Call me a cockeyed optimist

After spending the last few frigid days confined to quarters, we had a chance to see Michael Moore’s new documentary film, “Where to Invade Next.” We have seen almost all of his films, so we have long realized that he can be a bit loose with the facts and biased in his approach, but the audience is always left with something to ponder or discuss.

“Where to Invade Next” is no exception. He starts with a cartoon in which the Joint Chiefs of Staff are asked a simple question: why has America spent so much money and lost so many lives and wars since World War II? Rather than answering that question, he travels around the world trying to glean solutions to some of the non-military problems with which the United States is suffering.

He visits eight countries, studying different aspects along the way, and here is a very brief summary of what he finds:

Country	Service	Highlights
Tunisia	Health care	Government manages health care; the film emphasized women’s health issues
Finland	Education	The excellent public schools in Finland have been discussed quite a bit in recent years
Norway	Criminal justice	Local law enforcement with emphasis on rehabilitation, very few guns
Germany	Social services	Government provides excellent social support for families
Portugal	Drug use	Government has decriminalized drugs, provides extensive rehabilitation services
Iceland	Gender equality	Government, with persecution and imprisonment of “white collar” crimes
Slovenia	Education	Government provides free college education
France	Nutrition	Government provides high quality, delicious, and nutritious school lunches

The film is beautifully done, with many breathtaking scenes of country sides, quaint cities, workplaces free of tension and schools filled with happy and healthy children. It is certainly a very interesting topic and he makes a compelling argument. At this point you are probably waiting for the “but….,” and here it is: I just wish he would be a bit more honest. By painting such a rosy picture of life in these other countries, I am left wondering about what he is not showing us. He does, at least, throw in one encouraging point at the end of the film, reminding us that during various times in our history we have done a better job of addressing some of these issues. We need to get back to those ideals.

It will be a long road ahead. United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had barely breathed his last before every one of the Republican presidential candidates insisted that they would block any nominations put forth by President Obama.

Oy.

Love,

Rebecca