Capitalism:A Love Story
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2861U2
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
CNSNews.com - Millionaire Filmmaker Michael Moore: ‘Capitalism Did Nothing For Me’
(CNSNews.com) -- Documentary film director Michael Moore, who has become a millionaire thanks to the profits from his movies, told CNSNews.com that “capitalism did nothing” for him.
CNSNews.com spoke with Moore on the red carpet at the Uptown Theatre in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night before the premiere of his upcoming documentary, “Capitalism: A Love Story."
CNSNews.com asked: “Critics may say, when they see this movie, Michael Moore has amassed a fortune of over $50 million, some have said and –”
Moore said: “Really? Are you kidding me? Seriously? Wow. Where did it go?”
CNSNews.com then asked Moore: “Critics would say he’s [Moore] been very successful under a capitalist system. How would you justify making a movie where you paint capitalism as evil?”
Moore said: “Well, capitalism did nothing for me, starting with my first film.”
“You know, I had to pretty much beg, borrow and steal,” he said. “The system is not set up to help somebody from the working class make a movie like this and get the truth out there.”
“In fact, in Fahrenheit 9/11 if you remember, capitalism, the Disney Corporation, tried to kill that film--tried to make it so that people couldn’t see it,” said Moore. “My book Stupid White Men--Harper Collins tried to kill that book so that people couldn’t see it. It's only because I put the light of day on it and told people what was going on did people get the chance to see these things.”
According to Fortune Magazine, Moore’s films have grossed over $300 million worldwide. His highest grossing film was “Fahrenheit 9/11,” which critiques the Bush administration’s handling of the war in Iraq and earned over $200 million worldwide.
Moore reportedly was paid $21 million by Disney for producing, directing and creating the film.
Moore also earned 50 percent of the profits of his 2007 film “Sicko,” totaling $25 million plus DVD sales, according to Vanity Fair.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Moore would receive all of the profits made from DVD sales of “Sicko,” sales of which have been estimated at over $17 million.
“Look, you know, I mean, I make documentary films,” said Moore. “So, clearly, I’m not loaded in the way you described. But I do well, obviously because my films do well.”
“So, that means I have an extra responsibility to make sure I spend my time trying to make things better for the people that don’t have what I have, right? I mean, everybody should do that,” he said.
Moore’s newest film, “Capitalism: A Love Story” opens in theaters October 2.
(CNSNews.com) -- Documentary film director Michael Moore, who has become a millionaire thanks to the profits from his movies, told CNSNews.com that “capitalism did nothing” for him.
CNSNews.com spoke with Moore on the red carpet at the Uptown Theatre in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night before the premiere of his upcoming documentary, “Capitalism: A Love Story."
CNSNews.com asked: “Critics may say, when they see this movie, Michael Moore has amassed a fortune of over $50 million, some have said and –”
Moore said: “Really? Are you kidding me? Seriously? Wow. Where did it go?”
CNSNews.com then asked Moore: “Critics would say he’s [Moore] been very successful under a capitalist system. How would you justify making a movie where you paint capitalism as evil?”
Moore said: “Well, capitalism did nothing for me, starting with my first film.”
“You know, I had to pretty much beg, borrow and steal,” he said. “The system is not set up to help somebody from the working class make a movie like this and get the truth out there.”
“In fact, in Fahrenheit 9/11 if you remember, capitalism, the Disney Corporation, tried to kill that film--tried to make it so that people couldn’t see it,” said Moore. “My book Stupid White Men--Harper Collins tried to kill that book so that people couldn’t see it. It's only because I put the light of day on it and told people what was going on did people get the chance to see these things.”
According to Fortune Magazine, Moore’s films have grossed over $300 million worldwide. His highest grossing film was “Fahrenheit 9/11,” which critiques the Bush administration’s handling of the war in Iraq and earned over $200 million worldwide.
Moore reportedly was paid $21 million by Disney for producing, directing and creating the film.
