Like The Baker Who Rails Against Eating Flour And Sugar
In between peddling donuts to school children. Yes, we're talking about Michael Moore, that man of the people (the Upper West side rich people), peddling his views on the horrors of capitalism.
It gets better. Via Overlawyered's Walter Olson, Goldman Sachs stars in Moore's attack on capitalism -- and also bankrolled his producers. From futureofcapitalism.com:
The funniest moments of all in the movie, though, may just be in the opening and closing credits. We see that the movie is presented by "Paramount Vantage" in association with the Weinstein Company. Bob and Harvey Weinstein are listed as executive producers. If Mr. Moore appreciates any of the irony here he sure doesn't share it with viewers, but for those members of the audience who are in on the secret it's all kind of amusing. Paramount Vantage, after all, is controlled by Viacom, on whose board sit none other than Sumner Redstone and former Bear Stearns executive Ace Greenberg, who aren't exactly socialists. The Weinstein Company announced it was funded with a $490 million private placement in which Goldman Sachs advised. The press release announcing the deal quoted a Goldman spokesman saying, "We are very pleased to be a part of this exciting new venture and look forward to an ongoing relationship with The Weinstein Company."Knowing that background puts the rest of the movie in a different context. Mr. Moore shows Rep. Dennis Kucinich asking rhetorically on the floor of the House of Representatives, "Is this the United States Congress or the board of directors of Goldman Sachs?" Later, Mr. Moore shows up at Goldman Sachs headquarters in Manhattan driving an armored Brinks trunk and announcing, "We're here to get the money back for the American people." Maybe Mr. Moore should look in his own pockets.
...He's even right that capitalism is imperfect. But Mr. Moore doesn't make a convincing case that any other system would be an improvement. He offers some tantalizing glimpses of worker-owned and managed cooperatives such as the Alvarado Street Bakery and Isthmus Engineering and Manufacturing, and he suggests that things would be better if there were a 90% top income tax rate, stronger labor unions (like in Germany), and a second bill of rights added to the Constitution guaranteeing a job at a living wage, health care, housing, and education. He also seemed buoyed by a recent poll that found 33% of young Americans favored socialism over capitalism.
I've read repeatedly how Michael Moore rakes in the bucks from his movies, sends his kids to seriously pricey Manhattan private school, luvvvvs them limos, and demands to be put up at The Ritz and other five-star hotels.
If he is such a big fan of socialism, why doesn't he set a good example for all of us capitalist pigs and put his money where his mouth is? All he has to do is spread his wealth out to people who need it, who are, say, working as baristas or who are unemployed. Yoohoo, Michael?
Whoops -- guess he's too busy sucking hard off the teat of capitalism to hear.
Wait, he has kids? you mean someone actually had sex (shudder) with that fat fuck?
He's the same kind of cocksucking socialist as the idiots from "Rage Against the Machine".
A REAL socialist wouldn't try to get rich off capitalism first.
brian at September 26, 2009 6:49 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2009/09/26/like_the_baker.html#comment-1669654">comment from brianIf I had serious money, I'd use some of it to finance stuff I believe in. I'd help my homeless artist friend Gary get a place to live and a service to pay his bills (he's very hardworking and talented - just not good at the business side of life). And I say that as a capitalist. It's in my self-interest to fund stuff that matters to me.
Amy Alkon
at September 26, 2009 6:55 AM
Michael Moore is the typical do as I say, not as I do liberal.
Same as Al Gore, Sean Penn, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama. All Hypocritical slimes.
David M. at September 26, 2009 7:31 AM
Moore is a tool.
His last film claimed to care about our Healthcare system. Obesity and obesity related diseases are huge drivers of cost in the system yet Moore is a fat pig.
sean at September 26, 2009 7:33 AM
"He also seemed buoyed by a recent poll that found 33% of young Americans favored socialism over capitalism"
Well no wonder, that means 33% of young Americans are dumb enough to pay money to see his movies. If he spent his summer vacation in a North Korean labor camp eating grass & twigs instead of in the south of France, he'd lose all that fat in a hurry.
Martin at September 26, 2009 9:00 AM
Amy - what is Gary's current status? I was just thinking about him the other day
snakeman99 at September 26, 2009 9:34 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2009/09/26/like_the_baker.html#comment-1669676">comment from snakeman99Regarding Gary, his work is wonderful -- he continues to grow in that area. He was offered a gallery show at Bergamot, but they wanted him to pay $4K. I talked to the gallery owner to ask him to reconsider the money -- saying that I'd promote any show, plus I put Gary's work in my book, along with his story, despite the fact that I'll probably get accused of being self-aggrandizing for doing it. (I didn't need that story -- I have Robert W.'s work with BCDigitalDivide and others'...but I wanted people to see Gary's work and hear about how hard he works...and maybe it would help set him up.)
PS A friend who's an artist (who shows at the gallery) took me there to meet the gallery owner -- I didn't say I was Gary's friend. I'd planned to follow up, but Suzy, who was letting Gary live with her, went back to Sweden and dropped Gary off in Decatur, IL on the way. She's been great. She's going to come back, and bring Gary with her, but I don't know when. When she does, I'll petition the gallery, as will my artist friend.
