9.26.2009

Michael Moore – Capitalism

by the Left Coast Rebel

A teachable moment –



First off a quote from Ayn Rand –




“Capitalism is a social system based on the recognition of
individual rights, including property rights, in which all property is privately owned.”



Now a quote from Moore –


“At one point…capitalism wasn’t a bad idea because it allowed people to invest in things that they wanted to support…..we’re way beyond on that now, down on Wall Street, they’re not making anything, they’re just moving money around…..we suffer as a society as a result of that….instead of finding a cure for cancer….it, (Wall Street, capitalism), is highly destructive to our society.”


Ok dear reader, I get it, do you? Note the disjointed reasoning, that it is one or the other; that either our best and brightest are pursuing greed via. capitalism or they are searching for the cure for cancer. See how emotionalism is inherent in leftism, those that drink of the murky goblet of progressivism? Capitalism is evil, it is mean. It’s a zero-sum game. For one to win, another must lose. A system of ‘greed’ that must be torn down.

Dismantling capitalism is a zero-sum game, as it will need a replacement.Think of that. And with this replacement will come a system not of rules and law but of men.

So in this spirit, I have a few questions for the Moores of the world, being that they inhabit the Oval Office and Congress. Also, read C-gen’s piece that is the inspiration for this post here.

  • If capitalism is as evil and destructive as your mentor Moore claims, then explain to me how a country built on capitalism, free enterprise and individual rights came to be the most successful country in the history of the world?

  • If our free-market system is destructive then what do you deem should take it’s place? Communism? Fascism? Socialism? What makes you think that central planning works? Give me historical examples.

  • Capitalism is a system of individual rights. Are you willing to give up your individual rights to jettison capitalism? Are you willing to forgo 100% of your paycheck?

Pictures –




Democrats, Moore is your man, after all he was seated next to an ex-president during the 2004 DNC. Coincidence? Not quite, @ right.









Capitalism breeds the need for psychotherapy. Oh the horror of competition. A promotional picture taken from Moore’s website, right next to a story about Roseanne Barr standing with ACORN to stop the rightwing. I kid you not.

Head over to Landshark 5150 and read this piece that he put up – it ties into my them here…..




Update : Reader CJ, a left/libertarian kind of guy, (that I like to hear from), called me out on presenting a false dichotomy in this post and I thought that I would clarify a bit. Moore is saying in his movie, the essence of his thinking and reasoning; that capitalism is a failed system and is evil. What Moore actually points to as failed and evil is anything but capitalism. It is cronyism, bailouts, a big-government/big-business incestuous relationship bordering on the criminal. It is corporatism. As I said in the comment section here, my beef is not that he point out the fallacy of the bailout nation culture, (which I actually agree), it is that he defines that as capitalism, which it is clearly not. I should have been clearer on that. Also, here’s an older video of Ron Paul pointing to the same theme –

15 comments:

Rational Nation USA said…

Rand wins the case hands down. That is for a rational person with a modicum of logic.

As for Moore, I wouldn't trust him with ……… well I can't think of anything I would trust him with. The man is an incoherent moron for which only a lobotomy could cure.

What is most disconcerting is this poor excuse for a primate has the ears of the country, and unfortunatly it is very likely as you so aptly pointed out the leadership as well.

AdamS said…

Most importnhttps://www.leftcoastrebel.com/files/2009/09/tly, what we have now is not entirely capitalist…the debt money system, for instance, is a monopoly that benefits a handful of oligarchs and banks (via the "inflation tax").

This removes the grain of truth that Moore does have (that a few people do screw everyone else over) by exposing that as being seperate from, and in fact opposite to, capitalism.

Not to mention the bailouts. Is he saying that is capitalism too?

Sparky ♥ ∞ said…

I think most people aren't giving Michael credance any more. The dirty little secret is that everybody likes to make money, and that includes liberals. Even they are shirking this radical thinking.

These rabid people that embrace Progressiveism remind me of "The Vril Society" in Nazi Germany pre-WW II. They're sick in the head and will probably have to be eliminated. They're involved in prostitution, drugs, pedophila, tax dodgers and all manner of dark deeds. Character matters and good will prevail.

BTW, my husband brought up a good point. Technically, our country has not practiced capitalism in it's true form for many years. Mega businesses / corporations are not capitalism. They are just another form of government and feel that they are above the law.

Andrew33 said…

I don't really appreciate you folks making fun of him. He has an uncurable problem and cannot help being an idiot. After all, he has mad cow disease. He can't help it.

