Genre: Documentary
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10 (5,287 users)
Director: Michael Moore
Stars: Michael Moore, Krista Kiuru, Tim Walker
Originally Posted by
imdb plot summary
To learn what the USA can learn from other nations, Michael Moore playfully "invades" them to see what they have to offer.
Code:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4897822/
conclusion: interestingly, did not expect to recommend a michael moore docu, but this one deserves it
moral of the story: countries ought to learn from each other and implement sensible solutions to their common problems - if all would do so, all would achieve a similarly advanced level of development that just might be broad enough to fit all in a satisfactory way - this also means that countries would no longer be able nor interested in exploiting each other, but rather helping each other along the way - it is something the currently popular ideologies fail to accomplish - interestingly, in this sense the religious view is more advanced or wise and to the point in advising: 'love thy neighbor as thyself', which means helping him as you would help yourself, judging him as you would yourself, treating him as you would yourself,... avoiding any kind of hypocrisy in the process
*** spoilers ahead ***
*** introduction: ***
Originally Posted by
moore
the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, and the Marines....they said to me..."We don't know what the fuck we're doing."
They hadn't won a war outright since the big one, WWII.
exactly, if they knew what they were doing (example: exploiting others means or results with exploitig yourself, action=-reaction), they'd stop any kind of obvious exploitative or dictatorial actions, as these end up hitting them back like a boomerang through some other means (which is why it is said that justice is slow but gets there eventually, or 'forgive them for they know not what they do')
the ww2 was won due to a large alliance of like-mineded countries (read: unity), having a clear common goal in fighting against an enemy who exhibited negative traits like territorial and ideological conquest (which translates as exploitation and dictatorship)
too bad the victors and their successors proved corrupt themselves and ended up displaying similar negative traits as their past opponents once did (nowadays visible as: global-scale exploitation, conquests, expansionism, greed and propaganda/lies)
Originally Posted by
moore
They <military leaders> regretted having wasted trillions of dollars and helping to create new groups like ISIS
moore is dreaming again
Originally Posted by
moore
They couldn't even get us the oil they promised us from Iraq
there was no such promise
Originally Posted by
moore
They felt embarrassed, humiliated
and yet again
Originally Posted by
moore
"You must stand down." For the foreseeable future, there are to be no invasions,
finally some good advice
Originally Posted by
moore
I will 'invade' countries populated by Caucasians <and learn from them>
good advice, but don't forget to visit all other races and countries regardless of their development status or financial abilities
on the negative side: seems moore is careful not to criticize ordinary soldiers (although they are clearly accessories), twists the iraqi war goals and thinks highly of the so-called white race and while the statement, not question, of 'where to invade next.' was displayed, the movie shows 'own people' as a hint at the expected answer and future events
Originally Posted by
obama
We will not hesitate to use our military might to defend our allies and our way of life.
which also means that the system (of a country, corporation,... or a human) will not hesitate to attack anything they think as threatening to their current position - since their current position is obviously flawed, they actually actively fight against improving own flaws!
also, they do not understand how their enemies are actually their allies, pointing out or showing what is wrong with each one of them and both of them - ie.
your friends are there to help you
your enemies are there to help you
the world in its entirety (humans, animals, plants, matter) is there to help you
everything that happens to you is there to help you
so learn from it instead of just mindlessly fighting against any change to your current position
*** moore 'invades' italy ***
moore is surprised at the amount of (paid) holidays they get, compared to usa (average)
what he missed noticing:
- the cop is paid by the state, guaranteed income
- his wife is middle or upper middle class, with a good job (in fashion)
- the textile giant works mostly for overpriced brands in fashion, they can easily afford to pay more
- is the same available for low-level jobs? probably not
- what about slave labor abroad or low-pay labor of outsourced production?
- how did those industrial giants get their (start-up) money in the first place? better don't ask, eh?
Originally Posted by
textile giant's upper-level staff
i get a good <long> vacation, they <workers> should too
fair enough
Originally Posted by
ducati c.e.o.
"There is no clash between the profit of the company and the well-being of the people."
He explained that by paying a good wage with good benefits, the company still made a healthy profit.
still a large brand/company, able to afford such conditions
Originally Posted by
the italian wife
We have just one life. That's the only one we have. And we have to enjoy it.
in this body? yes
enjoyment as 'THE goal of life'? i guess thats the best you can get from spiritually immature people
also, all their happiness rests on having enough money to 'create' happy moments, whereas true happiness is not dependent on money (or any kind of materialistic item/object/event/sensation/energy/...) at all, it is purely spiritual
*** moore 'invades' france ***
Originally Posted by
moore
<ideas> we could steal...
he means to 'copy', not 'steal', which somehow reminds of filesharing hehe
a (not-so) funny moment was when moore tried to speak in funny-sounding french, yet the local children did not laugh but rather looked around for a hint at how they should react to this situation - an upbringing thing, school discipline or was it the cameras? though they did relax later on
Originally Posted by
moore
learn to serve each other...
and somehow they managed to catch two moments where white schoolchildren were served by black ones, coincidence?
it could be intentional or even subconsciously unintentional (shows the truth of one's views even if one doesn't say them out loud)
Originally Posted by
moore
Nobody drinks Coca-Cola?
