MovieChat Forums > Battle in Seattle (2008) Discussion > Propaganda at its finest hour

Propaganda at its finest hour

posted 15 years ago by FaithFallen
46 replies | jump to latest

This movie is pure propaganda. Please, if you watch this movie, watch it with an objective view, and not get swarmed in to the human drama that this movie so cleverly overlays so that you will identify with the cause that the movie brands good against absolute evil. i.e. wto = devil

Is the WTO fair or even "good" at heart? No. Of course not. Is the WTO another Nazi regime? Is it evil?

If you believe it is, then I want you to consider the following.

This movie depicts the WTO as being a tyrant that strangles the develping countries. The pinnicle of this movie's philosophical climax comes in the ending credits where "a farmer in South Korea set himself on fire" and kills himself. Hence, his devotion to anti WTOism is so great, he was willing to give his life for the cause.

The events are actually true, but as in all cases, unless you were there, you don't know... Well, I was there. And I'll tell you what I think.

South Korea is the 13th largest economy in the world. It is only third after China and Japan in Asia. (But it was the second before China's awakening) So this movie's claim that the WTO exists to exploit developing countries really doesn't hold the mustard. How does a farmer who commits suicide in the 13th largest economy in the world prove that the WTO exploits developing nations? South Korea is far from a developing country. But the writer/director of this movie never bothered to check this fact. All they know is what they saw on MASH. Oh look, according to this TV show, Korea is as backward as Afganistan. They must be suffering. They must be against the WTO. No, I don't think so. Ask a Samsung executive if South Korea is like Congo.

I've been living in Korea for the past 11 years and I will tell you something. The farmers here are militant. They are so afraid of losing their livelihood that they will go to any lengths to prove their fear. Ironic that they give their lives to protect their livelihood. Yet Korean produce fetches a far better price in markets than imports. So much that in fact, counterfeiting is common place. That is, produce imported from China is often marketed as Korean, and hence commands a hefty premium. The farmers are afraid that opening up markets will end their source of income. And one psycho farmer took that to such extreme that he was willing to end his life.

I'm sure his kids will grow up saying, I'm proud my dad gave his life so that Korean farmers can continue to have a standard of living. But, I will bet that their life would be far better if they were to grow up with a "dad" around.

And about Africa? I could write a very long book about the exploitation of Africa. But it would be irrelevant as the WTO would have very little part in the exploitation of Africa historically. Please read the book "Uranium" by Tom Zoellner. It is a very entertaining and educational book concerning the exploitaion of Africa. An excerpt can be read here http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-radioactive-cut-that-will-not-stay-closed

WTO is not perfect, but it does strive to be as fair as it can. If you're the type that believe that all drugs should be freely be available to everyone, then, you also best be prepared for NO new drugs to be available to anyone. Nothing in this world is free. Nothing.

[–] DrProfessor 15 years ago

Love is free. And when humanity realizes this all of our problems will magically disappear.

I just wanna say hi to Fanapathetic's friends! Remember, hugs are free also :)

[–] mooji 15 years ago

One of the things I liked so much about this film was how it was very understated in terms of criticising the WTO. Believe me, i Townsend wanted to, he could have put a lot more in there. The WTO isn't all it's cracked up to be, has not lived up to it's promises, and in my opinion is a cartel for rich and powerful countries to take advantage of the poorer ones.

[–] Cocainefarm 15 years ago

"Nothing in this world is free. Nothing."

And the Neo-Colonialists will make sure it stays that way.

[–] saxman418 12 years ago

Air is still free. But I'm sure one day some corporation will figure out a way to remedy this.

Blowin' the changes!

[–] dramachick73-1 15 years ago

I understand that certain aspects of this movie are supposed to be taken with a grain of salt. While Townsend was out to criticize certain aspects of the WTO, I feel the greater message of the movie lies within the protesters; not what they are protesting. The greater message of the film was about fighting for what you believe in, and, at least to me, the butchering of Amendment rights that occurs in this country. The biggest flaw of the WTO that the director points out is that they are out to gain for themselves without any accountability. You based your entire argument around the South Korea comments, when that was only a note at the end of the film. You completely missed the idea behind the actual film itself. As for the topic about Africa, no it was not the WTO that started the exploitation, but they are simply furthering the issue. They claim that they care about the people are just trying to help trade around the world, and yet they use the countries for their resources and cheap labor.

