Two Outrageous Things I Learned From Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story
77Movie Rating: "E" or "EE" for Excellent Effort
Despite its overall "B" rating from the critics, Michael Moore's new film presents us with much information we need to know, some of which we haven't gotten from anywhere else. Some say it's just a lot of bad, depressing news about how corporate America has fleeced the American public, with no ideas on how to fix what's broken. I say yes, there is a lot of bad news in the film, but it's tempered with humour, and sprinkled with inspiring stories of empowerment and triumph of the "little guy". I didn't leave the theatre feeling worse; I left feeling energized to fight back. So I give the movie an "E" or "EE" rating for Excellent Effort, or even an "EEE" rating for Energizing Excellent Effort.
Outrageous Expose One: The "Biggie"
Maybe you've already heard. This is the "biggie" that everyone's talking about--the so-called "dead peasant" or "E. COLI" life insurance scandal. The toxic "s*** has hit the fan" on this one. And the people are crying, "Death to the dead peasant policy!" The dead peasant policy is the industry term for a life insurance policy taken out by an employer on an employee, where the employer (typically a large corporation) is the sole beneficiary if the employee dies. The employee is usually unaware of the policy, and the fact that the company stands to benefit if s/he dies. Apparently the practice of taking out life insurance on valuable, high level employees started a number of years ago. This seemed to make some sense, since a company stood to lose money from the untimely deaths of key personnel. But somehow, in recent years, facilitated by deregulation, this practice morphed into taking out policies on low- paid, easily replaced workers, i.e., peasants. Why? Windfall profits. It turns out that companies like Bank of America, WalMart, AT&T, Procter & Gamble, Dow Chemical, and others have found a way to make windfall profits off the deaths of employees! These dead peasant policies are also known to insiders as E. COLI-- Employee Company Owned LIfe Insurance. Funny? More like outrageous! Sometimes the company even gets the huge pay out when a former employee dies, because leaving the company doesn't nullify the policy. We needed to know all this. Most of us have Michael Moore to thank for enlightening us. Because we didn't know. And now we do. Now we can join in the collective cry, "Death to the dead peasant policy!" Write your congressmen and congresswomen. Call your insurance company. Boycott these corporations. Threaten to stop watching the TV shows they sponsor. Do it now. Do it for us. We are not powerless unless we think we are.
Outrageous Expose Two: Airline Pilot Wages
Back in January, a US Airways pilot named Chesley Sullenberger became an instant national hero after he safely landed a disabled airbus carrying 155 people on the Hudson River. (The 57-year-old is a former Air Force fighter pilot, holds two master's degrees, and is an expert on airline safety.) After receiving many awards and accolades for his heroism, he testified in an airline safety hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in Washington. In the hearing, he reported he had recently incurred a 40% salary cut and had his pension terminated. This was the result, he said, of the airline industry being hit by an "economic tsunami." While the exact figures are unclear, the strong implication is that reduced and meager pilot compensation impacts the recruitment, job stability and experience level of pilots, which in turn compromises airline safety.
Michael Moore and Payscale.com report that many pilots only make about $20,000 a year--less than a fast food restaurant manager. Entry level pay for co-pilots averages $20,000 or less. The salary crisis has actually created a shortage of qualified pilots. While the financial woes of the airline industry are certainly nothing new, it is disturbing to hear how the current recession is affecting pilots like Sullenberger. (Not to be insensitive to the plight of all the other airline employees, but who keeps the plane in the air, after all?) And then there is the related issue of air traffic controllers--an ongoing crisis of understaffing, overworking, and safety concerns.
What Can We Do?
