Saturday, October 3, 2009

Michael Moore, Catholics and Capitalists

By Joseph Kellard

So Michael Moore turns to the Catholic Church to give his anti-capitalist screed, “Capitalism: A Love Story,” some moral weight. Yeah, I know, that church is a real moral authority, isn't it?

“Many of the talking heads in the film are Catholic clergy, including the bishop of Detroit, who proclaim capitalism to be a ‘sin’ and ‘radically evil.’ ‘Eventually,’ one prophesies, ‘God will come down and eradicate it.’”

Read the New York magazine article in full.

Also, who do you think Moore turned to in order to fund his film? Capitalists, who else! Jonathan Hoenig, a.k.a. Capitalist Pig, highlights this other curious fact in a recent column:

“Ironically, as has been repeatedly pointed out around the blogosphere in recent days, the film itself was funded by (publicly owned and traded) Viacom (VIA.B) and the Weinstein Company, a entertainment company which raised $490 million from investors to pay for, among other projects, Moore’s film. I guess capitalism is immoral and corrupt, except when it’s going to fund your own self-important movie exposing the depravity of capitalism.”

5 comments:

garret seinen said...

Here's what I wrote to the National Post in response to their article on Moore's film. A capitalism haters won't see that the wealth are the ones who satisfy the market the best.


Michael Moore, like Al Gore, George Soros and a wealth of other capitalism denouncers, makes a very good living from the economic system he hypocritically denounces. I personally think it's because he truly does not understand what capitalism is.
Like most people, his envy driven criticisms, vilify the capitalist, the person who winds up with the most money, but he fails to grasp that the 'whimsical road to riches' is traveled by by the people who satisfy the common people, the market. Fail to satisfy the market and you are parked on the shoulder, broke.
That is why we need to fight the Michael Moores where-ever they are. If they win, they will eliminate our market choices and there will no more opportunity, for anyone.

Myrhaf said...

Most fascinating that a priest would call capitalism radically evil. It makes perfect sense, given the Sermon on the Mount. I don't know why more Christians don't hate capitalism. The religious left might be the future of America. It won't be a free future.

Joseph Kellard said...

Garret: I do think Moore and his ilk understand the essence of capitalism, which is selfishness, and that is their main target. The fact that Moore turns to the church in this film specifically about capitalism, and features clergy denouncing capitalism on moral grounds, as evil, means he understands the essence of capitalism. And that’s what he’s primarily out to destroy.

Myrhaf: Perhaps the reason more Christians don't *openly* hate capitalism is due to the riches and comforts, in short, the good life, they know it brings them. So long as capitalism provides them with comfy homes, oodles of great varieties food and technological advances that make their lives the envy of the (primarily, Muslim) world, they’ll hedge a bit on their hatred of capitalism.

Probably the primary emotion they feel is guilt, guilt over the riches they have but that they know their religion’s morality condemns. Often, that guilt motivates people to turn against that which they feel guilty about and condemn it. That, in part, is why the American Left hates this nation. They enshrine the poor and the downtrodden, at home and abroad, but they continue to live in the wealthiest and most powerful nation in history. You don’t think that makes them feel guilty? It does, but they take that guilt and try to alleviate it by condemning this country, all the while championing the domestic and international low-lifes and tribal nations. It’s a vicious cycle of guilt and hatred, borne of the morality of altruism.

~ JK

hampshire said...

I am eagerly waiting for His latest movie honestly i like its review..

limo hire said...

Great one..