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Capitalism: A Love Story

No SurprisesBy John DeSando, WCBE's "It's Movie Time," "Cinema Classics," and "On the Marquee"

"I refuse to live in a country like this, and I'm not leaving." Michael Moore

Not even Barack Obama can make the case for the working people better than Michael Moore. When it comes to how the middle class has suffered in the current recession, and the wealthy have prospered, Moore is unparalleled in driving home the thesis that short of a voter revolt, the rich class may win the war.

Despite Moore's consummate showmanship?he intercuts old footage from the Depression and uses music such as Woody Guthrie's to solidify his points?he hasn't made the impact that his Roger and Me (about GM's poor treatment of its workers) did twenty years ago or Bowling for Columbine did seven years ago. Perhaps I'm too used to his intrusive interviewing style (although he's restrained in Capitalism), or this time around he has picked a topic we've intimately lived through, so there are no surprises.

He still can discomfit as he does with the story of the juvenile correction facility owned and operated by a private company which paid a judge to send minor offenders to its jail. Moore's point about the clash between capitalism and democracy needs no further parsing.

At times, Moore seems to be the only voice crying out for the rights of the people in difficult financial times. Well, he's not; for instance Warren Buffett laments the dominance of his wealthy class while he leads an austere life, and Moore lives a comfortable life, thank you.

At the close of the documentary Moore says, "I refuse to live in a country like this, and I'm not leaving." He cannot live in such a country as he's described for the last two hours, but he's not leaving. Once again he speaks for many of us who are outraged at the excesses of Congress and the wealthy but choose to stay and fight another day because this is still the best country in the world and worth fighting for.

John DeSando teaches film at Franklin University and co-hosts WCBE 90.5's It's Movie Time, Cinema Classics, and On the Marquee, which can be heard streaming at http://publicbroadcasting.net/wcbe/ppr/index.shtml and on demand at http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wcbe/arts.artsmain Contact him at JDeSando@Columbus.RR.com