Moore also earned 50 percent of the profits of his 2007 film “Sicko,” totaling $25 million plus DVD sales, according to Vanity Fair.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Moore would receive all of the profits made from DVD sales of “Sicko,” sales of which have been estimated at over $17 million.
“Look, you know, I mean, I make documentary films,” said Moore. “So, clearly, I’m not loaded in the way you described. But I do well, obviously because my films do well.”
“So, that means I have an extra responsibility to make sure I spend my time trying to make things better for the people that don’t have what I have, right? I mean, everybody should do that,” he said.
Moore’s newest film, “Capitalism: A Love Story” opens in theaters October 2.
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MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
All of his employees have full medical insurance w/dental-and no deductible. That's what he says, and I've never heard otherwise. I'd guess they might be paid well too. He says he's looking at capitalism from the viewpoint of growing up Catholic-I don't know what his religious beliefs or affiliations are now but I think there's nothing wrong with that.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
this is quite true. in many ways, there's not all that much of a difference between Bono and Moore, except that Bono makes a lot more and he isn't trying to crack the system, he's trying to make it work better for others.
these are two different approaches, but i believe that Moore is as much of a philanthropist as Bono is, though obviously Moore is way, way more controversial.
A stor
Refugee
I like Michael Moore.
I don't understand why some people are unable to understand that somebody who is wealthy, or who is in an upper income bracket, could advance the position that capitalism today, has wrought many wrongs and that it is the bottom classes that have received the brunt of other people's greed. It is as if as soon as such a view is expressed, somebody counters with "but YOU did great in this capitalist society!" Yes, and that hasn't made the person blind to the realities of the bottom classes.
dazzledbylight
Blue Crack Supplier
heh.......well...., maybe when a health care bill with a public option is passed i can google up what GB has said re Teddy R....
I truely can't beleive he'd support what I've heard to be TR's
"living wage" proposals.
Otherwise i don't have time for a man who really lies, and also inflames hatred of Obama.
dazzledbylight
Blue Crack Supplier
THIS.
TEddy R. FDR, First lady Eleanor R, RFK, Ted Kennedy all were very well off, but got the above idea.
and one of the reasons they were called 'class "traitors" ' and hated by many of other wealthy people
While not perfect, I bless the good they did !!
dazzledbylight
Blue Crack Supplier
among other things I still I have some left over catholic guilt over trying to become rich/wealthy. BAH!
I keep working on it! ( I'm an ex-Catholic, ex-Christian- very spiritual person)
Jeannieco
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
I saw this movie this weekend, and I LOVED it! It was inspiring, tragic, poignant, humorous, and a heroic film. IMO We thoroughly enjoyed it. We cheered at the courageous ones, we booed and hissed the villian bazillionaires, we loved the music, we loved the crime scene tape.He goes after everyone.... DEMs too!!
I hope you all go see it before you criticize too much... you may be surprised.
I learned something horrific about my own company that I work for! I was shocked.... have you all heard of PEASANT insurance?
OMG. That is pure GREED.
Did you all know that MM went to Seminary and was going to be a priest? He is a very spiritual man believe it or not and I think he is an American hero!
I love how he shows the juxtaposition of what Jesus taught and what these Wall Street greed mongers are doing to our country.
Here is an article he wrote today on his web site:
We are our brother's keeper are we not?
BLESSED ARE THE POOR ...for they shall inherit the earth.
For Those of You on Your Way to Church This Morning ...a note from Michael Moore | MichaelMoore.com
I hope you all go see it before you criticize too much... you may be surprised.
I learned something horrific about my own company that I work for! I was shocked.... have you all heard of PEASANT insurance?
OMG. That is pure GREED.
Did you all know that MM went to Seminary and was going to be a priest? He is a very spiritual man believe it or not and I think he is an American hero!
I love how he shows the juxtaposition of what Jesus taught and what these Wall Street greed mongers are doing to our country.
