MovieChat Forums > The Lego Movie (2014) Discussion > The Most Libertarian Movie of All Time

The Most Libertarian Movie of All Time

posted 9 years ago by jedi-jones
17 replies | jump to latest

The message was clear throughout. Big government and big business are oppressive. They collude with each other in order to control us and lead us like sheep to the slaughter. The movie tells us we should shake off those shackles and fight for individual choice, freedom and expression. It spells out that living in an oppressive "nanny state" is just like living under the unwelcome authority of a strict, overbearing parent.

I think this is one of the best messages any kid could get in today's society. It's one more reason this movie is a great film that should be valued and honored. The themes in most other animated or children-oriented films are vastly more superficial, simplistic and cliched by comparison. This story directly tackles one of the deepest, most pervasive and most pernicious problems in modern society that all too few people are cognizant of. Most people in the U.S.A. do not understand how their freedom is being stolen away more and more every day by an authoritarian government whose politicians are funded by the deep, rich pockets of a small minority of citizens who are protecting their own interests at the expense of the majority's.

Colonel Miles Quaritch is like some sort of...non...giving-up...army guy!

[–] smoko 9 years ago

@jedi-jones Libertarians whine about Big Government - they don't whine about Big Business. If they did, they wouldn't be libertarians.

[–] caulkins69 9 years ago

You misunderstand. Libertarians complain about coercion. Government is based on force--try opting out of paying taxes and see what happens. Big Business is okay so long as it plays fairly and allows others to compete. Unfortunately, all too often businesses buy privileged positions in the marketplace, with the government artificially limiting competition. Look at what is happening in New York City with taxis and Uber. Taxi operators have paid the city nearly $1 million per cab for the right to operate. Then Uber comes along and the cabbies want the city to shut it down.

[–] smoko 9 years ago

@caulkins69 You misunderstand. Libertarians complain about coercion.
Yeah, government coercion. That's why they call for Medicare and Social Security to be privatized - what could possibly go wrong?

Show me the Libertarians complaining about Big Business. Where are they?

[–] caulkins69 9 years ago

Show me the big business that, unaided by government, can force you to be its customer. Show me the private investment scheme that has the power to force people to enroll. Medicare and Social Security only work because the government makes people pay into them whether they want to or not. For a program to be considered moral, the most fundamental necessary condition is that people participate entirely of their own free will.

[–] smoko 9 years ago

@caulkins69 Whatever happened to Unfortunately, all too often businesses buy privileged positions in the marketplace...? That didn't last long, did it?

As I said earlier, Libertarians whine about Big Government - they don't whine about Big Business. And that includes you, it seems.

[–] imdb-3754 9 years ago

[q]Show me the big business that, unaided by government, can force you to be its customer.[/q]

I guess it depends on whether or not you think broadband Internet access is a necessity for competing in today's economy. Many Americans only have one option for that, most only have two.

[–] caulkins69 9 years ago

Satellite and wireless Internet options exist. They have their drawbacks, but are getting better with each generation. Wired Internet providers can only become so onerous before those options start looking better. Or you could move. Most people wouldn't have to go very far to have a different set of wired Internet options available to them. Maybe you'd have to move to a different part of town or to a neighboring town or city. Contrast that with how far you'd have to go to get out of Social Security, Medicare or Obamacare. You'd pretty much have to join the Amish.

[–] imdb-3754 9 years ago

So you expect me to move just to get decent Internet service? *extends middle finger*

[–] jic-1 8 years ago

Show me the Libertarians complaining about Big Business. Where are they?

Well, here for a start:

http://www.libertarianism.org/media/free-thoughts/big-business-loves-big-government-cronyism-american-politics

Or here:

http://thekronies.com/

Or here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjh7mXPfMKs

Seriously, I doubt you've had much contact with libertarians if you haven't heard the phrase 'crony capitalism' five million times...

Movies I've Seen: http://www.imdb.com/list/UJvzhkQPf-0/

[–] smoko 8 years ago

@jic-1 And what do libertarians propose as the solution? Fewer government regulations, of course!

But then, their answer to every problem is less government, so it's no big surprise.

[–] jic-1 8 years ago

And the statist answer is always more government and more regulation. So, what's your point?

Movies I've Seen: http://www.imdb.com/list/UJvzhkQPf-0/

[–] smoko 8 years ago

@jic-1 My point is that libertarians, like statists, have a one-solution-to-all-problems mentality. A look at the real world shows that they're both wrong.

[–] legendlength 7 years ago

I'm a libertarian and am also against business that is too large. That is, large enough to coerce and control the public.

I don't know how to fix it and what limits to place on it exactly. But I don't think libertarianism always calls for huge companies that control the world without limit.

[–] TutuAnimationPrincess 9 years ago

I'm not going to get into a political debate on the message board of a movie about legos. All I'm going to say is I find it laughable that people keep thinking that this movie has some "deeper" meaning. The film is a fun but pointless action/comedy. If anything, occasionally faking some sort of a message might be part of the joke.

If everything is not all rainbows and kittens for you today, hopefully it will be tomorrow!

[–] jamieparsons1 8 years ago

I didn't see it like that at all. President Business I found to be a parody of all the points you make.

I found the message more to be against mass-conformity rather than government or business.

[–] thekami000 8 years ago

stopped reading at big businesses. Unfortunately they're not against big businesses. If they could privatize oxygen they would certainly do it :P

[–] prplayer 8 years ago

lol, there is atleast one of these topics on each board

so many movies, so little time