Posted on 18 April 2012 by @kevin_seal
The following is a statement from Dr. Donald Goldmacher, co-director and co-producer of the documentary film, Heist.
by Donald Goldmacher (@donnyg1941)
Heist is a feature documentary about the roots of the American economic crisis, and the continuing assault on working and middle class people in the United States. It reveals the crumbling structure of the U.S. economy – the result of four decades of deregulation, massive job outsourcing, and tax policies favoring mega-corporations and wealthy elites.
We made Heist for the 99%. Our main goal was to connect the dots of the economic crisis so that our audience might better understand what has truly happened in our country, and restore democracy and an economy that works for all.
There has been a dramatic shift in the way the US economy is organized. In the past, Wall Street was at the service of Main Street corporations. We have seen a dramatic reversal of this, with Main Street now serving Wall Street. This is best understood as maximizing shareholder value, whereby corporations must constantly improve their profit margins each quarter or Wall Street will slap them down. In addition, as a result of financial deregulation during the Reagan administration, we saw the emergence of mergers and acquisitions, private equity companies and leveraged buyouts, all of which benefited a handful of senior executives and the top 1 percent. Concurrently, taxes for the top 1 percent were dramatically reduced during the Reagan and George Bush junior administrations, resulting in dramatic income inequality in the United States. With this new-found power, the ultra-wealthy became oligarchs within the United States, as well as around the world, where similar dynamics were at work, resulting in a free market for the very, very rich, but a screwed market for everybody else.
Since we were the first ones to fight against such economic monarchy, we should perhaps go back and learn the lessons of the original American Revolution, and what our founding fathers were able to conceive and implement to overthrow the British Empire. There is no question that both here in the United States and around the world, class warfare is being waged, and, as Warren Buffett famously put it in 2006, his side is winning. However, in the past year, we have seen a global uprising taking place against this global oligarchy. Different strategies are being put into place, as well as different tactics, but the battle lines are clear. Our website is filled with information about both the film and how individuals and organizations can use “Heist” to inform, educate and inspire, as well as different approaches to change, like moving your money into a credit union.
On Thursday April 19th, I will join community leaders and activists for a special screening of the documentary Heist: Who Stole the American Dream? Following the movie there will be a panel discussion moderated by Jakada Imani, executive directly of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. The panel will feature Christine Cordero from Occupy the Hood Oakland, UC Berkeley labor economist Sylvia Allegretto, and myself.
More details on the Movie Event: $15 General Admission, $10 Students and Seniors
$100 VIP – Preferred Seating and Signed Poster & DVD
BUY TICKETS ONLINE BEFORE THURSDAY AT NOON: http://tinyurl.com/Heist-Event
Or show up at the Grand Lake that evening to buy tickets at the box office.
There is also a film-only screening at 9:30 PM as well.
Here is the trailer for Heist:
