Yawn. “Wall Street 2.” Yeah, I liked the first one. Michael Douglas is awesome in that movie and pretty much everything he does. I mean, who else could rock the V-neck sweater with no T-shirt like he did in “Basic Instinct” and still look cool?
Another needless sequel. Whatever.
What got my attention was the “money line” in the trailer (pun fully intended). Douglas says “I once gave a speech that said greed was good. Now, apparently, it’s legal.” Wow is that stupid.
Of course greed is legal. So is ambition. So is hard work. So is having a big ego. So what?
Leftists constantly whine about “greed” as if that desire is the root cause of all misery and evil in the world. Greed alone does nothing. I can sit on my couch all day watching TiVoed episodes of “Nip/Tuck” eating Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and declare myself “greedy” without accomplishing anything.
And no, you can not have one of my Reese’s Cups. They are crazy delicious and they are all mine.
For a “greedy” person to actually impact the world, they have to amass enough personal wealth to incur the wrath of the socialists and the communists. That takes a lot of luck, hard work, a healthy ego, and a fair dash of smarts. Unless of course you are a Hilton or something. Yeah, screw them!
Greed is a lame scapegoat, but it’s an easy one. Politicians, authors and filmmakers don’t sound as pious railing on about those of us who “work harder” than others and therefore have more than the rest. It doesn’t flow off the tongue as easily to assail those who have “risked greatly” and have been rewarded handsomely for their efforts.
But going off on the “greedy” sure makes a great speech.
What I want to know is when and where this hippie Utopia existed? History is full of monarchs, dictators, and assorted evil cabals. There wasn’t a time in history when everybody shared everything. There is no society where people worked equally and shared the rewards equally. It’s human nature to have ego. Greed is part of our DNA.
Our Founding Fathers understood this.
Those crafty old white guys in the powdered wigs realized that you can’t beat human nature, and that a minimal government was actually the best and fairest form of organization that they could conceive. Rather than being ruled by the guy who knew how to make fire, or the guy who’s dad killed more people than the other guy’s dad, or the guy who claimed that he spoke to God, the Founders envisioned a society run by the people. We all have the freedom to do as we choose, to be what we want to be.
The upside is that people who aren’t wealthy or from noble families can strive to be something bigger and better. The downside is that some people will end up total losers.
But that’s part of the deal. That’s the trade off. And that’s ok.
I roll my eyes whenever someone starts a sentence with “we are the richest country in the world…”. Why shouldn’t we have universal health care? Why shouldn’t we have a huge government with tons of employees who are set for life?
Well, we are the richest country because we DON’T have the things that the left thinks we should. Everything on the Leftist Wish List of Stupidity is a recipe for economic disaster. If you string ten or so Obama administrations together, the United States won’t be the richest nation in the world.
Will that make the socialists shut up?
Let me break it down save you leftists some time. We libertarians and conservatives don’t like or want corporate welfare. If a company is failing, let them fail. We don’t like, advocate, or support people who break the law. We are all for regulations, provided that they are rational, fair, and don’t benefit some new government bureaucracy or special interest.
We are all about the free market, liberty and individualism. Those things have made this country great. They have provided opportunities that have attracted immigrants from around the world for centuries. They have provided the wealth to create the world’s greatest military that has liberated millions from the grasp of tyranny. The free market and the engine of capitalism have provided a shining beacon of hope to the rest of the planet since the beginning of our nation.
Greed is a byproduct of the free market and capitalist system. We are fortunate to even be able to be “greedy”. Most people around the world and throughout history haven’t had that luxury.
Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms–greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge–has marked the upward surge of mankind.
I didn’t write that last paragraph. Oliver Stone did. It’s from the first “Wall Street”. That speech by Michael Douglas highlights the film’s rich, thematic subtext. It helps crystallize the dilemma faced by Charlie Sheen. That definition of greed isn’t the cheesy scapegoat one tossed around by college Marxists and our president. It’s the complex version, one that acknowledges the benefits of capitalism to the advancement of human society. It acknowledges the benefits of liberty.
That speech was crafted by a filmmaker far more relevant than the current Oliver Stone. Back in the day, he was an artist capable of creating challenging narratives with strong conflict. Now, he’s a leftist stooge and mouthpiece for thugs like Chavez and Castro.
Sad.
My predictions for “Wall Street 2?” Tepid box office, critical acclaim, lots of articles and clips on leftist rags like the Huffington Post, lots of angry commentary from Big Hollywood (maybe more than “Avatar”!), and the first (and only) Oscar nomination for Shia LaBeouf.
As for me, I will skip this one in the theater. I’ll watch it on Netflix or grab a DVD from Redbox where I know from first hand experience that the filmmaker makes a lot less money.
Does that tick you off, Oliver? Do you want more of my money?
What are you? Dare I say…greedy?
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