Two weeks ago, we released the "War on Greed Starring Henry Kravis' Homes" and asked what you would do with one of Kravis' mansions for a day during the holidays.
We received thousands of responses, but Carolyn's idea clearly stood out.
Listen to her story.. and Merry Christmas!
Hey Robert, I’m on your email list and the only video link that worked was the first one narrated by
Carolyn Bears.
The rest of the links are No Shows!
Dominick
dominick@sonic.net
********************************************
> Dear friends,
>
> Two weeks ago, I sent you our latest Brave New Films video, “War on Greed
> Starring Henry Kravis’ Homes,” and asked for your ideas on what you’d do
> with one of Kravis’ mansions for a day during the holidays. Carolyn
> Bears’ story stood out.
>
> Watch it: bravenewfilms.org
>
> The War on Greed has touched a nerve, with over 200,000 views and over a
> hundred blogs writing about the issue of economic disparity. We will be
> continuing to work to call attention to the War on Greed.
>
> And happy holidays!
>
> Robert Greenwald
> and everyone at Brave New Films
>
> P.S. Here are a few holiday videos we highlighted on BraveNewFilms.org
> this morning that you might enjoy with your egg nog:
>
> Dear Santa, Bring Daddy Home
> bravenewfilms.org
>
> Bush wishes the richest one percent a very merry Christmas
> bravenewfilms.org
>
> And if you can’t make it an entire day without a little hating from Bill
> O’Reilly to elevate your blood pressure:
> bravenewfilms.org
>
hey dominick-
the site crashed for a few minutes, those links should work fine now.
Dear Jgilliam,
The loss of a pension is a terrible thing. Henry Kravis, however, is not responsible for the loss. In order for your husband to lose his pension after Mr. Kravis purchased the company, it would have had to have been unvested pension plan under ERISA. As the ERISA was established years the purchase, Henry Kravis cannot be at fault. He had no connection with your husband’s company when the ERISA plan was set up. The person who screwed your husband was not Henry Kravis, but the former owner who set up a non-vested pension plan.
On the other hand, you could blame Sandra day O’Connor, former US Supreme Court Justice, who wrote Pilot v Dedeaux in 1987 which allowed ERISA plans to cheat employees leaving them with no legal recourse. Your husband was cheated long before he hard of Henry Kravis. Why don’t you compare the pension plans for the corporate big wigs who sold out to Henry Kravis? I bet 10 to 1, their pension plans were vested.
As long as demagogues like Greenwald misdirect everyone’s attention into hating one man, they know that you won’t take any action to fix the law which allowed your husband’s former employer to cheat him. I’ll also bet Greenwald’s pension plan is vested.
Whoa,
The message of ‘inviting people over and walking away with whatever you could carry’ from a Kravis Home is an unethical one.
I’m not impressed at all with your choice.
Two ‘wrongs’ don’t make things ‘right.’
Positive, productive change will dig us out from under the evils of Empire~let’s champion the message(s) that will steward this change.
Let’s think intelligently…..and act accordingly.
–
Rebecca Tobias
Program Director
Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Ethics
Malibu, California
310-916-8888
http://www.RaoulWallenbergInstitute.org
As a tree is known by it’s fruit, a person by one’s deeds. A good deed is never lost: He who sows courtesy reaps friendship; and he who plants kindness gathers love.
Basil of Caesarea
I vote as the winner of the war on greed, Paul Allen, who started Microsoft with Bill Gates and now owns the largest privately owned yacht in the world, complete with 2 helicopters and 5 or 6 smaller boats on it.
I don’t advocate just taking property from someone who has more. I agree with Rebecca. Two wrongs and all that. That’s what communism is and does: Each takes according to his need and gives according to his ability.
I feel bad for the guy who lost his pension.
But honestly, tell me: which one of you would NOT want to be able to grow their own personal wealth far beyond their needs as Henry Kravis has done? Maybe we’d be “kinder and gentler” about it, to quote a former Bush president, but isn’t that what capitalism, the model we ascribe to is all about?
“Two wrongs don’t make a right?” How very cliché. Lets apply that same ethical standard to other injustices shall we?
A pedophile just raped your child, don’t send him to prison because he might be raped. After all two wrongs don’t make a right.
A billionaire defrauded millions of stockholders and employees profit-sharing and increased his own personal wealth and leaving the company bankrupt. Don’t seize his assets and make him pay fines, because two wrongs don’t make a right.
It makes perfect sense?
No! The ethical thing to do is recognize when piracy is piracy regardless of whether or not it’s considered “legal” at the time. We the people determine what is right and wrong, and if we the people start staying (out-loud), there WILL be consequences for that behavior, the CEO Pirates continue at their own peril.
Justice can be civil, or it can be a rabid mob with torches and pitchforks. The choice is up to us, not them, what level of justice will ensue.
