Plutocracy III: Class War
The early struggles of the working class are placed under a microscope in Plutocracy III: Class War, the latest chapter in an exceptionally well produced series which explores the origins of America's growing economic divide.
Without a doubt, the clashes between worker rights and corporate interests are prominent in today's political and economic landscape, but they're not a modern phenomenon by any means. These imbalances, and the wealth inequalities that have resulted in their wake, have existed for generations. The filmmakers provide a searing portrait of the brave workers who fought for true democracy in the early decades of the 20th century.
The film begins with the titan of the labor movement during that period - Mary Harris "Mother" Jones. A galvanizing presence who spent her life inspiring a working class revolution, Jones rallied a coalition of miners from Ludlow, Colorado in 1914. These miners worked under heinous conditions and for little pay in a coal operation owned by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Their determination knew no bounds; when the company cast the striking miners and their families out of their homes, they defiantly set up a colony of tents and continued their fight for fairness.
Their stand-off ended in tragedy. The National Guard was deployed and unleashed gun fire into the colony, senselessly massacring men, women and children. This appalling event sparked outrage and public protest across the United States.
The bulk of the film examines the impact of World War I on the labor movement, a conflict that saw the slaughter and disfigurement of a generation. The war provided further evidence of the class divide, and would propel labor advocacy efforts among all genders and races.
All of this culminated in the rise of the Socialist Party and the radical International Workers of the World organization, as well as the events of 1919, a year that saw 22.5% of the work force in strike mode.
Plutocracy III: Class War offers invaluable historical insights from a panel of historians and labor advocates. Their deeply human narrative is assisted by a briskly edited barrage of stock footage, archive materials, and other provocative imagery.
Directed by: Scott Noble
"Have to keep them POOR or they won't need us any more." --Socialist leadership.
"if just got rid of the govt welfare dept, we'd have enough to write a check for $60,000 to everyone on welfare" --1980's govt study
@Urban Dweller: Sweden, France, et al are NOT Socialist countries, "yet". Another Marxist lie. They are Welfare states supported by Capitalism just like the usa, only more so. Yet a number of years ago Sweden was going broke even at 70% tax rate, so they went the other way, cut taxes and cut services. Every thing you have learned and believe about Socialism is a lie. Lying is the ONLY way Socialism can ever gain a foothold.
Read Marx, read Alinsky, "Lie lie lie and lie some more. The people will never go for it if you told them the truth."
Govt school teaches what is good for the Marxists/Socialists behind the curtain pulling the strings, the real power elite, not what is good for the middle class; not for people who just want to be left alone to have a nice life.
If you did even a minuscule amount of homework, even from this website, you would learn WHO and WHAT is behind Socialism, when and why its promotion in this country began and why they spent so much money bribing universities to install their Socialist professors to teach the teachers... to indoctrinate you; and of course those going into the media.
It is the very "people" you despise: The rich central bankers: Rockefellers, Rothchilds, Their Big Oil, Military, Media, Big Ag, Monsanto, Pharmaceutical, etc. Corporations, Soros, Bushes, Clintons, the Bilderbergers, CFR, et al. The rich corporate so called elite and their minions, the powers that be.
Why do they want Socialism so bad? Why have they been incrementally working towards it so diligently all these years? It is the ultimate power. Makes everything they really want to do so much easier, such as their Globalism One world govt(Communism) and depopulation agenda. Contrary to Socialist propaganda (lies) it concentrates much more wealth and power into the hands of the ruling class. They dictate, you do, or you don't eat.
The less money they let you have, the more power they have. Do you actually think a true Socialist wants to "distribute" give you money they confiscated from someone else? Just the minimum amount to keep you from storming the Bastille. You should get a clue from the Socialists in Congress for the past 60 years. They dribble a little free stuff to keep the poor voting for the Socialists in hopes of getting more free stuff; that wasn't free at all. No job? That is what Socialism caused, not Capitalism. What business would want to stay in business where govt was taking more than the effort was worth? Socialism is pure corruption at its core, thievery, unsustainable. People will give up their hard work, quit, and say they want some of that free stuff too. Then the money dries up. It ain't rocket science, it is human nature, and it has been proven time and again.
