10 Interesting Documentaries about the Economy, Society and the Environment
New Year is a time of change, to make things a little bit better than the were the year before. Whether you decide to quit smoking or start exercising, change is often a good thing. So, what about changing the world? Or at least understanding the world we live in and understanding how our daily decisions impact the world around us?
I don't smoke and I exercise a fair amount so my new years resolution for 2014 is to try to make the world a better pace. It might seem a little too ambitious and I don't even know what I'm going to do yet, but I believe there is something I can do. But to change something you have to understand it, that's why I am also recommending YOU to watch some of the documentaries on the list and hopefully that will also inspire you to wanna change the world somehow. Don't take everything they say in the documentaries for granted, it's okay to be critical, just let them inspire you and be open minded.
Here are some of my thoughts after watching these documentaries:
Having studied business, marketing and economics for a while I've become really interested in all these topics and I've also come to the realization that these things are not separated from the society and the world at whole. This might seem like an obvious thing but when you come to think about it many people don't realize this and don't really understand how the economy works, how they are impacted by marketing without even knowing it and how our current financial system is corrupted and will ultimately drive itself to the ground if it is not radically reformed.
And I don't blame people for not understanding this either. I have studied this shit for 6 years, read books about the subject, watched documentaries about it and still some things are a bit hard for me to grasp. And don't let the negative subjects of the documentaries bring you down, in able to change we just need to understand what's going on and that is the way we can make the world a better place. Some may also look at these issues as they are better not knowing "ignorance is bliss" they say and yes, that might make you a happier person than knowing what's going on, but it will eventually bite you or your children or your grandchildren in the ass. I just think that understanding how the world works is the key here. If the system itself is corrupt than nothing will change unless we change the system. We need a world with a more stable economic system that benefits all people, a more sustainable consumption that doesn't exploit our natural resources, pollute our atmosphere or exploit third world workforce. (Put in peace on earth and we have utopia)
Yes, I know it sounds too good to be true but I still see it as something to strive for. And yes I know I am no saint either. I haven't been recycling that much, I used to buy all kinds of unnecessary crap, I haven't really though about where my food or my clothes come from. But I've slowly tried to change and be more aware of these issues. And in my opinion recycling is not enough, we are way beyond that, we have to drastically rethink our materialistic and consumeristic values and change our whole lifestyle. And yes, I know change is hard but you know humans are incredible when it comes to adapting to new situations. I mean 2000 years ago people walked on water and now all people walk on land. No but seriously, people change all the time, they stop smoking, lose weight or sober up and not until they do, do they realize how much better life can be. Ok, maybe your life is great as it is, but it is probably not great because of the money or materialistic things you have it's probably because of your family and your friends, access to clean water and air, safety, a roof over your head, so actually you don't have to give up any of the things that really matter.
I just wish that my generation, OUR generation would stop making the mistakes some of our previous generations have done and stop thinking that money and greed will make you happy and start thinking about the people and our environment instead. (I will probably be labeled a hippie for saying all this but for one, I don't care, and two, What's wrong with hippies?) Someone might also think, why am I going to listen to some geek who just plays video games all the time. First of all, I don't play video games ALL the time, just a lot, OK! The thing is, I like to think (you know with my brain) and learn new things and playing video games or watching movies often makes me think about stuff and also gives me the illusion that I've learned new things (and also playing video games is fun). Call me a naive, video game playing, hippie geek hypocrite but I believe (warning, cliché coming up) that we could make this world a better place for everyone. (we just need a plan, a non violent plan, a silent revolution)
Basically what many of the documentaries below are saying is that the big banks can create money out of nothing, we are living on huge debt in hope that we can pay it back in the future and that the financial system is constructed in a way that makes the rich even richer and the poor even poorer and the inequality of wealth is distributed in a way that the middle class (at least) in the U.S. is almost disappearing and soon there will only be the super rich and the super poor. Also interesting to know is that most of the money in the world is made speculating on the financial market (making money out of money) and NOT from producing and selling things. Not to bash too hard on banks but I think this quote pretty much sums it up.
"Give a man a gun and he can rob a bank, give a man a bank and he can rob the world"
Yeah, but this is getting WAY too political for a video game review blog I just had to get some things off my chest. Anyway if you are interested in the subject here are 10 documentaries that are absolutely worth watching.