The Right Guy said…

When the facts do not fit into their reality, the only thing they can resort to is destruction, which is to deconstruct and destroy the reality that exists in order to create their own, which is one that does not arise from logic or rationality, but pure fantasy. Such is the arrogance of man.

madmath1 said…

Amazing, Moore actually gets some things right, about money controlling Washington, and how the Dow isn't the indicator of the economy,and the money movement in Wall Street but then misses the point about the cause: Statism. These tatics are the tatics of the globalist to take our freedoms away and make slave masters of our representatives. TARP, Cap and Trade, Soros, the Fed, bailouts, monopolies like WalMart and Government Motors, Golden Sacs these aren't the results of capitalism, but statism. This man has done the classic logic fallacy of non-sequitar but that's nothing new for this parisite of society that makes his wealth then bashes the means that he gains it.

Rational Nation, I have to disagree. If moore was lobotomized, how would anyone be able to tell the difference? He would still be the same brainless idiot that he is now.

Jeffery Small said…

Hi folks.

I think you would find the following video of Peter Schiff very interesting and applicable to this discussion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj8rMwdQf6k&feature=channel

I would also encourage you to take a look at my website regarding the John Galt Pledge initiative and read about my take on the movement to impose mandatory national service.

http://go-galt.org/Galt_Pledge/

Regards,

C. Jeffery Small

CJ said…

The point that people working in finance could be doing something more productive, such as developing medical treatments, is IMHO valid. Finance has a useful purpose in allocating resources to good ideas, such as medical treatment technologies. It also is a huge drain when it encourages people to borrow for consumption. It’s a free country, though, so people can borrow for consumption all they want; but the point that there is a production possibilities frontier that means trading debt-backed securities takes away from other productive capacity is valid.

You’re saying Moore’s comments are a false dichotomy. Isn’t what you’re saying bordering on false dichotomy? You’re saying if Moore criticizes some elements of capitalism he must reject all elements of capitalism.

Left Coast Rebel said…

@ Les C – She does, yet sadly for many she doesn't.

@ Adam S – He is saying that, and you are correct that what he is criticiaing isn't actually capitalism but crony corporatism.

@ Sparky – Yes, and yet he makes his millions and walks away chastising the entire system that makes his success possible

@ Andrew – Haha, he got it from the 12 1/2 lbs burgers that he eats every day….

@ Right Guy – Great point.

@ Madmath – He does get some things right but ends up calling to the evils of 'capitalism' which are actually corporatism and fascism.

@ Jeffrey – I'll check that out. If you want promotion here, contact me via the email tab at the top right of the site, that would be much more effective.

@ CJ – The point may be valid but the either/or proposition is absurd. Wall Street allocates the capital that makes all of the interwoven intricacies of our (once), vibrant economy work.

Hmm, I can see your point at the end of your comment. I don't think that I was clear with what I was thinking and you have a point. What I am saying, what I believe; is that Moore is actually pointing to the things in our capitalistic system that aren't capitalist, (crony-capitalism, corporatism, bailouts, etc), and throwing the baby out with the bath water in regards to the entire system. My beef is not that he point out the fallacy of the bailout nation culture, (which I actually agree), it is that he defines that as capitalism, which it is clearly not.

Check out my amended post for clarification.

The Right Guy said…

@cj:
Who are you do decide what people should do for a living?

CJ said…

Thank you for updating the post in response to my comment. I agree Moore should have attacked cronyism or even people who choose to finance too much.

Capitalism is the best way known to organize people to produce things, such as cancer treatments. (Whether more overall production is always the primary goal of society is a topic for another time.) It seems like Moore chose his words poorly b/c at the beginning he says capitalism wasn’t a bad idea. That makes me think he doesn’t have a problem with capitalism itself.

There are legitimate criticisms to be made about how we finance things, and they often wrongly come out as “look what the ‘free market’ / ‘gov’t planning’ has wrought”.

@The Right Guy: I said in my comment “it’s a free country” if people want engage in widespread financing of consumption. So I don’t get to decide. I am free to tell people, though, that I think consumer finance and the trading and underwriting of securities used to fund that debt are a waste of resources.

Left Coast Rebel said…

@ CJ – Thanks contributing…..

Left Coast Rebel said…

@ CJ – Thanks 'for' contributing…..

The Right Guy said…

Capitalism organizes people to produce things? Not exactly. True capitalism isn't that controlled really.

As far as what people do, the market should determine that, not the whims and desires of bureaucrats. If the need is there, people will engage in it when the risk is less than the reward. Many jobs in the medical profession require expensive training that takes time, and the job may not pay enough to justify getting in debt. So, if we have a shortage of workers, I'd be salaries need to come up if they want to attract people. Of course some corporatists answer to this is to hire foreign nationals that work cheaper. We have seen this in other industries. The other thing is, not everyone is suited to any job. While I think I could learn how to do most things, other people are better choices and I honestly wouldn't want to do some of it.

Chris W said…

If you want to get a glimpse of what Moore is all about, watch Manufacturing Dissent. And these were people who were fans of Moore.

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