Michael Moore screens new film Capitalism: A Love Story at GM RenCen [w/VIDEO]
As Michael Moore Tweeted, "Here's a video of my first official visit inside General Motors headquarters." For you youngsters out there, before Michael Moore made Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 911, and Sicko, twenty years ago, he made a little film called Roger & Me. That film, Moore's first, chronicled the extreme hardships in Moore's native Flint, Michigan after CEO Roger Smith decided to move most of General Motors' jobs out of town and down to Mexico, laying off some 30,000 American workers during a time of massive profitability.
As you may then imagine, Michael Moore is not exactly beloved by GM. Which is why it's all the more ironic that Moore decided to premiere his new film, "Capitalism: A Love Story" on four screens inside the GM-owned Renaissance Center in Downtown Detroit this past weekend. GM didn't like that. In fact, after realizing what they had scheduled, officials apparently tried to have the shows canceled. A compromise was eventually worked out where the film could be screened, but Moore himself could not be on the premises. Neither could his cameras or any media.
Moore is forced to conduct his post-screening interviews at the nearby Marriott (not the Marriott in the RenCen, but the one across the street). However, he does eventually walk into GM headquarters and addresses the people that watched his film. And unlike twenty years ago, Moore is not escorted out. How times change, and don't really change at all. Buncha videos after the jump.
[Source: Mediaite]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Danimal 3:04PM (9/23/2009)
I wouldn't want him on my property either.
Reply
James 7:49PM (9/23/2009)
Frankly, I'd prefer listening to Alex Jones over Micheal Moore...but that's just me.
bduddy 8:38PM (9/23/2009)
I'd prefer listening to nails screeching on a chalkboard over Alex Jones. Michael Moore? Well, it depends what he's talking about...
Jake B 3:18AM (9/24/2009)
Especially since he usually has mustard dropping from the hot dogs he holds in either hands. Or the Dynamite strapped to his chest!
Take THAT Team America!
Brian 3:05PM (9/23/2009)
Why are you covering news about a fat, Democrat Socialist pig?
Reply
Thomas 3:35PM (9/23/2009)
Because this is a film about cars .... oh wait. No, no it isn't.
Screw this hypocritical fat SOB and his BS.
Dan 3:32PM (9/23/2009)
hes not even a democrat. Hes just a plan communist.
Epyx 3:25PM (9/23/2009)
Brian - I agree with yo for the first time ever.
thritter 3:42PM (9/23/2009)
Damn straight! I'll bet Moore supports Medicare (socialism!) and public education (socialism!) and fire departments (socialism!), too. Gotta go watch Glenn Beck now...
Rich 3:41PM (9/23/2009)
"Democrat Socialist", and its opposite "Republican Anarchist".
Moore isn't too hot at sticking to facts, either...
Brian 3:43PM (9/23/2009)
Medicare? Medicare is bankrupt. Public "education" is become a joke, just a bunch of feel-good PC bull s**t is all they teach now.
mikhalian 3:53PM (9/23/2009)
You can thank "no child left behind" for that. Seriously. That program is literally designed to destroy public education, and it's succeeding.
Chris 3:53PM (9/23/2009)
I'm with thritter! I'm tired of paying for libraries and police and fire departments and schools and roads! Privatize 'em! And if you can't afford police insurance, then too bad! You lose, commie tool!
Brian 3:57PM (9/23/2009)
The purpose of government is to enforce laws against force and fraud, and the enforce contracts, which is why they should fund police and fire departments and a courts system. But its NOT to redistribute wealth.
Brian 3:57PM (9/23/2009)
And interstates are paid for with gas taxes a USER FEE.
Rev 3:58PM (9/23/2009)
Wow, Brian can spell "socialism", the right-wing catch word of the year. Just wait until you learn what it means, Bri-bri...
Chris 4:01PM (9/23/2009)
Brian, my constitution says something about gov't providing for the general welfare...
Chris 4:05PM (9/23/2009)
Honestly, though, Brian, I believe the movie IS a critique of redistributing wealth - the massive bailouts in which GWB, then Obama, handed billions to the big banks and others. I just think Moore is approaching the issue from a different perspective, in which he suggests that capitalism caused this mess, whereas you think it's the solution.
Polly Prissy Pants 4:06PM (9/23/2009)
"Moore isn't too hot at sticking to facts, either..."
Just because he is sometimes, oh, loose with the facts, doesn't mean there aren't facts in his movies. If you're sharp enough to look at his work objectively and determine for yourself what is "factual" and what is not, you'll find much of what he says to be spot on. Capitalism isn't much different, at least if you actually watch the movie. It may not be pretty, and some are better than others, but by and large he has valid points to make. Heck, even Rush Limbaugh makes valid points now and then if you listen with an intent to learn and can filter out the noise.
I sometimes wonder if people dismiss him outright just because he looks like a fat homeless guy, and who doesn't hate fat homeless guys?
Kelah 5:08PM (9/23/2009)
Hey Chris,
You need to fully read the constitution. The general welfare clasue is for states not individuals, and has more to do with taxes rather than providing services to individual groups. Reading the franklin papers it shows that they would not help the individual, but the state. The classic example is the request to help out war widows which was struck down as adding a preference to an individual group.
In 1937 under roosevelt it was exploited and reinterputed, with the assistance of a stacked court to give us some of the issues that we have today. Most people only look back 1 or 2 political terms, but in truth many of our problems have their roots in issues that are more than 20 years old. It is the usual story of unintended consequences where what seemed like a good idea at the time, can cause huge problems in the future.