A caveat on 'Greedy Lying Bastards'

I recently posted a brief note recommending the film Greedy Lying Bastards, which exposes the denial industry.

My friend Chris Williams (author of Ecology and Socialism) sent me this comment, which he has given me permission to post.

“I went to see Greedy Lying Bastards. I think your review or recommendation needs a strong caveat. I think it was far too divorced from movements, overly focused on the director as an actor for change, gave no real solutions or things that people could do that would make a difference (write to your member of Congress).

“And perhaps worst of all, I saw it as one long ad for the Democratic Party. All the evil people were Republicans or fossil fuel CEO’s, while the person held up as pro-environment and on the right side were Democrats, even going so far as to intimate in the film Obama helped in Copenhagen with the shot of him and voice over from 2009.

“So on the one hand, I think it’s good to expose the deep links between the FF corporations and the pro-smoking lobby and their connections to paying politicians and lying (there were some great scenes on that) but on the other hand, it struck me as far too soft and one-sided with regard to the corporations and most especially Democrats, and left out the actions and struggle of ordinary people for justice, which are the real solutions.”

My remarks, which were made on opening day, reflected my enthusiasm that a movie exposing the greedy lying bastards is showing in commercial theaters.

That said, Chris’s comments do add some needed balance: Greedy Lying Bastards is a liberal movie, not a radical one. I don’t think anyone familiar with the biases of the mass media would expect anything else, but it is important to make that point.

—
Ian

More from my notebook ….