Please define "doing well". By any and every definition I can think of, all those euro "western" capitalist welfare states some other dupe told you were socialist, are NOT doing well. It must be the magic of the lie to think that they are "doing weil". They are/have run out of money as every Socialist leaning country eventually will when they cross the line of more Socialism than Capitalism.
When the money runs out, as it always does, for those who take instead of make, then Socialism turns on the very people they lied to about wanting to make their conditions better, when they only lied to gain power. Case in point Greece was first with the riots, now 2018-2019 a part of Spain wanting to split, France, Venezuela, and a long list of others throughout history.
Even China and Russia had to resort to allowing people some freedom in business to make a little money (capitalism) in order to survive and resurge.
Yet the fools here have been so emotionalized via govt socialist school and socialist major media constant pounding indoctrination lies about all the problems Socialism has caused but which they blame on Capitalism. Much the same as Arab leaders pointing to the West for many decades, as the enemy consuming all their oil wealth, while they hoard all the oil revenue to build themselves palaces with gold fixtures, yachts, harems, limos, sports cars, etc.
In more practical terms, why would a Socialist bureaucrat who considers you a number rather than a person, give you food and a nice job when they have relatives and friends who need it? Case in point: as the once great usa has become MUCH more socialistic over the years, the once huge middle class has become much smaller, a few more rich and a lot more poor and a massively over bloated Socialistic govt. Govt IS socialism. More govt is MORE socialism, which is a direct result of GREEDY Socialism sucking up all the wealth, causing business to flee. How can a small business start up or continue if govt grabs all the money people have to spend and wastes it on Solindra, bridges to nowhere, massive healthcare take over which is MUCH more costly with less coverage, more govt buildings with their names on it, along with the military industrial complex? Govt IS the problem. The more govt the less freedom. How can their be such a mental disconnect about these simple facts? Socialism = less freedom. That has been proven each and every time throughout history.
Urban Dweller would have us ruled by the Dept of Motor Vehicles, take a number please and wait for every little thing, including a medical operation while you suffer. And since you will get paid what they decide might be just enough from keeping you from revolting, you will be really motivated to produce. cough cough, and why Russia's shelves were empty in the 1970s and we had to ship them grain. Why would a farmer break their back just for some bureaucrat to come take it, "for the good of all" as he stores as much as he can at his place? As high priced as food is now, it will skyrocket when Socialism takes over the farms. Supply will dwindle. Incompetence will reign supreme. "We're from the govt, we're here to help!"...ourselves to your wallet.
No you don't want real Socialism where everyone is equally poor except for the ruling class. You want the increased Welfare State Govt to steal from others to give to you a little more ...and a little more ...and... because you are too lazy to start your own business. One that SERVES others' needs. Hires people so they can earn self respect.
That is antithetical to the Socialist ego. Nothing can be wrong with your thinking. It is that other guy, the hard working capitalist who takes a chance on him/herself to make a better life rather than being a cry baby in a nest chirping for some more worms. That is the evil capitalist you despise because they have balls and ideas and you satisfy yourself by yammering along with your fool teachers that capitalism is evil when the fact is that Greedy socialism is not only inherently more corrupt but quickly resorts to violence, not benevolence.
Small biz accounts for 85% or so of usa jobs yet you worry about the big evil corporations and tear it all down for the 15% of which maybe 5% or less is truly bad corporations. Emotionalizing rather than factualizing is the problem govt schools created for the very purpose of instigating a revolution to sadistic pathetic Socialism.
