Search - Speaking Freely, Vol. 2: Susan George on Neo-Liberalism on DVD

Speaking Freely vol. 2

CinemActivist | Los Angeles, CA | 01/10/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"

Usually, as soon as you mention the two words "international economics" to most people you observe the MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) Effect. First of all, because most people consider Economics a mumbo-jumbo discipline reserved for people like Alan Greenspan. Secondly, most people don't know much about the flow of international capital and the workings of currency exchanges and don't see the connection between these and the circumstances of their daily lives. That is one reason why the "Speaking Freely" series of DVDs produced and distributed by Cinema Libre Studios is so important and germane to the concerns of our globalized economies.

Cinema Libre Studio founder Phillipe Diaz produces the series. The goal of the series is to provide conversations with some of the world's most celebrated thinkers so that the viewer can gain insight from their opinions on the important social issues facing our world. In the case of "... Susan George" a wealth of knowledge on the global movement of capital, what debt means on the international stage where nations act - something quite different for how it operates for individuals - and what forces are at play in the policy making of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank are made accessible.

Ms. George, currently the Chair of the Planning Board of the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam, is focusing on democratizing the World Trade Organization (WTO.) This becomes quite apparent during the conversation as she provides a wealth of detailed knowledge about international financial transactions and the flow of capital from the nations of the southern hemisphere to those of the northern hemisphere. (Yes, you read the last phrase in the sentence correctly, as you'll learn while watching this engrossing conversation.)

The irony of the situation will immediately raise eyebrows among some. Ms. George explains how the money flows and demonstrates that colonization by the sword has been replaced by colonization via the loan and an economic philosophy practiced by IMF and World Bank known as neo-liberalism.

If the first two installment's Mr. Diaz's "Speaking Freely" series of DVDs is any indication of what we can expect from the next few installments, this will be an important set of DVDs for anyone interested in social justice and the true of state of international affairs as we move forward in this century. This DVD becomes available for purchase from Cinema Libre Studio.
By Rod Amis"