Right now, I'm just sending back a jury duty notice for him to say that he's no longer here, and hoping they'll believe me. I added in an e-mail from Suzy from Sweden to say she'd driven him to Illinois. Don't want him to have a warrant against him.
Amy Alkon
at September 26, 2009 10:06 AM
Moore's a whore, feels guilty about his wealth so he gives alms at the altar of altruism, hoping he can hedge his bets and stay out of Hell. Good luck with that Mikey, must be a joy living in that thing you call your life.
mbruce at September 26, 2009 11:46 AM
Moore railed aginst Halliburton. He owned stock in them. He is a total fucking hypocrite. I don't consider him reliable enough to evaluate between the name brand and store brand of cereal.
Jim P. at September 26, 2009 2:15 PM
Moore spouts all of the feminist dogma. Can anyone be surprised that he is a committed socialist (now that he's made his by using the system he excoriates)?
Jaba the Huckster.
Bleh.
Jay R at September 26, 2009 4:18 PM
Michael Moore knows full well that there is a lucrative market for this kind of unthinking, grandstanding nonsense. That's just the way the free market works. You find a demand and meet it.
Seriously. I'm sure that deep down he knows that he is peddling humbug. But like any shrewd businessman, he has discovered a lucrative niche and will exploit it for all it is worth.
And anyone who pays money for this nonsense deserves to be taken advantage of. A fool and his money are easily parted.
Nick S at September 26, 2009 5:28 PM
"His last film claimed to care about our Healthcare system. Obesity and obesity related diseases are huge drivers of cost in the system yet Moore is a fat pig."
The problem is that overweight people are a designated PC victim group. And Michael Moore is nothing if not PC.
It's never any individual's own fault that they are overweight. They don't simply need to exercise some self-control and get off their ass. No, they are helpless victims of the evil corporations ramming fast food down their throats. Or they have low self-esteem.
Nick S at September 26, 2009 5:37 PM
Moore's always been deeply untruthful. Even in his first film Roger and Me, he deliberately distorted a lot of things to make GM and Roger Whatsisface look bad. That was why he didn't get an Oscar for Best Documentary...this was before the Academy went all gushy over his worldview.
In a lot of ways, he acts like he's set out to be a real-life version of a straw-man liberal. He goes out of his way to find new ways to be left-of-center, including buying bottled water (according to one of his books) even when he's living in NYC, which has very good tap-water available everywhere.
Technomad at September 26, 2009 7:11 PM
"All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others."
People like Moore are the pigs of Animal Farm. They want revolution, but only as long as they'll be the ones in charge of the new order.
A communist regime wouldn't bother Moore. I'm sure he'd be the Minister of Information. As a government minister, and leading party member, he'd have the best the regime could provide. He wouldn't need his money to make sure he rests on Egyptian cotton sheets sipping champagne and inhaling spray-cheese.
"90% marginal income tax?" I wonder why leftists are in favor of any income tax at all. If labor if more important that capital, then why tax earned income? Because leftists don't believe that one's labor is one's personal property. Because leftist don't want you to have personal property. They want to steal as much as possible to generously give it back to you in services. Because if you paid no income tax you might save enough money to not need government services, or even leave the country.
Socialism doesn't make everyone equal. It makes us slaves to the State. And slaves have no social mobility, which suits leftists just fine. As long as the right kind of people are in charge, people like Moore.
The Party is looking out for you. The Party is good. Don't worry, little prole, Big Brother Michael is looking out for you.
Tyler at September 26, 2009 10:00 PM
"They'll sell us the rope we'll hang them with."
People buying Moore's idiocies, fund his idiocies. How anyone gives this guy any credibility is beyond me.
Robert H. Butler at September 27, 2009 9:42 AM
"Capitalism is Evil," said the multimillionaire filmmaker.
http://townhall.com/cartoons/cartoonist/SteveBreen/2009/09/1
Conan the Grammarian at September 28, 2009 11:46 AM
Nick S said: It's never any individual's own fault that they are overweight. They don't simply need to exercise some self-control and get off their ass. No, they are helpless victims of the evil corporations ramming fast food down their throats. Or they have low self-esteem.
I am overweight. I went to my doctor recently, and he said to me "let's run some bloodwork to see if we can figure out what's causing that weight gain". I replied "Okay. But I'm pretty sure it's that I eat a whole lot and don't exercise." I swear, he looked at me like I'd grown a third head. Evidently, I *am* the only chubbo ever to not have a "glandular/metabolic disorder" or something.
Own your decisions, people. Accept responsibility.
Lauren at September 28, 2009 2:15 PM
Lauren, you are obviously suffering from false consciousness if you think there is actually some relationship between the choices you make in life and the outcomes you get.
Didn't you get the memo? Everyone is a victim. No-one has any control over anything negative that happens in their life. Except for the big bad CEOs, who are evil incarnate and responsible for all the world's ills.
Seriously though. Don't be too hard on yourself for putting on a little extra weight. Some women are still quite attractive when they are slightly overweight. You might be surprised at how many guys are seething with lust over you. I recall at my local supermarket a girl who worked at the checkout for some time who had a voluptuous figure, pouty lips and a cute smile. I just about got weak knees doing my shopping!
Nick S at September 29, 2009 5:14 AM
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