Capitalism

I'm not entirely sure what an appropriate approach for this review is. And i think that is symptomatic of another Michael Moore production. Once you leave the theater, you're never quite sure what it is that you've witnessed, what the necessary import should be. You're only aware of having been swept away in a wave of reactionary emotion.
'Propaganda is a very strong weapon. I'm always amazed by what propaganda can do', opines an elderly statesman clearly in awe of the State's propaganda machine. Ironically, Moore doesnt seem too reticent in crunching the machine himself. He weaves in and out of political and economic terminologies without as much as a pause, never once clarifying what he means by them. Words like Capitalism, Socialism, Democracy, Corporatism are thrown around in good measure, without a clear ideological thread that binds them or a vision that differentiates between them. Moore uses dramatic footage to prove the evils of Capitalism, but one is never quite sure what he means. He presents unethical company practices and uses them to discredit the 'profit motive' principle. What one has to do with the other, Moore doesnt delve into. He uses priests and bishops to pontificate over how Jesus would not deal in derivatives. He provides endless examples of how the govt-corporate nexus is eating through the core of american value and economic system, and yet ends up promoting further govt intervention.
To Moore's credit, he has a compelling collection of heart-wrenching and anger-inducing portions that eventually work towards getting a rise out of the viewer. But it's painfully obvious that his latest work of fiction is not thought provoking, but simply provoking. He ends the unrelated string of sob stories by insisting on a people's revolution. Whether he prefers a systemic change from within, or simply an off-with-the-head French revolution template, one does not know. What is clear however, is that there is a paradigm shift taking place in this country, where a citizen can create a raw unapologetic piece of propaganda promulgating socialism and receive rave reviews and a thunderous reception from the every day american. This is a far cry from the America of McCarthy, another extremist who attacked american principles from the other side. These are dangerous times, dangerous times indeed. I wonder if historians, decades from now, will consider Moore's Capitalism the first shot across the bow.
'Democracy instead of Capitalism', he exclaims in the end. Moore does not know what he means. Neither did the people in the theater cheering him. And i am sufficiently concerned.

PS: As an aside, one would like to thank Moore for revealing a new hero. Marcy Kaptur kicks ass.