over half of American garments come from sweatshops like these.
While I will concede that this may be among the most left-leaning films I've seen to date, it may very well prove to be one of the most important. Even if your only concern is for capitalism at its former grassroots level -- when the Mom and Pops actually stood a chance -- you need to see this film.
