My son asked me to watch this and to tell him what I thought.
I have to think about this. Clearly the piece is propaganda, although that is not a dirty word and my son also understands it’s not a dirty word.
My initial reaction is I think that parts of the criticisms here are right. Other parts of it are dead wrong, or twisted. Leaving out the absolutely critical role government has always played in the growth of businesses, successful capitalism, and making our civilization work at all is one thing wrong with it–the “free market” is far from the only thing that creates prosperity or makes a middle class possible. Conflating “prosperity” with “getting rich trading stocks and securities and through usury” is another, as is conflating “prosperity” with “taking advantage of the hard work of others.”
But my bigger problem with it is the conspiratorial tone which suggests that there is a group of people making policy who truly want America to fail–and while I have no doubt there are anti-American forces (right-wing and left-wing fringe both) who want the country to fail, I don’t believe most people, including most people in our government, want that either.
Still, I think some of the points it raises need raising.
If it generates serious discussion great. If it generates rage and animosity, well, then I’m not so sure.
I’ll have to think more on it before I answer my son. Thoughts are solicited. This thing has gotten over a million views in only a week or so, and I expect it to get more as the weeks progress.
(This item cross-posted to Dean’s World.)
Dean Esmay is the author of Methuselah’s Daughter. He has contributed to Dean’s World, Huffington Post, A Voice for Men, Pajamas Media. Neither left nor right wing, neither libertarian nor socialist.