Photo Courtesy of David Shankbone, Wikipedia
Controversial filmmaker Michael Moore returns to the screen in “Where To Invade Next,” his first documentary in six years. In a dream-like opening sequence, Moore is summoned to the Pentagon by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss all of America’s fraudulent wars since World War II. Moore proposes that he will invade other countries around the world and take what we need from them. But there’s a catch; no casualties, no PTSD, no oil, just ideas. And man, does he find some ideas worth stealing.
His first stop is Italy, where he interviews a couple (a police officer and a clothing company employee) who tell him that each of them are given around eight weeks of paid vacation per year. Moore then stops at two Italian factories (Ducati being one of them) and observes that workers are given two-hour lunch breaks, which means employees are able to go home to a proper meal. The CEOs of these companies are more than happy to give these workers such benefits, as it makes for a more productive and happy workforce.
Moore then makes his way to France, where school cafeterias serve fresh and delectable food. French students are appalled when they see the subpar meals that American students are served, and to make matters worse, France actually spends less money than America does per student in regards to school food.
In countries like Germany, Norway and dozens of others, college tuition is paid for by the government, in comparison to the staggering debt that students in America are burdened with. Moore even interviews kids from the U.S. who have gone to these countries in pursuit of a free college education, unable to pay off what’s available at home.
In countries like Slovenia and Iceland, women play a far greater role in society than women in America. The Slovenian government recently met the demands of its female citizens and agreed to their terms on abortion, accessible healthcare and a higher presence of women in the workplace.
In Portugal, the war on drugs ended around 15 years ago, resulting in fewer drug-related deaths and drug-related crimes. And when one adds universal healthcare and affordable rehabilitation in the mix, drug users have incentives to seek treatment. Moore compares Portugal’s strategy to America’s, which disproportionately targets minorities and costs a fortune.
Make no mistake, Moore understands that these countries have plenty of issues, but his goal is to “pick the flowers, not the weeds.”
“Where To Invade Next” is one of Moore’s most accomplished and thought provoking films yet. It is a film that caters to neither liberal or conservative agendas, a film that anyone can walk out of with a clear message in mind: America can do better.
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