Socialism IS what makes the playing field DISHONEST. That is exactly why the major Corporations and Central Banksters and their minions in power have been pushing the Socialist agenda. The Big Boys want ALL the advantages which are MUCH easier to obtain via Socialism. "No you cannot have a permit to start that biz. That would compete with my greedy Socialist cronies which give me cash in an envelope every quarter to keep me denying your permits!" They get to curb and eliminate the competition via Socialism. That is why the biggest healthcare outfits were fine with Obamacare. It is the ultimate power play. THEY will have most of the power, with just a few suppliers. Then comes the mandatory vaccination laws to keep the crony Big Pharma corps happy. You will be lucky to be alive after they fool enough people like yourself into "justifying" a civil war to get the socialist slave state that you were fooled into thinking is somehow better. Just pathetic.
"There is nothing better than war to effect change."
That also is part of their plan. The depopulation agenda. They make money selling weaponry. You get dead. They win twice. Do some, even a little homework please. Even on this website. All they grow in school are mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed full of manure.
If you don't want to live under the US Constitution, then LEAVE to that Socialist utopia. What is stopping you? Such cry babies. If it is so great elsewhere, go there. My suggestion would be to Venezuela or Cuba, an actual Socialist country, unlike the Capitalist Welfare states in euro land. How much would it take for you to leave? I know people who would pay your one way air fare as long as you sign a contract not to return.
The very concept of Socialism is corruption at its core. Steal $100 from your mother, pocket $49, spend $50 on wasteful projects, distribute $1 to you, to keep you poor and voting for that next $1.
Clearly you would rather ruin everyone else's life just because you bought a load of BS from your corrupted teachers; reinforced by the same indoctrinated dupes in the major media. The Socialists are merely self centered greedy arrogant chickens, too lame to move. Would rather ruin this place first, then move, after then realize what they did.
How absurdly wrong again, Socialists are the number hounds, quantifying everything they can so as to justify some stupid meddlesome action be it in the environment or to the population, based on falsified numbers, such as the proven lies of Global Warming to justify control over the populations activity, as we enter in to a Global Cooling age. Name one thing Socialist haven't lied about? It is their Modus Operandi, for if they told the truth, people would shun them.
st*u. jesus christ. is the system you're obviously promoting(corporate capitalism, permanent war, disastrous healthcare outcomes, which as we all can see, is leading us over a cliff.
You wrote" Govt IS the problem. The more govt the less freedom." This is a very wrong deduction of my reality of Norway. Thanks to a strong state and a democracy with the highest trust in the world (statistics, not meant as a boast), and not just the impulses or good-will of unregulated big companies and bought politicians, we take care of each other. The state supports the citizens so people can live independent lives.
And thank "god" for unions, and that we don't have a religious dominated country, or a government that split the population against each other.
Dustup: If the playing field was simply honest (unlike Trump campaigning for one thing but switching gears in office) then capitalism could work.
But how is it that "socialism" works in other western countries? Magic? Or have they simply defined a moral compass for their country over and above money (capitalism)? Because life/work isn't just about money (capitalism). It's about balance. Work/life balance. The world is made up of "people" living, changing, growing organisms - not categories, numbers and dollars! Get off the capitalistic bandwagon and vote for a higher level of awareness for humanity! Vote for candidates who don't take PAC money! Simple.
No corporate PAC money (capitalism) in order to vote for a candidate who will support "working" adults as opposed to "mega"corporations.
We Americans presently Govern ourselves as a
Democratic Socialist Republic. A complex finely tuned mixture of all three.
Sheer Capitalism must be constrained via Governmental enforced regulations upon the Capitalist business which are presently draining the life out of our countries workforce. We agree that as individuals we can't pay for many of the social services that we all consume, so we pay for these services via a Socialistic pooling of our incomes turned over to our Federal, State and Municipal Governments in the form of taxes which all three layers of our Government call revenue. That revenue pays for our Military, Police and Fire Departments, the Roadways and infastructure, the Public Works Departments and the list goes on and on. Then there are the many Social Services known as the safety net, which are available for when we may need to seek help.