Here is an article he wrote today on his web site:
We are our brother's keeper are we not?
BLESSED ARE THE POOR ...for they shall inherit the earth.
For Those of You on Your Way to Church This Morning ...a note from Michael Moore | MichaelMoore.com
INDY500
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
No. Greed is however. But so is envy Michael Moore. I'll give Mr. Moore a pass on gluttony not knowing his health history but what about lust? Is the product Hollywood is selling really any less sinful than that Wall Street? There are many ways to poison the soul.
Then by that logic the richest 1% are doing the rest of us a truly great favor by, in effect, leaping on the hand grenade of wealth so that the rest of us can one day get our eternal reward in heaven. We should be thanking the rich if I understand Mr. Moore correctly.
And "brother's keeper" refers to the actual Old Testement brothers Cain and Able and is not something "He told us."
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 5:3
...is how the Bible defines the "poor" that we should, as Christians, really be concerned about.
actually we had just begun our longest period of peacetime sustained growth that lasted from Nov '82 to July 1990. Hundreds of millions of people became richer and "letting the rich keep more of their money" was a part of that if I remember right. And I doubt lowering the taxes of the rich kept Ronald Reagan out of heaven but I can't prove that.
Envy Michael.
Fair enough, Jesus did say it was important to "Love your neighbor as yourself." In fact it was the second most important commandment of all. But the most important commandment is "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."
Can't pick and choose Michael. If you put anything on earth (be it riches or political ideology) before the Lord you are just as guilty of sin as a greedy Wall Street investor.
Be sure and ask what J.C. might think of the 50 million abortions in this country since 1973.
Or miracles existed before CGI technology.
Se7en
Rock n' Roll Doggie
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MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
Yes I'm so concerned that so many people have no spirit to eat or wear or live in today
Jeannieco
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
INDY500
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
You should laugh since you do the same thing in your last post:
Conveniently leaving off "in spirit" as well (referred to directly in Matthew and assumed in Luke) and giving them the totally wrong reward to boot. Earth and today rather than heaven and eternity.
Think what you may about capitalism, Wall St and the rich & the poor, just don't edit or take out of context biblical quotes to backup your beliefs to Christians is all I would ask.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
So it's ok to assume, just not edit? That's rich(pun intended).
You never cease to ammuse me.
How many times are "the poor" mentioned in the New Testament? Are we to assume, none of the mentions have to do with money or belongings? So the "sell your jewelery" thing is just an analogy?
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MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
The Bible contains more than 300 verses that refer to the poor and social justice in some way. That would be the type of poverty that I've been taught as a Christian, from the time I was a kid, that we should really be concerned about.
INDY500
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
What do you think the purpose of the Beatitudes are?
Didn't say that did I?
What I am saying is you can't take the micro morality of most of Jesus' teaching about interpersonal relationships and extrapolate from those the macro morality of how a nation or economy should function.
Would you argue that our national defense policy should be to simply "turn the other cheek" if attacked?
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
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MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
Maybe you can only take it selectively
I haven't seen the movie yet because I saw the Toy Story 3D double feature instead but I hope to see it this week.
I haven't seen the movie yet because I saw the Toy Story 3D double feature instead but I hope to see it this week.
Tiger Edge
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
So what should we do with the poor, Indy? Not the country, not the government, just the five of us reading this thread right now.
I do believe that being poor and being poor in spirit go hand in hand, so there's a nice kickstart to your response.
I do believe that being poor and being poor in spirit go hand in hand, so there's a nice kickstart to your response.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
I just attended a sermon on this, it's interesting to me that no matter how common the text is, the "purpose" seems to be not so easily agreed upon by all Christians.
I did like this little description though:
Well I agree to a certain extent, but I didn't agree with your overall definition of "poor".
And I think this is why Jesus didn't speak much about government and it's a great argument for separation of Church and State.
Jeannieco
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Why, yes, yes I would! But I don't expect you to ever get that, and that's just fine. It's idology, and you are never going to see eye to eye with me, so whatever man.
