In order to examine the true effects of globalization, Pilger turns the spotlight on Indonesia, a country described by the World Bank as a model pupil until its globalized economy collapsed in 1998. The film examines the use of sweatshop factories by famous brand names, and asks some penetrating questions. Who are the real beneficiaries of the globalized economy? Who really rules the world now? Is it governments or a handful of huge companies? The Ford Motor Company alone is bigger than the economy of South Africa. Enormously rich men, like Bill Gates, have a wealth greater than all of Africa.
Pilger goes behind the hype of the new global economy and reveals that the divisions between the rich and poor have never been greater -- two thirds of the world's children live in poverty -- and the gulf is widening like never before.
The film looks at the new rulers of the world -- the great multinationals and the governments and institutions that back them -- the IMF and the World Bank. Under IMF rules, millions of people throughout the world lose their jobs and livelihood. The reality behind much of modern shopping and the famous brands is a sweatshop economy, which is being duplicated in country after country.
The film travels to Indonesia and Washington, asking challenging questions seldom raised in the mainstream media and exposing the scandal of globalization, including revealing interviews with top officials of the World Bank and the IMF.
"A deeply impressive, informative, heartfelt piece of journalism." Graham McCann, Financial Times
18 Comments
Farhad2000If consumers were really so worried about 'sweatshop economies' developing they should really try and not shop at Walmart.
If consumers were actually informed they could stop all this through the best thing corporations understand 'purchasing power'. All consumers represent a demographic top businesses and they will stop at nothing to keep providing for htat demographic.
Jubilee 2000!!!!!
gluoniumSomewhat interesting but ultimately a downvote because I don't feel that the documentarian is being honest with the viewer at all. I feel that instead of honest attempts at informing me such as good documentaries ought feel wont to do, I rather feel like I'm being sold a bill of goods watching it. Most of the horrible crimes against humanity/genocide/terrible poverty featured in the program are quite obviously the result of corrupt greedy governments and murderous dictators not some nebulous boogeyman of globalization as Pilger so desperately wants the viewer to believe. The unrelentingly condescending tone he takes throughout the narration doesn't help either.
Constitutional_PatriotWelcome to the beginning stages of the New World Order.
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moodoniaThanks for posting, I had never seen this. I've read a few of his books and he wrote a great deal about Indonesia in the 1960's so I found this very interesting.
Tiversays...For anyone interested, list of some places to shop from that sell clothing not made in sweat shops:
http://swatch.igc.org/index.php?s=59
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