As a Republic we individual Americans are represented through the Congress, of the people, for the people and by the people. The Socialism which you speak of is a slippery slope argument which has been discredited yime and time again.
thank you
thank you, mr dweller
Although WW1 was before Stalin's reign, his words are educational:
"World dictatorship can be established only when the victory of Socialism has been achieved in certain countries or groups of countries ... [and] when these federation of republics have finally grown into a world union of Soviet Socialist Republics uniting the whole of mankind under the hegemony of the international proletariat organized as a state."
"Unions are the perfect training ground for Socialists."
"The press must grow day in and day out - it is our Party's sharpest and most powerful weapon." DUnote: Still is. The socialist media is strong as ever here in the usa.
"It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."
--Joseph Stalin
Rather than a Plutocracy, it seems those times and most times since, depict an idiocracy. Two major sides, both doing bad and wrong things to retain or gain power. The greed of a few too many who hide behind corporations is quite amazing. Just as bad, the wrongheaded greed of unions to extort, which is much easier than to compete in business.
With all the members of the IWW why did they fail to start a business to fulfill their stated goal of being anti wage and share in the rewards? Because they were in a different business. The business of destruction of Capitalism in favor of Socialism and managed to round up a number of recruits who believed their propaganda, that their vision was better, when it was far worse. Socialism simply steals from the workers to give to others creating a severe lack of motivation; hence bare store shelves in the Soviet Union when I was a kid.
Let's not forget that in the WW2 era, Rockefeller, Ford, JP Morgan and a few others favored Socialism because they wanted ever more control over the workers while getting rid of the competition. Socialism being far more corrupt than Capitalism, the corporations tight with govt simply have the competitors contracts terminated, with no recourse. Yes that can occur in Capitalism but there are at least a few avenues of recourse.
Like everything else, unions can be corrupted for the benefit of corporations, to strike when it is in the best interests of the corporation when they have temporarily over produced or the economy has stumbled not needing as much of their product.
In the early part of this docu, clearly the union leaders care not for the worker, switching to favor the wars. How much were they paid? It seems little has changed because the nature of these type of robber barrons has not changed. I think there is a docu on this site which talks of Psychopaths in business or some such.
If one watched closely, they saw where laws were passed against the Constitution, by Congress, facilitating most of the abuse. Congress had to fund the FBI, etc. Since nothing was accomplished at the necessary levels, being legislatures and Congress, the people failing to get laws passed in their favor, removing unconstitutional laws, or facilitating a means of ousting all office holders, including supreme court members who fail to follow the constitution they take an oath to uphold, the people volunteer for their own misery, death, and destruction.
Thus it seemed it will always be since enough of the people are too lazy to toss the bums out of office and see to it honest wise decent appropriate freedom loving Constitution following individuals are running from all parties for all offices, in numbers, so it will not matter who the major media watching fools vote for, someone decent will get in to straighten things out, drain the corrupt swamp. That of course would require close monitoring of all voting apparati, counts, etc. The people are just too lazy. Much easier to shout and blow up some bombs and pretend you are doing something when you aren't at all, really. It seems a miracle Trump managed to win despite all the vote rigging. I would bet he won the popular vote as well were it not for that. It is a rare time in history when someone who isn't beholden to the corporations is at the helm. Hopefully more good will come of it despite the socialist media propaganda.
@Peter seems to be a propagandist or confused. If the negative aspects which can occur with Capitalism due to greed (but not necessarily so for less greedy Capitalists) are considered "vulgar", then by any measure so to is Socialism vulgar in its own greed, oppression of those who disagree with their methods, threats and outright theft of the rights of the very workers they claim to support, theft of what they produce to give to others, and extortion of those they should pool their resources to compete in the marketplace with, if they don't like the situation offered.
IWW had one big flaw. The result it sought was worse than what it was fighting against. It sought Socialism the lite version of Communism the not so lite version of Totalitarianism. It was filled with what Lenin and Stalin would call useful idiots. Those working to put themselves in a large set of chains than they had before.
One wonders who and what was behind many of the unions? I could imagine some to be supported by the Soviets. Or supported by corporations to expose and eliminate the "trouble makers".
