All of the sudden I understand Occupy Wall Street. I know I’m a little late to the party, but I only watched Inside Job, the incredible 2010 documentary that tells the story of the 2008 economic meltdown, last night. Probably like most people, I’ve only heard this story piecemeal on the news over the past few years, with vaguely comprehensible mention of “mortgage-backed securities” here and “collateralized debt obligations” there. These are complex subjects that I still have a lot to learn about, but after watching Inside Job, I have a new foundation of knowledge about the subject, and I understand better how certain decisions made by several presidential administrations, out-of-control bankers, crooked rating agencies, and economists with deplorable conflicts of interest led directly to the worst economic crisis to hit the American people since the Depression.
The filmmakers don’t pull any punches, speaking truth to power at every opportunity. (And how those powerful people sputter and squirm when they try to justify their decisions on camera.) For anyone who wants a smart, critical, comprehensive overview of exactly how our national government and economy were hijacked by greed (and how, unfortunately and unbelievably, not much has changed since everything fell apart), Inside Job is essential viewing.
Here’s the trailer:
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