Global Grind: What has gone wrong with capitalism?
Michael Moore: The Power has shifted from most people being able to have a shot at the American dream to the richest 1% now having more financial wealth than the 95% – 100% combined. There is no place for that kind of imbalance in a democratic free society.
GG: In simple terms, for those who didn’t see the film, how did this happen?
MM: It happened because we allowed we and our Representatives’ allowed the banks, the financial institutions, and the CEO’s of this country to essential write the laws and re-write the laws and get rid of the few laws that kept them in check. It also happened because, somewhere along the line the moral & ethical code was tossed out. That the question was never asked any longer is this decision we are making good for the people? It became is this good for the bottom line. Is this good for the stockholders? Is this good for the executives of this company?
GG: Where is the way out, where is the hope for those 95% of people who are on the bottom who can’t find jobs or afford to go to school?
MM: The way out is actually right in front of us we still live in a country where the law says one country one vote. So that means the 99% of us who aren’t part of the 1% hold the ultimate power. If we choose to exercise that power we can turn this country around tomorrow. Things can happen quickly it doesn’t have to take forever, and the impossible can also happen. I’m of an age where I’d never thought I’d see the Berlin wall come down, I thought that’ll be up my whole life, I’d never thought I’d see Mandela out of prison, let alone become President of South Africa, and I never ever thought 3,4 years ago that our next president of the United States would be an African American. If that can happen, and I felt this way in early November, in this country anything can happen.
GG: What role did you see young people play in the election of Barack Obama?
MM: Young people just didn’t play a role they were the engine that drove the election, young people are the ones responsible for Barack Obama. He was not really considered a front runner until the youth army went to Iowa months in advance and worked and worked the state, to the point where he won the first caucus and that changed everything. So if it weren’t for young people getting involved we wouldn’t have Barack Obama. I would say to those in that age group ‘look at what you did, if you could do that; if you could pull off that impossible act imagine what else you can do’.
GG: Music plays a big role in your movie, what are your top 5 albums of all time?
MM: I would say 1) Bruce Springsteen- Darkness on the edge of town, 2) The Beatles- White Album, 3) Public Enemy- Fear of a Black Planet, 4) The Clash-