1. Surviving Progress (2011)
A documentary about how our constant need for progress and a society based on overconsumtion and exploitation might drive us towards a collapse. It might seem like a very pessimistic film and that a collapse is inevitable but it's really an eye opening documentary about the world we live in today. 8/10
3. 97% Owned (2012)
A British documentary explaining what is seriously wrong with our current financial system and also provides a lot of ideas and solutions on how to solve the problems. This documentary might require some previous knowledge on the subject because otherwise it can be somewhat hard to follow. Mostly talk and very few illustrations but very interesting to hear about the subject from a more European viewpoint. 8/10
4. Overdose (2010)
Examines the financial crisis of 2008 and why the measures taken by the governments might just lead us into an even bigger crisis. The documentary claims that we are making the same mistakes that lead us to the crisis in the first place. Very short and interesting documentary. 8/10
5. Consumed
A documentary discussing our constant need for consumption from the aspect of evolutionary psychology and provides an interesting view on how the human mind works. Our world has changed very rapidly and drastically in a very short time but our brain has essentially stayed unchanged for a long time. Can't say I agree with everything in the documentary but it makes many good points about our consumer lifestyle. 7/10
6. Four Horseman (2012)
Yet another documentary discussing our current economic and financial system, but a very good one I might say. Very objective view on the subject although you can't help getting angry at the people who caused the current economic meltdown and how they could possibly get away with it. 9/10
7. Inside Job (2010)
This documentary won an Oscar for best documentary in 2011 and is in fact a very good documentary narrated by Matt Damon. It takes on a lot of the issues also discussed in Four Horsemen and takes a closer look on what brought about the financial breakdown. Definitely worth watching. 9/10
8. Capitalism - A Love Story (2009)
Michael Moore's documentary on how capitalism is ruining life for a lot of people while making some people super rich. It shows how our current system has it flaws and what impact it has on ordinary people. More entertaining than informative but still a good film. 7/10
9. ReGeneration (2010)
A documentary narrated by Ryan Gosling (that's right girls) about the apathy found in todays youth who is very cynical and no longer interested in politics or social issues. Makes you think. 7/10
10. Home (2009)
A very inspiring documentary showing us how beautiful our Earth is and the scary truth that we are exploiting its resources in a rapid pace. Highly recommend watching it. 9/10
I don't smoke and I exercise a fair amount so my new years resolution for 2014 is to try to make the world a better pace. It might seem a little too ambitious and I don't even know what I'm going to do yet, but I believe there is something I can do. But to change something you have to understand it, that's why I am also recommending YOU to watch some of the documentaries on the list and hopefully that will also inspire you to wanna change the world somehow. Don't take everything they say in the documentaries for granted, it's okay to be critical, just let them inspire you and be open minded.
Here are some of my thoughts after watching these documentaries:
Having studied business, marketing and economics for a while I've become really interested in all these topics and I've also come to the realization that these things are not separated from the society and the world at whole. This might seem like an obvious thing but when you come to think about it many people don't realize this and don't really understand how the economy works, how they are impacted by marketing without even knowing it and how our current financial system is corrupted and will ultimately drive itself to the ground if it is not radically reformed.
And I don't blame people for not understanding this either. I have studied this shit for 6 years, read books about the subject, watched documentaries about it and still some things are a bit hard for me to grasp. And don't let the negative subjects of the documentaries bring you down, in able to change we just need to understand what's going on and that is the way we can make the world a better place. Some may also look at these issues as they are better not knowing "ignorance is bliss" they say and yes, that might make you a happier person than knowing what's going on, but it will eventually bite you or your children or your grandchildren in the ass. I just think that understanding how the world works is the key here. If the system itself is corrupt than nothing will change unless we change the system. We need a world with a more stable economic system that benefits all people, a more sustainable consumption that doesn't exploit our natural resources, pollute our atmosphere or exploit third world workforce. (Put in peace on earth and we have utopia)
Yes, I know it sounds too good to be true but I still see it as something to strive for. And yes I know I am no saint either. I haven't been recycling that much, I used to buy all kinds of unnecessary crap, I haven't really though about where my food or my clothes come from. But I've slowly tried to change and be more aware of these issues. And in my opinion recycling is not enough, we are way beyond that, we have to drastically rethink our materialistic and consumeristic values and change our whole lifestyle. And yes, I know change is hard but you know humans are incredible when it comes to adapting to new situations. I mean 2000 years ago people walked on water and now all people walk on land. No but seriously, people change all the time, they stop smoking, lose weight or sober up and not until they do, do they realize how much better life can be. Ok, maybe your life is great as it is, but it is probably not great because of the money or materialistic things you have it's probably because of your family and your friends, access to clean water and air, safety, a roof over your head, so actually you don't have to give up any of the things that really matter.