Critics of Michael Moore say he shines a spotlight on the problems and the bad guys, but offers up few, if any, ideas for solutions. I disagree. In the film, Moore provides various models of effective activism for us. There's the sit-in at the Chicago window and door company, where the abruptly laid off workers, with the support of their union, refuse to leave the factory untiI they get the severance package to which they are legally entitled. Then there's the family evicted from their home following a mortgage foreclosure. After living in a car for a while, they simply return to their still vacant home. They have no place else to go. The police are called, but are unwilling to forcefully evict them. The bank eventually just gives up. There are Moore's own persistent, often dramatic actions. Drama gets people's attention, and the media's attention, making it potentially a very effective tool. Moore also promotes a less flashy, simple but powerful path to bringing about change. He reminds us that we still live in a one-person-one-vote democracy, and that the numbers are on our side if we will just unite for the common good. It is up to us to follow his lead and take action, or conversely, to just keep whining and munching popcorn.
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pgrundy,
Thanks for your thoughtful response to my hub, especially since you have a loved one in the hospital. I would have just crashed. I certainly agree with you about health care. Even with Blue Cross, everything is incredibly expensive, so my current strategy is just to avoid doctors and dentists as much as possible. I think this is what the insurance companies want us to do. I think dentists are really hurting now because dental services are a "luxury" that people cut out in bad times. Hope your friend is better soon.
Excellent comments and call to activism. I wonder if airline pilots' compensation has changed that much. A friend of my parents retired from Eastern Airlines in the 80s, and I know his salary at retirement was $60M+ and his retirement pay was over $50M a year. Of course, Eastern no longer exists.
I really liked your movie review because it addresses the criticisms and finds the positives.
Bravo, good job! And bravo to Michael Moore for bringing uncomfortable truths and situations to our attention. We need a reshowing of SICKO! during the health care debates.
I haven't seen the movie yet but I am aware of the ecoli life insurance. Ridiculous that a company can insure my life and until recently was not obliged to tell me of it!
There needs to be a resonable balance between corporate income and the how they charge the rest of us for services, and now health insurance giants are fighting for their lives because there is a growing understanding that they are NOT controlled by any laws prohibitng them from creating legal monopolies. They are exempt from anti-trust laws and are free to form cartels! This exemption must end!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competition_law
Cheers!
Chef Jeff
Fran L,
Thanks for your comments. I agree, a re-release of SICKO! in theatres or on TV right now would be timely!
Chef Jeff,
Thanks for your insightful comments. I used your link to Wiki to try to find out why insurance companies are exempt from anti-trust laws, but I couldn't find info specific to why this is. Can you help?
Actually, all major insurance comapnies were exempted back in 1945, I believe it was. They were mostly just insurance companies back then, but became huge health insurers since.
Try these:
Many thanks...I learned a lot. But why was I not surprised? Let the peasants revolt!
Wow, I had been avoiding the film just because I frankly don't like Michael Moore (I know, petty reason), but after reading this, you've made me interested in seeing it. I was surprised (while at the same time not) about the dead peasant policy. I had no idea how rampant the issue was... it's rather disgusting. Now one of Wal-Mart's seemingly generous benefits makes sense. A little known benefit because it's rather hidden in their benefit book is not for the employee, but for the widow(er) and children of an employee who dies during their employment with Wal-Mart. If an employee dies during a time frame in which they are employed at Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart will continue to pay that employee's average weekly take-home pay to the family for one full year past the death. All this time I thought they were being generous... now I see that in all likelihood, their generosity is just them justifying profiting off death.
Still though... despite the potential selfish reasons for the policies, it's a rather considerate policy given they could just pocket the full amount and leave the grieving family completely economically scroffed while they try to recover.
Fascinating, interesting stuff. Well done and many thanks for this :-)
CeoBohga,
Thanks for your informative comments about WalMart's employee death benefits. You are probably right, there is probably a dead peasant policy behind it. Thanks for reading and weighing in. Whatever you think of MM, sounds like you are realizing we need voices like his who tell it like it is. He criticizes Dems as well as Reps when he thinks they deserve it.
DeGreek,
Thanks for reading and commenting. I wonder if you know, do they allow corporate dead peasant policies in the UK or in Greece?
Just saw the movie, loved it.