Sorry I don’t agree with her answer as a “winner”. It’s purely a revenge trip for a few people–namely, those who “got screwed” by Henry Kravis. I liked my idea better–invite the entire population of the city and have them watch your film in Henry Kravis’ house.
I do know its wrong what Kravis has done to others, including the video winner and her husband. The winning video is a great satirical response to the absurdity we experience in our world today, and because we know it’s unethical to carry out the video’s message it fails to engage or inspire the viewer with what we really can do to make a difference. In fact when I first viewed the video, I thought okay I might have clicked on the wrong link, so I kept searching and eventually I sadly realized I’d just viewed the winning video.
Perhaps I misunderstood the premise. What would I do if I spent the holidays in a Kravis house, or what would I do if I OWNED a Kravis house? The dichotomy makes all the difference in the world.
If I could legally spend the holidays in a Kravis house, I’d go out and find homeless people and give them a taste of the good life for as long as I could. If I OWNED the house,I’d have it demolished because such places have no reason to exist.
If I had one of Kravis’ homes for a Holiday, I guess I would invite the homeless to come and stay there.
Please learn how to get the bad candidates off the ballot and out of office alternativeconservative.com
We can start to pressure candidates to support closing tax loop holes, if they know we have figured out how to get them off the ballot.
The Top CEOs that are misusing funds should be fined, return their bonuses or go to jail, and increase the wages and protect the retirement funds of workers>
Congratulations on your win for the War on Greed video!!!! I agree with you, I would do the same thing. I am sorry that your husband had to be in the fallout of their greed and I hope that they will get their just desserts someday.
This is the winner?! You must not have received too many responses. Do you send these films to Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews, the guy named Ali Velshi at CNN? You should send this to the Obamas. There is a rising anger in the masses and you should make certain that the lower classes that supported McCain and Palin see your films so that they realize what cons McCain and Palin and their supporters really are. These people are too stupid and ignorant to know that they are helping the very people that have sold them and their country out.
Pension? Your husband worked for 30 years, and relied on a “pension”? Mistake #1. Mistake #2: It's not like you are going to go up against a company by yourself. Selling a company is completely doable. It was done in front of your face, and all you have is this 20 second video? Mistake #3: 30 years and he never made it into management where he could actually save some money. Maybe it's your attitude that really screwed you over. Thinking that you showed up on a daily basis for so long, that they secretively owed you something. What about training? What about growing in the company? What about bringing something to the table instead of expecting a candy reward?
It always amazes me when people go public with their complaints that “The World owes me something!”.
So everyone who wants a decent life can become a manager? Who does the work, fool?
Works for me!!! Or………..house the homeless there!!
I completely disagree with moooo's comments. I feel that if you are a loyal employee for over 30 years you do deserve respect from the company you work for. Not all people feel the need to go into management. this mentality that we should be shafted by corporations if we do not go into management or do training is bogus. Without their loyal workers these fat cats would be out a job. I am surprised that so many people are quick to blame the worker for being shafted!
The donor egg is used when ovaries of the patient owing to the various reasons do not develop own eggs or at repeated unsuccessful attempts of methods of artificial fertilisation. The donor eggs also are used in medicine at risk of transfer to the child of hereditary illnesses.
moooooo…you are WRONG.
#1 What else can you rely on…Wall Street, home value, savings acct at 0.25%…
#2 FLASH OF BRILLIANCE HERE…Idiotic comment
#3 Yes, last I heard, loyalty was a virtue. The problem is the greedy corporate execs play the virtuous as suckers and that is wrong. Stealing pensions is wrong also.
The problem is people like you no longer know right and wrong.
Moooooooooo reveal yourself i'd bet you are Henry
No seriously You're a mother fucker
There's nothing to do with you your such a retarded bastard
I'm sure you are paid to put these insanities on the site you're a lobbyist
You're reasoning like a psychopat
Maybe we should kill the infirm and the weak????
You are not a man You are an ant
Moooooooooo reveal yourself i'd bet you are Henry
No seriously You're a mother fucker
There's nothing to do with you your such a retarded bastard
I'm sure you are paid to put these insanities on the site you're a lobbyist
You're reasoning like a psychopat
Maybe we should kill the infirm and the weak????
You are not a man You are an ant
The problem is not what they often do… the problem, the real problem is what we stop doing for ourselves and our children. If we put them in the place they are now, let´s just stop doing it. So, what´s the way for this work?
1- Go to strike and get the firm for yourselves as made in Argentina.
2- Go to Strike with others workers of the same firm in other places or countries, pushing the unions to take actions and if they don´t, just do it by yourselves.
We have means and tools for reaching out other ones who will certainly agree because they posibly are in the same situation and maybe since longer ago than you.
We are free for do what we need… Unfortunately the american people (more than many other peoples) have a chain to break: to think you are living in a good system and consume what they are selling us as if this would be the only truth and vision. Good luck with the fight!