I went to see Citizen Koch yesterday. There was a Q&A with one of the filmmakers, Tia Lessin. An amazing movie, one that doesnt concentrate on the Koch brothers per se so much as use them as an example of how unlimited money has not only infiltrated democracy in the wake of Citizens United, but given elected officials the ability to strip citizens of basic rights. It also has the best explanation of Citizens United Ive ever seen. But this is no left-wing rant, of the kind that usually appeals to me. The focus here is not on liberal activists, but on Republicans in Wisconsin who are disillusioned with their own party. They include a prison guard, a teacher, a nurse who works in a veterans hospital, a guy who repairs motorcycles who votes for the first time. Theyre no-bullshit kind of people, whose eyes have been opened, who have become activists pretty much because they had no choice if they wanted to keep their jobs. When Scott Walker gets elected, you can see them struggling with the fact that theyve supported the Republican party their whole life and now theyve gotten something they never bargained for. This movie shows the human side, rather than the rhetorical side, of these issues. The people who are bearing the brunt of these far-right financial activities. David Koch appears in it for maybe two minutes. Yet this is the film that PBS withdrew because Koch, who sits on their board, was making a contribution. The filmmakers fought to get it made, to raise funding, to get it shown. Theyve got it in theaters all across the country. Lessin said she invited him to yesterdays showing. (If you wanted to see David Koch in New York, youd have to go see his name on his Lincoln Center Theater, at the Museum of Natural History or at the Met fountain). I was the youngest one there. It drove me crazy. Most of the audience were senior citizens who worked for Common Cause. Theyve been fighting to keep money out of government for 40 years. This movie was eminently watchable, entertaining and shows where we are now. I cant think of a movie that even comes close in the past year except Nebraska. Ive posted the schedule below. If its not playing near you, you can sign up for streaming in the fall. You can buy it on DVD. You can repost this. You can tell someone you know. If you see just one movie this year, and its Godzilla, Im coming after you.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 16:34:22 +0000
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