IN Conclusion: Today just as then, we have an idiocracy with two major opposing sides: Corporations and Socialism pretending to fight to destroy the other when NEITHER should survive. Both are bad, together they are bad. Charity or caring for those in need has nothing to do with stealing from others, skimming most of that in govt salaries, and dribbling a little bit to the downtrodden to buy their votes. It has to do with a community taking care of their own in need. It is NOT the job of govt. They don't know how to do anything worthwhile at all. They just know how to steal, which is simply far worse under Socialism. Govt is run by attorneys, the most morally corrupt and parasitic of all "professions" outside and inside of govt. Socialism = more govt = more theft = less freedom. Please read about the beginning of this nation, when the whites first landed and nearly starved until they tossed socialism. Please read The Constitution, how it was written to benefit YOU not any other group or class or corporation. Realize that corporations were only for public works projects like road building, originally, until attorneys managed to create a monster that psychopaths could hide behind. Roll that back along with govt and the economic activity that freedom creates will astound.
My grandfather lived through those times depicted in this docu. He never mentioned any of this. He was too busy working his hiney off so he could open a store and later go into another business. Unions like to portray that they are pushed to the limit and so are justified in doing bad things. I know people who LEFT the mines and moved to another part of the country for other opportunities. Why is it that some would rather cause death and mayhem than to better their condition elsewhere? Can't afford to move? It truly seems they could not afford to stay.
Your a complete nut job trying to normalize lunacy with typing more words than needed to explain a basic situation. Capitalists exploit and workers are exploited. The whole system is built off this one simple premise. The problems we have today all grow and are systemically built off of this. Do not over complicate a subject matter by saying both sides are bad. Capitalism is a parasitic, self destroying system of unsustainable growth with one target of shareholder wealth at any cost. My point again, is that these situations are extremely simple to wrap your mind around, that is why we are not taught about these points in history. People who labor are exploited, and people who control the means of production and wealth are the exploiters. Simple.
Informative, clear, interesting. A well made documentary indeed.
Great job!!
I LOVE how the text is neutral and voice tranquil, as opposed to the sequence of sensational stupid comments of History Channel 'popular' documentaries.
Excellent film. History is certainly repeating itself today.
Excellent! Revealing the true history of USA
Too bad the format is Vimeo. I'm only at high speed DSL here.
So, it freeze every once in a while even if I set Vimeo at its lowest quality.
In hope that it'll be re-encode soon.
I quit.
the fed whispers into the ears of its war dogs 'corporations' whom it never punishes,only rewards
there is an alien on earth,its name is 'corporation',this alien has no conscious,no heart,no arms or legs,its invisible and cannot be physically touched.
that's no bull
very sound comment here Peter, the two halves must unit and become whole. The head capitalism and the body/heart socialism .
Capitalism (Pure/Vulgar) and Socialism (Socialist) are two extreme ends of the social organisation of the means of our survival. It is traced to the material (body - mass) and the social (soul - rule).
The head is separated from the body and you see the separation of the system is incompatible with Democracy or Equality. The only way for relative peace is to unite in diversity. And this requires a formal science that renders a moral sanction. It’s a movement upward from the body/material to the heart and soul - emotional intelligence. But this movement is now hijacked by technological development – AI and Data; a war between humans and robots.
Capitalism and Socialism each alone dwells in the subjective abyss. But united gives rise not to Capitalism or Socialism but to Social Capitalism – unity between the two is uniting the body and head.
And Social Capitalism is maintained by objective links between individuals, their communities and like Freetrade Agreements between nations.
It is also subject to power play of unilateral dictate, but may not succeed in a group of binding parties. Example; Trump and Brexit.
yes peter. seems so simple but I guess that's only for those who bother to read a small bit.
way too much for some.
With numbers
@bart Definitely not by a Food Fight. ;)
How do poor people fight a class war?
bart, they can read, spread info, encourage others with reason and vote.