If you want to control a nation spoon feed them slowly like the frog in the water and just turn the temp up slowly.
Sort of like the greatest trick the devil ever pulled is getting people to believe he dosent exist!!!
Great Hub!!!
Mike :0)
I didn't see the movie, but I have to question whether anyone can take out life insurance on me without my knowledge. If it was possible to do that, how many people would be taking out a policy on 92-year-old Nanny? And as for Sully, I read his book, and he's a loyal union man. Did Moore mention that the union agreed to the pilots' salaries?
Sheila,
Thanks for reading & commenting. It was only employers that could take out these life insurance policies on their employees without their knowledge. And I understand the law has recently been changed so now the employee must be informed/give consent.
Good for you, scribble, I did not see the movie, and did not know either of these things you reported. The companies taking out insurance on their staff was the worst. I'd be afraid to go in every day, since I might be worth more dead than alive. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'm voting this hub up. (: v
Interesting views and this analysis has made me wonder why Moore splits opinion so much. Why are Americans resisting Obama's health plan, well I guess its completely down to money, and nothing to do with people's health. From my European perspective, many things about America are scary. I don't really understand why Americans are so insistent on living with the least amount of government interference as possible. It often seems like the US government interferes more in other countries than it does in America. The most important aspect of Moore's film is obviously the crooked nature of the insurance companies. If con people like that can control the most vital part of a person's life, then I don't know how Americans can trust anyone. Ireland's health service is not quite as good as America's, but I'm just glad that the system helps the sick people, not the sicko's.
Having said that, I'm sure there must be some good stories about the American system that Moore conveniently omitted and some bad stories in Paris and indeed Cuba that were edited out.
Very interesting stuff! I like Michael Moore and his activist approach to social issues. I tend to agree with Premierkj above about government interference that so many in the US seem to have a paranoid fear of. I would rather the government did some useful interfering (in the form of social support systems, for e.g.) than the big corporations - at least one can vote a government out if they interfere too much. What can be done about the big corporations - not a lot, they seem impervious to public opinion and are not really accountable to the public as the government is.
Thanks for sharing this - I will look out for the movie.
Love and peace
Tony
Hi Tony,
Thanks for dropping by and commenting. I noticed you started following me a while back but I think this was your first comment? I follow you too & respect your writing. I agree, there is a significant minority of Americans who are paranoid toward the government, especially since the election of Obama. It is totally irrational, but I read somewhere that it dates back to the cold war of the 1950's & 60's and fear of a Communist takeover. To these people, social programs=Socialism=Communism=Russian/Chinese-style dictatorship. Many Conservative potiticians play on these fears (often disingenuously) to get votes from this segment, which is their base. And no need to explain why the paranoia has increased since Obama took office, sadly.
I like the post, but Michael Moore in his previous documentaries has left others with little solution behind what he presents to the screen, but he also has such a narrow minded view in previous documentaries that turns me off about him.
Capitalism: A Love Story is great because he spoke through the hearts of others that feel the same way and used facts and hidden obscure history that supported his overall point. I will continue to enjoy Michael Moore if he creates pieces of work that have quality.
pgrundy 2 years ago
Great hub! And welcome to HP by the way! You make a good point about spurring people to action. I did know about the airline pilots wages before I saw the movie, but I don't think it's well known generally, so I'm glad he put that in there. EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) are another group that are horrendously underpaid in many parts of the U.S. Where I live, the only make $9-$12 an hour. I don't know, to me, that' not enough.
I don't know that Americans who see Moore's movies are really whining though. I think that's a bit harsh but I know I did use the popcorn line in my hub, so maybe that's what you were speaking to? I actually work hard for social change but am badly burned out (it sounds like Moore kind of is too). I think it's hard but yes, we have to keep doing it.
My partner got very sick over the weekend and I'm just came home from the hospital to check email and get a few hours of sleep in a real bed. It would be great if they would pass health reform sometime in this century too.