[–] presentcamo03 15 years ago

Since I was only 7 at this time and I am still a little in the dark about this event, could someone please explain to me exactly who the WTO are and what it is they do?
And please, not a opinionated bias description but a factually based one, Thank you

BOBBY! You get back in the garage!

[–] un-deadpixel 15 years ago

You can look it up yourself

[–] gary-chris 14 years ago

have you heard of Google?

[–] chuck-543 15 years ago

"If you're the type that believe that all drugs should be freely be available to everyone, then, you also best be prepared for NO new drugs to be available to anyone. Nothing in this world is free. Nothing."

Why do some people insist on seeing everything in either black or white? No one is asking for "free" anything. The film points out that some medicine is too costly for some nations, and people die as a result. Nowhere does anyone ask for anything free. Just affordable. Be part of the solution, rather than just adding more hyperbole.

[–] valis1949 15 years ago

The WTO is a corporate entity which is designed to provide maximum profit for shareholders, regardless of the will of local populations. The WTO is an organization which seeks to subvert the entire notion of 'Nation States'. Even if you only have a passing understanding of the American Constitution, there is no way that anyone can say that this document champions the motivation for profit over the rights of the citizens. WTO is an attempt to legalize, and legitimize corporate excess, and never allow the will of the people to intervene. I think all of us must think long and hard about who is really acting in our best interests.

Excuse My Dust...

[–] Billy_McAvoy 15 years ago

I somewhat agree with your position on the WTO, and you're right, the Battle in Seattle was a propaganda victory for the multi-national corporations as I have written on the very board before: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0850253/board/nest/120381740

First of all, what the WTO was and what it is supposed to be are two very different things. The WTO is essentially supposed to be a regulatory body in which smaller developing nations can voice their grievances with respect to unfair trade practices caused by larger, more developed nations with their multinational corporations. In fact, other than the UN general assembly, it is the ONLY body in which the concerns (like use of laborforce and the environment) for the developing nations can be heard. Without it, a multinational corporation can simply say "go ahead and pass labor and environmental laws and we'll pull out and take over 1/2 of your GDP with us." So, of course, the multinational corporations aren't going to simply let this happen, so they sought to control the WTO in every way possible. This lead to making "Globalization" (economic) becoming a naughty word to latter day "activists" (basically token liberal trust-fund babies from more affluent nations) whose further incredulity included equating the WTO as part of this globalization and thus WTO=(Multinational Corporate Corruption) - ahhh to be young and stupid with my family's money again, eh?

Here's where the truly and sadly ironic part comes in; the Multinational Corporations never wanted a WTO in the first place as it is essentially a regulatory body of which would effect their bottom line concerning their stockholders; Hence "activists" halting WTO meetings is a HUGE propaganda victory for them and theirs, as many of the people that couldn't get into the meetings because of the ensuing riots were representing small developing nations. Basically the only upside to the "Battle in Seattle" was that it did make the national and international mainstream news and thus injected the WTO into the more common parlance of which most of america was completely ignorant of. The message of what it was and why it is necessary was completely muddled (again, a huge propaganda victory for the multinational corporations), but at least it was being discussed and the economic symbiosis that has existed in the world ever since the first caravan loaded with goods bound for sale in other places disembarked could be articulated with something other than a world war.

...Guess What S1m0ne! We have now entered an age where we can manufacture fraud faster than our ability to detect it

[–] kozaak 15 years ago

Can we all be honest and just admit that the majority of people who were protesting have no idea what globlization is or what the WTO does.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Billy_McAvoy 14 years ago

Well, I can certainly tell you that the protesters during the "Battle in Seattle" did not know; and I can say that from first-hand knowledge from actually being there (and even attending some DAN meetings). DAN came in and hooked up with the local hippy-dippy population, partied at "420 Denny", and herded the kids into jail, and most of them did *not* know why.

...Guess What S1m0ne! We have now entered an age where we can manufacture fraud faster than our ability to detect it

[–] hybridschoolbus 15 years ago

The think the main message of this movie was police brutality. At least that's what I understood from it.

[–] jmim-1 14 years ago

Nowhere in the movie was it said, or implied, the the WTO is the devil. Therefore, everything the OP said is largely irrelevant, and amounts to little more than propaganda from a different angle. And I don't think that the whole premise of the film circled around the death of farmer from South Korea. Lastly, there can't be more than a handful of idiots or naifs in this world who believe for a moment that the WTO is trying to be fair. Better luck next time.