But here's the quote exactly as it is in KJ:
I don't see how you can how else to interpret this verse but maybe you can enlighten me?
King James Bible:
MATTHEW 5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you
INDY500
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
First you would have to define "poor" as the poor in this country would not be seen as such in much of the world today or even here say 60 years ago. Now would the world be better off if everyone practiced a form of compassion and charity towards those less fortunate than them? Sure, but on a personal level, it's the whole third-party arbiter thing of Robin Hood or the redistributive economics of Michael Moore I have a problem with. They don't grow the pie (or loaves of bread if you will) in a way to truly feed the hungry.
I do believe that being poor and being poor in spirit go hand in hand, so there's a nice kickstart to your response.
Someone needs to watch It's A Wonderful Life again. What is it that makes George Bailey the "richest man in town." Money? And doesn't Mr Potter prove that the rich often suffer from a poverty of the soul.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
i tell this to the homeless people i meet in DC in December every year. i'm like, "sure you're freezing and sleeping on a subway grate, but i'm sure you're rich in the holy spirit! elevation!"
Jeannieco
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
You need to watch the movie. Seriously. You may be surprised. He features a co-op factory that runs very efficiently, makes great stuff, has happy employees who care about what they make and do because they are the owners and yes they make a profit. What's wrong with that? They vote equally on issues and all have an equal say in what happens to them.
[/QUOTE]Someone needs to watch It's A Wonderful Life again. What is it that makes George Bailey the "richest man in town." Money? And doesn't Mr Potter prove that the rich often suffer from a poverty of the soul.[/QUOTE]
If I am reading this right (not sarcastically) George Bailey was rich because he had friends. Not because of money.
They came to his aid in his hour of need.
"Remember, no man is a failure who has friends."
Tiger Edge
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Why should I have to define the word poor for you? You should know what classifies someone as a poor person and not have to rely on degrees of poverty. The standard of living here in the US is radically different from that of those in Guatemala. They can be kept alive on "cents" as those wonderful Christian charities on TV would have us believe. The same amount does not go so far in the United States. So is the poor American kid just being a whiner?
Thing about the personal level on contribution is that it's just not there. If it were, we wouldn't have homeless people in this country. I mean, if all those radical Christians who believe George Bush was handpicked by Jesus would just contribute as much with their time and/or pocketbooks to impoverished Americans, we wouldn't have this problem. It's been tried, and it's obviously not working. I'm not a Michael Moore supporter, nor am I an ardent friend of welfare, but I can see the difference between just handing out money and hoping poor people will know what to do with it, and having government programs to help the homeless and the poor get rehabilitated and back to work in the grand capitalist scheme.
Lewis Black had a brilliant idea: Get the government to build some inane structure in the middle of nowhere. Make it huge and flashy and a big fat tourist trap. Hire the unemployed and homeless to do it. The government wastes so much money anyway, why not let them waste it on the right people? I'd say being employed would help the poor as well as the poor in spirit.
And now you're asking us to take lessons from Hollywood??
Vincent Vega
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
INDY500
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Why, yes, yes I would! But I don't expect you to ever get that, and that's just fine. It's idology, and you are never going to see eye to eye with me, so whatever man.
But here's the quote exactly as it is in KJ:
I don't see how you can how else to interpret this verse but maybe you can enlighten me?
King James Bible:
MATTHEW 5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you
All I can tell you is I believe that command (along with the turn the other cheek passage) is directed at personal behaviors and attitudes we should all hold when dealing with others.
Jesus was concerned with the salvation of individuals and peace between individuals. While we may not murder can we not kill in self-defense? And are there no examples of righteous wars in the Bible?
Wars are simply one of many evils in the world and as they are still mentioned in Revelations I don't feel they will be going away any time soon. In fact, will not God Himself fight the final war against evil one day?
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
You live in a fantasy world, sorry.
