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Anti-capitalist film now out on DVD

John Bissett | 16.10.2005 11:29 | Analysis | Education

The popular anti-capitalist film "Capitalism and Other Kids' Stuff" is now out on DVD priced £5.50 inc, p&p. The film can be still seen or downlaoded at www.socialist-tv.com

As the Berlin Wall fell and the Kremlin’s Empire collapsed in Eastern Europe, Western leaders spoke about a “peace dividend” and how money previously spent on arms would be re-channelled into social programmes; redirected towards the fight against poverty, inequality and ignorance. Some spoke about “the end of history”, how capitalism was at last triumphant. Capitalism, at the dawn of a new millennium, had supposedly seen off its rivals and now, left to develop, would bring prosperity to all.

In reality:

World military spending for 2005: $1 trillion (or just over $31,709 per second)

Number of billionaires in the world: 691 (Forbes 2005)

Number of people malnourished: approx 815 million (United Nations)

1 billion people lack access to clean water (UNESCO)

2.4 billion people lack access to decent sanitation (UNESCO)

17,280 children die every day from hunger (UNICEF)

According to the most recent UN Human Development Report:

54 countries are now poorer than they were in 1990, which is when world leaders made their “peace dividend” claim.

The world's 225 richest individuals, of whom 60 are Americans with total assets of $311 billion, have a combined wealth of over $1 trillion - equal to the annual income of the poorest 47 percent of the entire world's population.

The estimated additional cost of maintaining universal access to basic education, basic health care, reproductive health care, adequate food and clean water and safe sewers for all is roughly $40 billion a year, or less than 4 percent of the combined wealth of the 225 richest people in the world.

The richest fifth of the world's people consumes 86 percent of all goods and services while the poorest fifth consumes just 1.3 percent.

.The Independent April 15th, 2005 reported that Britons discard £30 billion worth of food per year – five times the amount the country gave in international aid in 2004. A study carried out at the University of Arizona estimates the amount of food wasted in the USA each year is 40-50%.

Amount Britons spend on their pets each year: £3.6bn (www.myfinances.co.uk)

The United Nations Children's Fund reported in 2005 that one billion children, or half of the world's population of children, suffer from poverty, violent conflict and the scourge of AIDS.

Capitalism may well have advanced the scientific and technological capabilities of humanity to a stage where we can now feasibly establish a world of abundance, a world without waste or want or war. But the facts speak for themselves. There are now more starving, thirsty, homeless and unemployed people on the planet than at any time in human history. Rather than providing for the needs of the world's people, Capitalism stands as a fetter to the full and improved use of the world’s productive resources in the service of humanity.

Capitalism and other Kid’s Stuff asks us to take a fresh look at the world we live in and to question some of the most basic assumptions we hold about life in capitalist society. Capitalism need not be the end of history. Some, the narrator included, believe capitalism is just one station along the railway line of human social development at which we are presently standing. We can move on, progress. Real change is possible, but only if enough of us really do want to move further along the track to where real human history begins. Indeed, the case for real change is so simple it is “kids’ stuff.”


John Bissett
- e-mail: johnbissett@blueyonder.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.socialist-tv.com


Comments

Hide the following 8 comments

capitalism

16.10.2005 15:24

"Capitalism and Other Kids' Stuff" is now out on DVD priced £5.50 inc, p&p.....
Does capitalism include selling a DVD for £5.50 that cost 17p to make AND 42P to post

dave the rave


But also free...

16.10.2005 17:17

You seem to forget about production costs etc.

Plus, they've also made it available free over the internet FOR FREE, in 3 different formats!

Here's the torrent links:

AVI
 http://www.torrentspy.com/directory.asp?mode=torrentdetails&id=319326
Filename Capitalism.and.other.kids'.stuff.[socialist-tv.com].avi.torrent
Total Size 349.92 M (366921728 bytes)

Windows Media .wmv
 http://www.torrentspy.com/directory.asp?mode=torrentdetails&id=269473
Filename _Cap and Other Kids Stuff-[www.socialist-tv.com].wmv.torrent
Total Size 113.8 M (119331141 bytes)

QuickTime .mov
 http://www.torrentspy.com/directory.asp?mode=torrentdetails&id=273290
Filename Cap and Other Kids Stuff-[www.socialist-tv.com].mov.torrent
Total Size 172.16 M (180526680 bytes)

Cheers

Gary


DVD cost

16.10.2005 17:21

The DVD is professionally produced, with a specially deigned jacket and inlay, not copied on yer average pc. All the costs incurred in producing and advertising this on DVD are reflected in the price. The DVD is sent in a padded envelope and first class. Try buying a DVD from AKA press for this price. What the bloody hell do you want for £5.50? Blood? Send us your dosh and if youre happy we'll send you money back (once you return the DVD).

Altenatively, I can send you 250mg of blood for £5.50

John Bissett


proffits

16.10.2005 18:50

So I can get 1000 dvds custom made for £960 + vat including 256 colour case and overlay title printing on dvd.
not a bad "Capitalist" profit,. !!! the thick end of 4 grand £££££££££
Two faced ????
hang on I see it's only other peoples capitalism you want to crush ?

dave the rave


ever actually done it?

17.10.2005 11:41

dave the rave have you ever actually stopped ravong long enough to sit down make a film, then author, produce and distribute it on dvd?
if you had you'd be aware that unavoidable costs include
* camera and sound equipment, tapes, batteries etc
* computers, hard drives, software, cables, tech support, blah blah blah
* phone, internet, leccy, heating, etc for work space for period of probably a few months
* publicity materials
* delivery of masters and copies
* etc etc etc
and that's assuming that people with serious professional media and production skills - expertise that takes years of training and/or experience to gain - work for free on the project, and don't even get transport expenses, tea and biccies etc.
now I know nothing about this dvd project but having worked on one myself I think that 5.50 is in no sense extortionate to recoup some expenses.

wonderin


Beaten !

17.10.2005 15:38

oh so thats where the profits are going, tea and biscuits and to pay your rent, gas and phone bill, hey just like a real capitalist, the sad fact is you have been caught by your own hand CAPITALISING in on you DVD against capitalisim.
Whats it called "do as I say not as i do " ? by any chance.

dave the rave


missing the point anyhow

17.10.2005 19:49

capitalism doesn't mean 'selling stuff' or even 'making a profit' - its a social relationship based on minority control of the means of production, so even if the film makers are making a profit, that ain't 'capitalist' unless that profit is derived from the labour of others.

I'm downloading it now, since someone's on a half-baked effort to discredit it it must be worth a look ;-)

bill gate$


when you've made and distributed an accessible film, let us know

19.10.2005 10:33

dave your critique shows only ignorance of the reality of film making

wondering where people like this rave get off


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