Moore's Claim:
In a recent interview with CNSNews.com Michael Moore was asked by reporter Nicholas Ballasy if capitalism was the reason he and his movies were so successful. Moore responded by saying, “Capitalism did nothing for me.”
Moore went on to say, “Starting with my first film…you know, I had to pretty much beg, borrow and steal.” He is referring to the amount of hard work and dedication it took for him to get his movies to the public.
This is the second interview in which Moore takes this stance. The article Nightline’s Interview with Michael Moore profiles the first.
Hard work and success goes hand in hand. According to school-for-champions.com, “Running a business requires leadership and includes management of finances, personnel, procurement, manufacturing, marketing and sales. This is true for a large corporation, as well as a one-person operation.” Even through a person possesses all of these skills, there is no guarantee he will succeed.
Capitalism is designed to allow anyone to succeed, but only the most dedicated, imaginative, and resourceful to rise to the top of their markets. Dictionary.com gives the following definition of capitalism, “An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market.”
The key words there are privately or corporately owned. The system by definition allows anyone with a better idea to market, produce, distribute, and sell that idea to the market; and may the best idea win. This premise demands a tremendous amount of effort and work in order to be successful.
The Contradiction:
When Michael Moore says that capitalism has done nothing for him because he had too work so hard to get his first few films recognized he is defining capitalism.
Indeed business ownership in a capitalist system is difficult. To illustrate the point, About.com writer Robert Longley says that the US Small Business Administration estimates that 50 percent of small businesses fail with in the first five years.
That puts a new business owner’s success rate at half for the first five years of the business’s existence. Moore did not acknowledge that it was his efforts that made him successful by using capitalism.
Nicholas Ballasy asked Moore about his reported fortune of over $50 million dollars. Moore snidely denies the statement by saying, “Really? Are you kidding me? Seriously? Wow. Where did it go?” Moore later concedes the point by saying, “But I do well, obviously because my films do well.”
Throughout the interview Moore never suggests was has made him successful other than his own efforts. Again this points directly to the definition of capitalism. But to make that concession would discredit the premise of his soon to be released movie.
Sources:
www.cnsnews.com
usgovinfo.about.com
www.school-for-champions.com
dictionary.com
Photo: www.morguefile.com
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