Originally Posted by
school kid
It tastes good.
good answer from the kid
'tastes good' is not the same as 'is good' (for you), yeah?
surprisingly good food even in the poorest of schools (they did not explain why a school would be the poorest), actually it seems they like to prepare restaurant-like food for the schoolchildren - could this be a way to pander to the children, boasting how the state makes more attractive food than their parents, basically securing a following (future voters) for state decisions in other areas as well (as in: the state gives us quality food, their laws must be of similar quality)?
now, they explain all of it is covered by somewhat higher taxes, but no one mentioned where the food comes from, how was it manufactured, how well were the local workers paid for it, etc.
Originally Posted by
moore
But the French aren't fighters, they're lovers.
sure, and their predecessors were also colonialists, exploiting their colonies, a practice that did not end when those countries gained freedom/independence, on the contrary, it diversified and increased via a firm presence as trans-national or local (often owned by foreigners) companies and corporations, known as neo-colonialism
Originally Posted by
moore
But where do you learn something like that? <passion and desire>
and they show schools (sexual education), lol
Originally Posted by
moore
Yeah, but what about abstinence?
Originally Posted by
school teacher
Abstinence for us is not really a method of contraception
wow, moore with a good question/answer in one and an ignorant answer by the teacher (read: the system) - abstinence not only doesn't sell/buy contraceptive products, it represents independence of such industrial products and teaches strength of character
so perhaps if they practiced abstinence more, their predecessors could have abstained from invading all those foreign countries (instead they had 'passion and desire' for conquest, the poor fools)
Originally Posted by
usa news-reporter
abstinence doesn't seem to be working.
certainly not for a hedonistic society or while the media keeps preaching hedonism
they interpret being happy as 'doing whatever you want' (while obeying the laws of the country), whereas true happiness is doing only what you truly want (what your true self or your soul wants - and what does it truly want? self-realization, nothing more is needed because in that state-of-being, ALL is what you get, with no materialistic dependencies or limitations)
so their gentle love-making may be more desirable than the animalistic forcefulness, but it has no higher goals than that
and teen pregnancy rates are used as proof in favor of the french way, yet they forgot to check the number of failed marriages/relationships and the number of sexual partners that may show a flaw of the french way
also, the american way of scaring the children is another example of a failed idea
*** moore 'invades' finland ***
seems their idea is to do no homework, less hours at school, less pressure and to ban?! (almost) all private schools,... to get better results than their fellow american counterparts
from the video it seems they have a lot of practical experience and well-equipped schools for that, they learn exclusively european languages, etc. - i'm thinking they may be deficient in free-thinking, understanding life's difficulties, empathy, connection to non-european countries/peoples and naturally, the most relevant ingredient of all, spirituality - also, there was some statistics mentioning a high rate of depression and suicides in scandinavian countries
Originally Posted by
moore
And by making the rich kids go to school with everyone else, they grow up with those other kids as friends.
And when they become wealthy adults, they have to think twice before they screw them over.
by spending time together they realize how all these childen aren't much different from themselves
however, the rich here are not going to school with the poor, but rather with the middle or lower middle class (afaik due to the welfare programs, no one is really poor there unless he keeps spending all of it constantly)
Originally Posted by
school
sacred class rules:
1. Respect others.
2. Respect the school.
3. Respect yourself.
always in that order or in any order?
are there cases that warrant a lack of respect? are there exceptions?
Originally Posted by
school teacher
You can really be whatever you want to be when you grow up, because they're making it happen already.
are they really that free or is it only a more relaxed version of the same (the state making sure its way of rule is not questioned, the state offering the only thing they know of: materialistic answers)
any sign of special spiritual enlightenment in or from scandinavia yet? didn't think so
*** moore 'invades' slovenia, not slovakia ***
Originally Posted by
moore
Slovenia is one of dozens of countries where it is essentially free to go to university.
it may be free to study but there are likely many additional costs (books, travel, rent while studying in a different city, bureaucracy fees,...) and you may need to pass the exam (perhaps also with better results than other applicants) in order to enter a university
Originally Posted by
student activist
A while back, the government of Slovenia decided it was time to start charging students tuition.
That sent a shock wave through the country and the students responded.
We organized a protest against that law. We spent nine months meeting with the minister for education, with the heads of the universities.
We managed to delay the law long enough for the government to eventually collapse.
