Where to Invade Next

Watching the documentary Where to Invade Next (2015) by Michael Moore. It’s mainly about welfare/systems in Europe from the American perspective so it feels kind of lukewarm. But I’m good at imagining, such as what it would like to be an American, so I can enjoy the contrasts provided.

Class in France about sexual intercourses for 6th graders. Every pupil can name contraception methods, where as in America the teachers try to scare kids from having sex. Moore asks “what about ‘abstinence’ as contraception?” - “We don’t … really consider it an option. It’s too risky.” US teen pregnancy rate double of France.

“I hopped a train to the country with the best education system. Finland” (This is 50% why I’m watching this film) “Finland, Really? These are the people with air guitar world championship and the mobile phone throwing contest. And wife carrying.”

Finland’s school students have the shortest school days and shortest school years in the world in the entire Western world.

“Nobody has to shop for schools” — pointing out that in US, schools compete way too much for standardized tests and it hurts everything about learning.

Private schools are basically illegal in Finland, so the rich parents have to make sure the public schools are great.

I for the most part agree on what the film implies. But it feels to me it’s really more about how the US system sucks rather than how the Finnish is great. Finland runs on being lax on the citizens for the most part, and that works very well (for the most part).

— “I opened a door (in a German factory) and found something that was missing in the US. The middle class.”
— “You are on a break? You only work 36 hours a weeks as it is!” (laughter)

This chapter on German students learning about what their ancestors did and taking responsibility about it by really feeling it is really touching. And I quite believe that with the European mindset, mistakes of the past won’t be repated. Perhaps not so with the Americans.

Yes, that burger you are eating, the software you are using to watch the pirated copy of this movie… it’s [thanks to] one of many companies using 21st century slaves: [Black American prisoners]“.

115 prisoners and 4 guards in this Norwegian prison that is actually and island(?) with houses for the prisoners. Hah.

Finished the film. Not bad entertaiment, but Moore has made better documentaries I think. This one is best seen by Americans.