Who Owns America? Economic Crisis in the United States (DVD)

The American government believed the last Great Recession began in earnest in 2007; however, some economists had their eye on economic decline well before the housing bubble burst in December of that year. This documentary pays close attention to the effect of the US economic policy of that time under the George W. Bush administration and its effect on the citizens who make the economy run, laborers, students and other shareholders. Economists like Nobel Prize winners Paul Krugman of Princeton and the New York Times and Joseph Stiglitz of Columbia speak to the various issues and offer their critiques, as do Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff and labor activist Mark Brenner. The academics take a dim view of the Bush administration's policy of lowering taxes while borrowing to pay for the war in Iraq, and have similar disdain for the failure of the American auto industry to create vehicles that offered low fuel consumption and other innovations. The film examines the role of foreign powers in the US economy as well.

Aside from the academic opinion, the documentary interviews working people and how the economic downturn affects their lives. While economists are critical of a reliance on debt, students and businesses borrow money with the hopes of improving their lives. An attorney rethinks his career choice, looking for fulfillment rather than a big salary. (Portions in French with English subtitles. 52 minutes)

Who Owns America? Economic Crisis in the United States (DVD)

• Copyright date: ©2007
• ISBN: 978-1-60467-387-6
• Closed-Captioned
• Portions in French with English subtitles
• Purchase includes public performance rights.