One Night in Bhopal

Check it out, I think this writeup explains this doc the most effectively:

"The Bhopal disaster (also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy) is the world’s worst industrial catastrophe. It occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. A leak of methyl isocyanate gas and other chemicals from the plant resulted in the exposure of hundreds of thousands of people. Estimates vary on the death toll. The official immediate death toll was 2,259 and the government of Madhya Pradesh has confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas release. Other government agencies estimate 15,000 deaths. Others estimate that 3,000 died within weeks and that another 8,000 have since died from gas-related diseases. A government affidavit in 2006 stated the leak caused 558,125 injuries including 38,478 temporary partial and approximately 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries.UCIL was the Indian subsidiary of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC). Indian Government controlled banks and the Indian public held 49.1 percent ownership share. In 1994, the Supreme Court of India allowed UCC to sell its 50.9 percent share. The Bhopal plant was sold to McLeod Russel (India) Ltd. UCC was purchased by Dow Chemical Company in 2001.Civil and criminal cases are pending in the United States District Court, Manhattan and the District Court of Bhopal, India, involving UCC, UCIL employees, and Warren Anderson, UCC CEO at the time of the disaster. In June 2010, seven ex-employees, including the former UCIL chairman, were convicted in Bhopal of causing death by negligence and sentenced to two years imprisonment and a fine of about $2,000 each, the maximum punishment allowed by law. An eighth former employee was also convicted but died before judgment was passed."

Total carnage.

8/10

The Rockefellers

I know the Rockefellers have had a bad rep when it comes to breaking human rights, establishing massive monopolies that control entire industries or the country itself, and basically acting evil. But I think this documentary will help you see the world from their point of view.

For decades, the Rockefeller name was despised in America–associated with John D. Rockefeller Sr.’s feared monopoly, Standard Oil. By the end of his life, Rockefeller had given away half his fortune–but even his vast philanthropy could not erase the memory of his predatory business practices. His only son, John D. Rockefeller Jr., would dedicate his life to recasting the family image.

In the quest for redemption and respectability, Junior would give away hundreds of millions of dollars, and would insist that his six children behave impeccably. Their contributions transformed America. When he died at age 86, Junior left his six children and 22 grandchildren an invaluable inheritance: a name which stood not for corporate greed, but for “the well-being of mankind.”

7.5/Tizzen

The Spill

Watch The Spill

This is a sick one about BP Oil, and how many time they've fucked up... If you think Exxon is bad, think again. These guys had a list of disasters a mile long, all of which happened before the big spill. Deaths, safety violations, environmental disasters. BP had enormous growth via financed acquisition which created huge tension between operations and the shareholders, ultimately ending in disaster a few times over.

7/10

Bloomberg: Game Changers

A new Bloomberg original documentary series.

This is a such a recent series that not all of the episodes have aired, but each show tells the history of some of the most influential leaders of our world.

This series is both relevant and incredibly interesting.

Watch:

1 - Mark Zuckerberg

2 - Steve Jobs

3 - Jon Stewart

more to come...

Roger and Me

Watch Roger and Me

Michael Moore's first film. This bullshits about general motors closing their plant in his hometown, which put 30,000 peeps out of work. To be honest, I can't take this guy seriously. Film is interesting and shows how fucked up the town became as a result of high unemployment. It doesn't really speak to any practical solutions though. He talks to a lobbyist from GM who basically tells him its a reality of the free market. The movie can be described as 50% chasing people down and making them look like the bad guys and 50% talking to people who are poor and desperate. The most important part of this sort of shit is talking about practical solutions, which Moore doesn't do at all. The reason for this fat idiot's success is a talent for capturing the emotional side of real problems and real injustices.

7/10

Ross Kemp: Battle for the Amazon (Part 1)

Watch Ross Kemp: Battle for the Amazon

So we all know that Ross Kemp is hard as fuck. In this episode, he isn't hanging out with Jamaican gangsters or Polish soccer firms. Ross travels to Ecuador and Brazil to look into the horrific environmental damage being caused there. The oil drilling, logging, cattle ranching, and gold mining in these countries are polluting the Amazon, killing its abundance of animals and plants species, and helping destroy planet Earth.

8/10

Inside The Meltdown

Watch Inside The Meltdown

I had to watch this documentary for my Business and Government class and it was actually really good. It was released by PBS in February of 2009, and the report summarizes the events leading up to and shortly after the financial crisis of 2008. It describes the key players and their roles, as well as the important financial tools that helped make this recession the largest one since the Great Depression.

8.5/10

College, Inc.

Watch College, Inc.

This an awesome PBS report on the state of privatized university in the US. These privately-run public institutions are relying heavily on sneaky sales tactics to attract new students, most of whom cannot afford university. Not only are these stupid people stuck with a huge amount of debt, but once they graduate they will also discover that their degree likely won't help them do jack shit.

Michael Clifford, who never attended college himself, has become notorious for purchasing failing universities from the US government and turning them into privatized businesses. His major investors are wealthy Wall Street businessmen, such as Jack Welch (CEO of General Electric). When asked what was needed to turn around a university Mr. Clifford replied, "Money, management, and marketing...along with compassion."

The goal of this industry is profits and high student turnover, as opposed to higher standards of education. The real question that should be asked is: "Should education be a business?"

8/10

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

Watch Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

Watched this up last night... I always knew a little bit about this Enron case, but I didn't realize how much corruption and greed took part. This is nuts, these guys basically invented their own numbers, made billions, and took the banks and other firms along with them. The problem was that they were geniuses and so many people trusted them. In the end, everyone got busted, one guy even killed himself. True story. Watch it. Oh yeah, this one has a killer sound track, too.

7.9/10