Politicians are the Televangelists of the Corporate World: they preach what their financial backers want them to preach (no matter HOW f***ing stupid); this is one of the great Givens of the twenty-first century (which often calls to mind the a**-backward thinking of the Middle Ages). Compilation or not, ETHOS gets its message across most effectively (or the message(s) of the filmmakers whose documentaries comprise the various segments of this one...). I must admit, though, that the admonition to withhold one's financial support of the various criminal enterprises (i.e.; the corporations) profiled herein seems just a tad too late (since-the-second-World-War too late): the REAL damage has already been done- and it was done in large part because We didn't stand up and say ENOUGH! when there was still time to salvage something. I try to be optimistic. STAR TREK (the original series) and comic books taught me that We as a Species could change the world (and, perhaps, the Universe) for the Better. But I'm convinced at this point that we blew it. We're well on our way to the next "Extinction Event," and we did it to ourselves. GOP (Geriatric Older People) TV (Fox "News") played a BIG part in it: the ME (Moneyed Elite) of Reagan's "Mourning in America" have swayed so many simple-minded saps that the Flat Earthers have had The Final Say and it's "No!" to Science and "No!" to Common Sense and it'll STAY that way 'til we're all sucked under. Consider: The Corporate News (as far as I can tell) has made no mention of a recent Friendly Fire incident in which U.$. $oldier$ who had been ambushed called in a Drone strike and were themselves killed by said Drone. And how many newscasters made mention of the fact that there have been (as of this writing) 75 school shootings (or mass shootings, I forget which) since Newtown? Did anyone hear about Lafeyette, CO, where The People PREVENTED fracking by drawing up their own Community Bill of Rights to combat corporations? (The corporations stand poised to rape this area as I write: seismic testing has begun.) Oh, and one last item: Tony "The NitBrit" Blair claims that the current troubles in Iraq "have nothing to do with the Iraq War." He thinks it's an easy sell because the U.$.-backed dictator, the late Saddam Hussein, was such a b****** that some people STILL believe the war was about Weapons of Mass Destruction (which totally ignores the fact that plans had been drawn up to divide Iraq's oil resources a full DECADE before the U.$. invasion). End of screed.
Plot summary
This documentary examines the flaws in our systems, and the mechanisms that work against democracy and the environment. From conflicts of interests in politics and unregulated corporate power, to a news media that serves the interests of powerful elites; ETHOS explores the systems that lead us into over consumption and warfare. Too often the media celebrates aspects of our society that belong in the dark ages, while at the same time ignoring or ridiculing progressive thinking or ideas. Many aspects of the way our systems work almost guarantee our destruction as a society and that's what this film is about. Fractured societies, poverty, disparity, pollution, warfare. Is there something inherently wrong with the human race? Is that what we should think of ourselves? We have tried to set up forms of law and government that safeguard the public good. But, if the majority of people want to live in peace and justice in a clean environment and we look around at the world and see that isn't the case, then is our democracy broken? Every time we turn on the TV there is another environmental catastrophe. Our water, our air, poisoned. Why do we allow this? The news shows endless reels of starving refugees fleeing to escape war zones. Why are we still fighting endless wars? Why do we live like this? If these things are happening then they are the logical outcomes to the way our systems work. So, what is wrong with the system? And more importantly, how can we fix it? These are the question Ethos attempts to answer.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
Our Corporate politics...
Good, But Unfocused
Hosted by twice Oscar nominated actor Woody Harrelson, Ethos explores the mechanisms in our systems that work against democracy, the environment and our own personal liberty.
Harrelson says "it would be illogical to expect politicians to change a system that puts them in power". True, but only if we accept that the system is so far gone that it cannot be changed. Bernie Sanders is a case in point, showing that (although rare) dissident voices can get into the ring.
Another reviewer says the problem with this documentary is that it is clipped from other documentaries. That does seem to be a problem, on top of Harrelson's desire to suggest conspiracy theories are sometimes real.
The film has a big reliance on Chomsky, including his insights into Bernays and Walter Lippmann. While Chomsky is in here, it seems (like everyone else) his footage was taken from other sources. He would have been more than happy to appear for five minutes to discuss these topics...
Half A Million Dollars For A Tin Foil Hat !
According to the IMDb this documentary cost $500,000 . I wonder where the money spent on it went ? Reading some of the user comments it seems that it's basically a few segments from other documentaries so where'd the money go ? Was it Woody Harrelson's appearance fee ? Did it go to other documentary makers for using their clips ? Or did it go to copyright lawyers who sued Peter McGrain for using their clients documentary without their permission ? I think we should be told
As it is ETHOS is one of these documentaries screaming at their audience that democracy isn't all it's cracked up to be and that capitalism is a rather amoral economic system . Next thing you know you'll be watching an earth shattering documentary that the Pope is Catholic and bears poo in a wood . It's vaguely structured in to several segments
1 ) We don't live in a democracy . As you might expect big names like Noam Chomsky and Tony Benn are wheeled out . Well not wheeled out per se because they appear in clips from other interviews they gave to other interviewers . Tony Benn by the way died recently and people on the political left like Michael Foot had nothing good to say about him when he was alive and other people on the left like Denis Healy and Neil Kinnock have nothing good to say about him now that he's dead . There's also a very obvious blunder at the start when a speaker says both the Democrats and the Republicans want to keep Cold War defence spending but this laughably untrue . Obama just a couple of weeks ago announced future defence cuts that will see the US Army lose 70,000 soldiers . With these cuts the American military will shrink to its lowest figure since 1941 . Are we to honestly believe American defence budgets in the 2020s will be similar to that of the 1960s when America was involved in Vietnam ?
2 ) Corporate companies in order to gain control of "the Earth's resources is the cause of so much wars in the world today as you will see " Except we don't get to see these wars . I don't think Iraq would have got invaded by an Anglo-American coalition if it didn't have oil but if you're making multiple claims it helps if you give a few examples
3 ) The media are controlled by these unseen corporate forces . Really ? Funny how if these unseen corporate all powerful companies are controlling the media it seems that they're unable to stop the dislike of corporate capitalism amongst the public . Apparently this marketing media know what buttons to push in order to make us buy a product ! Wow that must be why I've spent a fortune on tampons
And so this documentary continues . Or to be more accurate this " documentary " continues stealing another clip from someone elses documentary in an barely disguised attempt to get us all to buy a tin foil helmet . One even starts to feel sorry for Harrelson as he spouts out another dubious theory and one wonders if he's been told the whole truth and was told he was hosting a socially conscious , environmentally friendly documentary rather than a loony conspiracy theory that this deranged pseudo documentary is . Mind you if someone gave me $500,000 I'd probably do the same - without spending a penny on tin foil hats