I just wish that my generation, OUR generation would stop making the mistakes some of our previous generations have done and stop thinking that money and greed will make you happy and start thinking about the people and our environment instead. (I will probably be labeled a hippie for saying all this but for one, I don't care, and two, What's wrong with hippies?) Someone might also think, why am I going to listen to some geek who just plays video games all the time. First of all, I don't play video games ALL the time, just a lot, OK! The thing is, I like to think (you know with my brain) and learn new things and playing video games or watching movies often makes me think about stuff and also gives me the illusion that I've learned new things (and also playing video games is fun). Call me a naive, video game playing, hippie geek hypocrite but I believe (warning, cliché coming up) that we could make this world a better place for everyone. (we just need a plan, a non violent plan, a silent revolution)
Basically what many of the documentaries below are saying is that the big banks can create money out of nothing, we are living on huge debt in hope that we can pay it back in the future and that the financial system is constructed in a way that makes the rich even richer and the poor even poorer and the inequality of wealth is distributed in a way that the middle class (at least) in the U.S. is almost disappearing and soon there will only be the super rich and the super poor. Also interesting to know is that most of the money in the world is made speculating on the financial market (making money out of money) and NOT from producing and selling things. Not to bash too hard on banks but I think this quote pretty much sums it up.
"Give a man a gun and he can rob a bank, give a man a bank and he can rob the world"
Yeah, but this is getting WAY too political for a video game review blog I just had to get some things off my chest. Anyway if you are interested in the subject here are 10 documentaries that are absolutely worth watching.
1. Surviving Progress (2011)
A documentary about how our constant need for progress and a society based on overconsumtion and exploitation might drive us towards a collapse. It might seem like a very pessimistic film and that a collapse is inevitable but it's really an eye opening documentary about the world we live in today. 8/10
2. The Corporation (2003)
This documentary is already 10 years old but still a very relevant documentary on how corporations have become even bigger than governments and have a lot of power in our world today. It also makes a point that without corporations we wouldn't have many of the things we have today. The Corporation has won many awards and even if it is almost 2,5 hours long it never gets boring. 8/10
This documentary is already 10 years old but still a very relevant documentary on how corporations have become even bigger than governments and have a lot of power in our world today. It also makes a point that without corporations we wouldn't have many of the things we have today. The Corporation has won many awards and even if it is almost 2,5 hours long it never gets boring. 8/10
3. 97% Owned (2012)
A British documentary explaining what is seriously wrong with our current financial system and also provides a lot of ideas and solutions on how to solve the problems. This documentary might require some previous knowledge on the subject because otherwise it can be somewhat hard to follow. Mostly talk and very few illustrations but very interesting to hear about the subject from a more European viewpoint. 8/10
4. Overdose (2010)
Examines the financial crisis of 2008 and why the measures taken by the governments might just lead us into an even bigger crisis. The documentary claims that we are making the same mistakes that lead us to the crisis in the first place. Very short and interesting documentary. 8/10
5. Consumed
A documentary discussing our constant need for consumption from the aspect of evolutionary psychology and provides an interesting view on how the human mind works. Our world has changed very rapidly and drastically in a very short time but our brain has essentially stayed unchanged for a long time. Can't say I agree with everything in the documentary but it makes many good points about our consumer lifestyle. 7/10
6. Four Horseman (2012)
Yet another documentary discussing our current economic and financial system, but a very good one I might say. Very objective view on the subject although you can't help getting angry at the people who caused the current economic meltdown and how they could possibly get away with it. 9/10
7. Inside Job (2010)
This documentary won an Oscar for best documentary in 2011 and is in fact a very good documentary narrated by Matt Damon. It takes on a lot of the issues also discussed in Four Horsemen and takes a closer look on what brought about the financial breakdown. Definitely worth watching. 9/10
8. Capitalism - A Love Story (2009)
Michael Moore's documentary on how capitalism is ruining life for a lot of people while making some people super rich. It shows how our current system has it flaws and what impact it has on ordinary people. More entertaining than informative but still a good film. 7/10
9. ReGeneration (2010)
A documentary narrated by Ryan Gosling (that's right girls) about the apathy found in todays youth who is very cynical and no longer interested in politics or social issues. Makes you think. 7/10
10. Home (2009)
A very inspiring documentary showing us how beautiful our Earth is and the scary truth that we are exploiting its resources in a rapid pace. Highly recommend watching it. 9/10
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