Thanks for checking out our review of I.O.U.S.A.
The General Idea
Plot Synopsis From IMDB: I.O.U.S.A. explores the country’s shocking current fiscal condition and ways to avoid a national economic disaster.
The Good
This film’s greatest strength lies in the experts it assembled to discuss the issue at hand. People who are knowledgeable about a subject are usually passionate about it, and when discussing math for 85 minutes – this is invaluable. Because no debate about the financial crisis exists, the documentary is free to fully focus on the problem; that no one disputes the crisis is also one of the more sobering realizations of the film.
Because this film discusses all things money, it’s easy to get lost in all the numbers. In order to keep our attention and aid our understanding, many graphs, charts and animations are used to give us visual aids in order to better understand the problem at hand. Those in charge of these animations did an excellent job and were actually able to pull them off in a way that wasn’t dreadfully boring.
This film does bludgeon you down with reality, and by the end you feel the invisible weight of the issue upon you. As the film comes to a conclusion however, it offers solutions to the problem both on a national and personal level. I thought this was a great way to end the film and an appropriate call to action in exchange for the knowledge given.
The Bad
In this film a number of people are interviewed and polled on the street. As the film journeys from one problem to the next, these people are questioned for their knowledge on the issue. They, like most people – do not know the answers and the film soon goes on to answer the question anyway. I really didn’t see the need to have these interviewees in the film, I think the movie would have been tighter in their absence, and the story unchanged.
Overall
This film is a tutorial on the financial state of the U.S.A. For those that call this country home, it’s a must watch and a wake up call for action. The harbingers of doom in this film are all Americans that love their country and simply want to see a return to financial responsibility. This film did an excellent job in what it set out to do, and managed to keep the audience engrossed in a very dry, dreary topic. Out of 10, I would give this film a 8.
Health care. Health care. Health care.
If our health care system were as efficient as the health care systems of other industrialized nations, then programs like Medicare/Medicaid could take advantage of these lower costs, and our budgetary problem would virtually disappear. The Center for Economic and Policy Research has a nice graphic that demonstrates this well:
http://www.cepr.net/calculators/iousadeficit/calc_iousa_deficit.html
This movie wants to scare you into believing we must roll back entitlement programs and compromise the national safety net. We don’t have to.
Oh come on. a “must watch and wake up call”. A “harbringer of doom”. The USA is not going anywhere. Just get over yourselves. Its exactly our weaknesses that make us survive. We have a near total capitalistic society which is allowed to suceed and fail on its own. Adaptibility is what keeps it strong. Look at the supposed mortgage crisis. The media (and documentaties) would have you beleive that everyone is unable to make payments and losing their homes, when in fact, its 3% of the owners. 97% of mortgage owners are paying on time.
^^ LOL
@Lynn “We need to education”
I really cant argue that point at all.
I did see the movie. It raises an issue that concerns me and that is debt….national and consumer. I felt like the average American, who is not into details would not fully comprehend all the details. As someone who is involved in the financial world I had to “read between the lines”. The discussion at the end of the movie was most significant, but again, without any background of the situation the discussion would loose average America. I sat next to a person I would consider an average American, who happens to be on the liberal side. Although the movie tried not to be political, this woman was thrilled when the film indicated anything negative against Bush and Cheney, but at the end of the movie she left apruptly saying, “I’ve heard enough”. One thing that really ticked her off, they stated that the military was only 3.5% of our debt. I believe that we must educate people regarding debt and we need to take a second look at the congressmen who are running our country, but this movie is not the solution. We need to education, beginning with our youth.
You guys taking a hiatus?
If it is not posted on website, check the archive at http://www.livevideo.com/liveshow/uncut
Where is the friday show? Do not all shows get recorded?
We do not do the shows on the weekends amigo just m-f. I did answer your question as well on Fridays show! I picked Beowulf based on the experience that I had in the theater
Are you guys doing uncut? It’s not on Live Video
Hey Doug, did you guys answer my question on Uncut?I missed it
Here’s a few other powerfull DVD documentaries people concerned about the country should check out. /////
David Icke, Freedom or Fascism, and, Secrets of the Matrix,
Alex Jones, Endgame, Terrorstorm, and, Dark Secrets Inside the Bohemian Grove,,,
Loose Change 2nd Edition and
Clifford E.Carnicom’s
Aerosol Crimes,
Brian,
I’m going to assume you’re saying “The documentary was horrible…” because you haven’t actually seen it and you’re just taking Lew Rockwell’s position on it.
As far as the article is concerned (besides being as boring as hell to read), it points out various things that he thinks the movie DOESN’T cover and proceeds to explain (bore) with details as to what is correct. There is hardly a single mention of the FILM in and of itself and there is no mention of the film without it being compared to the book.
No film can stand up to any book simply because there’s too much ground to cover. I haven’t seen the movie either so I’m not going to say the article is incorrect, but I will say that your statement of “The documentary is horrible…” is a fantastic example of not actually making an evaluated decision. Keep those blinders on, my friend.
The documentary was horrible and here is why:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/022449.html
Oh, and awesome review Doug. I’ve never head of this documentary before, but I’ll keep an eye out for it now.
This is why pimply-faced 14 year old boys should never be allowed near a computer without supervision.
Gimme a break. What did you spend your Saturday doing?
“I was alone in my room on a movie website spamming the comments because I’m awesome and I make myself laugh!”
…sigh…