Originally Posted by
moore
Here's what students do <protest> when the government tries to fleece them in countries like Canada, Germany, France, Finland, and Norway.
nice to see them looking out for own interests, but did they protest with similar firmness against Slovenia/Canada/Germany/France/Finland/Norway sending troops aiding the nato forces in places like afghanistan? didn't think so
Code:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coalition_Forces
Originally Posted by
moore
I asked for a meeting with the president of Slovenia. And, strangely enough, they gave me one.
it is a smaller european country, you know
funny thought regarding possible media headlines: 'slovenian president meets the champion of democracy, m. moore' hehe
*** moore 'invades' germany ***
same question as many times before:
- what about slave labor abroad or low-pay labor of outsourced production inland and abroad? where they basically exploit foreigners to keep up their own standards of living - that is not a sign of success but rather of unethical practices (karma!) and a dependence on cheap(er) foreign workforce
what about the german idea of a meaningfully spent free time, judging from the interviewed persons representing their middle class, having good jobs? lets see: resting, relationships, enjoying life,... and as expected, not a word regarding the most important thing: spirituality - no wonder they are another one of those countries where the majority doesn't have or doesn't bother to figure out an answer to their purpose in life in terms of higher (non-materialistic) goals
Originally Posted by
mother/worker
We have massage, gymnastics, then we go to the pool and we eat healthy.
Originally Posted by
moore
I don't understand why the government does this.
Originally Posted by
mother/worker
Because it's cheaper. In the long run, it's cheaper. Definitely. To prevent worse sickness.
and there you have it: the so-called upper class and the government are slowly realizing or are slowly forced to realize how they can get better results by supporting better conditions for the so-called lower classes
but make no mistake, their support is still very problematic, exploitative, cold, unwilling and loaded with hypocrisy - however, the unpredictable course of life will push this even further until they have to admit and realize how the best conditions for all are necessarily also the most ethical ones as well - that will be the lesson of the future for all nations and humans in general, as it slowly unfolds before our eyes - and once you realize what it means to be the most ethical and where the principle originates, you will be getting ready to go beyond materialism and tending to return to your spiritual origins
Originally Posted by
mother/worker
If everybody takes a little bit care of the neighbor, life is more easy for everyone.
It's just common sense.
nice one, but don't take it to extremes (neighbor keeps asking for care constantly, or defining your life only as care for others, or forcing care against someone's will, or thinking that your particular way is whats best for others, etc.), though there are always exceptions to any advice
Originally Posted by
moore
One of the reasons that German workers have all this free time and other benefits is because they have power.
moore is dreaming a little here
Half of these <big company> boards are workers.
which means that these workers think similarly to the former owners (the reason they got or were able to buy their share of the company) - in other words, these workers will also push the same or very similar exploitative moves just like their predecessors did, ie. try to continue unethical behavior - they may not be bad people per se, they simply learned what to do from previous generations and their current teachers, they do not have a better answer at the moment (until life teaches them one, that is)
and of course, the documentary couldn't be complete without mentioning the worst german nightmare: the nazi regime
Originally Posted by
moore
Every day in Germany, in every school, they teach the young what their predecessors did.
what do you think something like that does to an average person? how come other european countries do not have something similar, since many (if not all) of them had many periods of bloody and shameful past? an example (out of many) for usa: using atomic bombs on the civilians of 2 japanese cities, even while they were clearly winning the war (germany already surrendered a few months before the event)
did you know that the germans may be punished by law if they dare publically question the official ww2 story? thats 'freedom' of speech for you, a hot potato that even our champion m. moore dares not touching, at least not in this docu (otherwise you can bet he'd no longer get significant financial support for his work)
Originally Posted by
moore
Until 2015, the United States never had a museum of slavery.
Why do we hide from our sins?
these may be the sins of the fathers, but they are not of the children (even though they inherit it and the effects will influence all future events, until its karmic influence subsides)
the only sensible thing here is to reveal the truth surrounding these events (which is supposed to be the job of historians, once they start including inconventient evidence as well, correcting what is known as 'history is written by the victors') and try to be wiser and more ethical than (some of) your predecessors did - accepting someone else's guilt or actions as your own is not wise, but neither is ignoring lessons from such historical events, regardless of whether they may be a part of your personal, family, country or human history
interestingly, you'll notice americans mention slavery, native americans, women rights,... but not other things from a more recent history, as already mentioned above (hint: cannot tarnish ww2 victors even if it may be the truth!)
Originally Posted by
moore
If there's one thing we should steal from the Germans, it's the idea that if you acknowledge your dark side and make amends for it, you can free yourself to be a better people and to do well by others.
sure, but for that to work you need only the truth and nothing but the truth, as the truth will set you free
can you live a life of truth? can you lead by example? can you live a truly ethical/moral life? can you approach the ideal represented by saints and sages? can you do it even if the whole world around you recommends corruption, manipulation and exploitation in a shiny package as the recipe for happiness? do you desire the truth about your self or a conformist mainstream illusion?
*** part 1of2 ***
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