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“Requiem for the American Dream”–A Pending Nightmare?

 

chomskyThis eerily prescient documentary (2015) narrated by Noam Chomsky was in development before the official announcement of Donald Trump’s candidacy. Yet, in the “Ten Principles of the Concentration of Wealth and Power” the viewer sees the redesigning of the US economy.

Perhaps the most disturbing insight in “Requiem for a Dream” is the historical analysis of the US constitution, the drafting of which protected the major landowners from losing political power. Slowly the “protection”evolved into “corporate tyranny” and ultimately “financialization of the US economy”. Job insecurity through weakening unionization created an environment of conquer and divide, of hate and fear for each other, with an ever-growing and unfocused anger and vulnerability on the part of the general workforce. What Chomsky calls “the residue of democracy” is now upon us as the engineering of elections through the concentration of wealth results in paid politicians governing a “bewildered herd”.

“Requiem for the American Dream” is indeed sobering. Chomsky, known for his activism during both the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, bemoans the state of “an uninformed electorate making irrational choices often against their own self-interest.” This is a documentary that is a must-see for all of us trying to make sense of the election three weeks ago. The historical perspective is an eye-opener.

Note:  This documentary is available on Netflix.

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