Not So Wonderful Life? Pottersville USA

[marmar]

from OnTheCommons.org:



Not So Wonderful Life?
The good guy prevented Bedford Falls from becoming Pottersville in the movie. But what would happen in today's economy?

By Jay Walljasper


Right now I’m celebrating the completion of a new book, All That We Share: A Field Guide to Commons, which I hope will serve as a bracing, inspiring introduction to the promise of the commons as a new (well, actually old) way of looking at the world.

It’s due out in November from The New Press.

All the text (drawing on the work of many authors), all the art, all the final proofreading corrections are now done. But after the elation, comes the second guessing. Since it’s too late to change anything in the book, I am now pondering everything that may not be quite right in the book.

Probably the biggest nagging doubt for me appears in the Commons Canon— a list of the best books, songs, movies and art that captures the spirit of the commons. It was a collective effort of the On The Commons staff and friends. What’s on my mind is the inclusion of “It’s A Wonderful Life”— the beloved holiday movie by Frank Capra starring Jimmy Stewart.

I have been fretting that including this Hollywood classic looks too much like a gratuitous effort to associate the emerging commons movement with everything popular and All-American in U.S. Society.

....(snip)....

“Most Americans would rather live in a Bedford Falls world, led by the example of George Bailey. Sadly George Bailey is dead and buried. Corporate America and its many media operations have painted the George Bailey role model as a fool and his Democratic/Progressive/Liberal/Sermon on the Mount values as quaint and irrelevant. Profit is the only value in Pottersville. It’s surprising how many otherwise thoughtful, decent people have agreed to make Pottersville their new reality.” .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://onthecommons.org/not-so-wonderful-life

[Mimosa]

1. Really great opinion piece!

I've said much the same thing here, several times.

BTW, Charles Krauthammer would be excellent casting for Mr. Potter in a remake. ;)

[Enthusiast]

3. Charles Krauthammer or Newt Gingrich. nt

[xchrom]

2. recommend

[txlibdem]

4. There are too many villains in the story of our slide toward Pottersville

Funding the political career of Ronny Raygun was a stroke of genius for the corporate thieves who pulled his strings. Raygun is the biggest villain we can put a name to but we need to start water boarding the rich so we can find out just who is guilty.

Wow. That was far too satisfying to say: Let's water board the wealthy!