Reference no: EM133389821
Questions:
1. How does the film explain the "middle class" development in the mid-20th century? What conditions saw the improved standard of living for many working class people? What contradictions existed at the same time?
2. The film notes the Reagan era as a dividing line between the rise of the "middle class" and its current decline. What policies did Reagan usher in and why? What were the results?
3. Moore provides stories about the impact of privatization on local communities. Please give some examples of this impact as reflected in the film.
4. Corporations repeatedly claim that cutting jobs will allow them to save money and stay in business. Why does this not seem to work much in the examples detailed in the film?
5. Moore talks with workers and farmers about the impact of economic conditions and policies on their lives. What were some of their stories? In what ways did they express solidarity with one another?
6. The film elaborates and mocks ideological justifications for capitalism. What were some of the claims for why capitalism is so good? What problems do you see with those claims?
7. The film focuses heavily on the moral condemnation of capitalism. Do you agree with that approach? Many Marxists prefer a scientific critique of capitalism, that is, the view that capitalism as a system cannot be sustained and will eventually be replaced by socialism. Whose approach do you prefer? Which one, in your opinion, is more effective in touching the experiences of working-class people?