"A very inspirational film that tells us in a very clear way what it takes to implement a community driven regeneration... I want to see more!!!"
At first glance, the movie seems to explain rather accurately what concepts such as money and debt mean. At around half way through the film however, it deteriorates into a vast conspiracy theory, claiming, among other things, that the Rothschild family (called "Red-Shields" in the film) are controlling the Federal Reserve and that they were responsible for the Assassination of JFK. The film's official website contains a list of "Good Guys" who, according to the film's creators, try to fight the evil Rotschilds from taking over the world. The website Drudge Report and Alex Jones are listed among them. Jones himself has given a positive review of the film.[1]Some comments by Tad Lumpkin -with my blackening some words- answering to people´s comments to the film on Ron Paul´s page (Wikipedia on Ron Paul. Take a look to Newsletters controversy.)
I took a look at the thread. First off, what people need to understand is that we made this as a way to start a conversation and explain the basics of the economic, banking and monetary system we have. The point is to expose that it is inherently a scam. The film is meant to drive people who are currently unengaged in this issue to become engaged. People within the movement need to look at this not as a competitor or replacement to a longer more in depth examination of the exact mechanics but as a gateway to it.
Think of this film more in the vein of South Park. Its a mix of exposing an issue using fact and storytelling with our commentary obviously laid in there.
On specific issues, like the Thomas Jefferson quote:
That quote is attributed to him over and over again and maybe he didn't say it but most people right or wrong believe he did. Regardless of the reality, it conveys the point we wanted to make. Thomas Jefferson spoke about all the issues and ideas covered in that quote many many times in 100% verifiable historical documents. The rivalry of ideas with Alexander Hamilton is one of the most famous political rivalries in American history. There isn't anything in that quote that is contradictory to the often expressed beliefs that Jefferson espoused. Its not like that quote is counter what he believed. Again, we aren't making a historical book of quotes, we are made a narrative cartoon. Whether the words were the exact way he said those ideas or not it doesn't change anything.
Its the same thing on "I killed the bank' being said by Andrew Jackson" that potentially could be lore, but again its totally consistent to who he was and what he did. If he didn't say it on his death bed, he should have and again, It doesn't change anything. We aren't trying to trick people, we are trying to motivate them to research the ideas in the film and get involved.
On the 10th century scene with the candy man. The point of that was to show the evolution from barter to currency and the move from coinage to paper and how that then provided the opportunity for fractional reserve banking and unintended consequences. The prices went up because the bank, a private bank increased the money supply because of the switch from a full reserve system to a fractional reserve system.
Beyond that, I'll make it clear for the record that we are not endorsing violence. Our website has more information on things people can go do to get involved. What we are endorsing is people to do something, question the system, take these people to task and be willing to be a patriot by risking something to refresh the tree of liberty. Protest, organizing and civil disobedience via many methods is hopefully sufficient to change things. We are not being polite about our point of view. Part of our style is an edgy satire that calls it likes it sees it. We were tame compared to something like South Park that is wildly popular.
Same on the conspiracy theory comment. Again "Its an animated satire" Its not a documentary. There are tons of very dry and straight forward presentations of these ideas, this is something different. Not in conflict with those but again as a gateway.
The biggest thing that people in the liberty movement need to understand is that everyone isn't like them and doesn't respond to the same generally academic methodology. Remember our current President won on what? not a real plan... He won on "hope and change". You have to market these ideas to people.This movement has by far the most superior concepts but it lacks the wide spread acknowledgment that having the best ideas is not enough. We need to present these in a way that can be summarized in words like 'hope and change", not just in 300 page Austrian economics book. If we only rely on that, we'll never hit critical mass to really change things back to a liberty based philosophy.
I have shown this film to lots of people who are everything but a libertarian oriented person and they love it and they get it.
The Pepsi Challenge I'll put forth to everyone, is to show this film to their friends and family that they have been trying to get to read Road to Serfdom for the last 10 years and see what happens. One, you can get most everyone to sit down and watch it because its short and easy to watch. Two, take a look at the impact rate. It is far higher because of the simplicity.
That is my diatribe. Hope that addresses some of the concerns.
best
Tad
A powerful, poetic, visual and introspective journey into the heart of an astonishingly symbolic environmental tragedy. On one of the remotest islands on our planet, tens of thousands of baby albatrosses lie dead on the ground, their bodies filled with plastic from the Pacific Garbage Patch. Returning to the island over several years, our team is witnessing the cycles of life and death of these birds as a multi-layered metaphor for our times. With photographer Chris Jordan as our guide, we walk through the fire of horror and grief, facing the immensity of this tragedy—and our own complicity—head on. And in this process, we find an unexpected route to a transformational experience of beauty, acceptance, and understanding.
We frame our story in the vividly gorgeous language of state-of-the-art high-definition digital cinematography, surrounded by millions of live birds in one of the world’s most beautiful natural sanctuaries. The viewer will experience stunning juxtapositions of beauty and horror, destruction and renewal, grief and joy, birth and death, coming out the other side with their heart broken open and their worldview shifted. Stepping outside the stylistic templates of traditional environmental or documentary films, MIDWAY will take viewers on a guided tour into the depths of their own spirits, delivering a profound message of reverence and love.
