Summary of Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream⎜WHY POVERTY?⎜(Documentary)

00:00:00 - 00:55:00

This video discusses the issue of poverty in the United States and how it is affected by the increasing wealth inequality in the country. It interviews people from different walks of life, including a billionaire businessman, a political scientist, and a man who has lost his home in the recent financial crisis. Moore argues that if this trend continues, the American Dream will be lost for the next generation.

• 00:00:00 In this video, Paul Pif discusses the effects of wealth inequality in America by conducting an experiment where one player is given a huge advantage over the other, making the game virtually impossible for the poor player to win. This experiment illustrates the difficult journey that many people in the United States have to make in order to reach the top, and the importance of opportunity in America.
• 00:05:00 In this video, Pastor Colin Dunkley of the South Bronx food pantry discusses the challenges of poverty in the US and how it has changed over the years. He points out that the gap between the wealthy and the poor has widened significantly in recent decades, and that the wealthiest Americans have taken an increasing share of the nation's income.
• 00:10:00 The video discusses the rise of the hedge fund industry in New York City and the resulting increase in economic inequality. It also interviews Jacob Hacker, a political scientist at Yale, about Americans' views on economic inequality. He says that although Americans believe that if you work hard, you should be able to get ahead, they also believe that some inequalities of wealth and income are just.
• 00:15:00 The video discusses how wealthy interests use the political system to rig the rules in their favor, how lobbyists can influence the writing of laws, and how private meetings between wealthy businessmen and politicians can lead to financial benefits for the businessman. The video then interviews Mitt Romney, who is running for president, and discusses how he is good for the country because he is a natural leader and accessible.
• 00:20:00 The video discusses how the wealthy have been able to influence American politics by donating money to political candidates and groups, and by investing in groups that can spread their anti-government ideas to the mainstream.
• 00:25:00 In this video, Tim Capps discusses the role of the Koch brothers in the Tea Party movement and their support for libertarian policies, which he believes will ultimately result in the destruction of American freedom. Capps also discusses Americans for Prosperity, a pro-Tea Party organization that the Koch brothers have financially backed.
• 00:30:00 In a video, Ryan speaks about his beliefs in the philosophy of Ayn Rand, and how it has influenced his political views. He goes on to say that there is no such thing as welfare legislation, and that if conservatives want to take back control of America, they need to go back to their roots and look to Iran for guidance.
• 00:35:00 In this video, the poverty institute discusses how poverty in the United States is a problem that has been getting worse over time. They suggest that one of the reasons for this is that the government has not been able to fund education and job training programs adequately. They also point out that the cost of living has been going up significantly, which has made it harder for people to get out of poverty.
• 00:40:00 This video examines the issue of poverty in the United States and how taxes play a role in it. The video points to the fact that many of the wealthiest Americans are not paying their fair share of taxes, thanks to loopholes and clever accounting. This has resulted in a decreased tax rate for corporations and a decreased tax rate for personal income. Meanwhile, the overall economy is in trouble, as the Bush tax cuts have added trillions of dollars to the national debt. The proposed cuts by Paul Ryan would add even more. The video also interviews John Thain, the highest-paid CEO in 2007, who spent more than a million dollars renovating his office. Thaine insists that it was a mistake, but the culture of chasing money has led to a sharp divide between the rich and the rest of society.
• 00:45:00 The video discusses how the wealthy in America have become richer, while the poor have not seen much improvement in their lives. It also discusses how the wealthy manipulate the government in order to keep their wealth and power.
• 00:50:00 In this YouTube video, Walker discusses his plan to balance the state's budget by removing public sector unions' collective bargaining rights. Walker claims that this is an attempt to save taxpayers money, but unions and the Democrats argue that the cuts would hurt workers.
• 00:55:00 In "Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream," documentary filmmaker Michael Moore discusses the increasing wealth inequality in America and the ways in which it is affecting the lower classes. He interviews Stephen Schwarzman, a billionaire businessman, about his views on poverty and the need for social justice. Moore also speaks about his home state of Michigan, where many people have lost their homes in the recent financial crisis. He argues that if this trend continues, the American Dream will be lost for the next generation.