I.O.U.S.A. the Movie!

Thanks for the info...a must see!!

I'm not sure what is mentioned in the movie, but I think they interviewed David Walker who was basically head of the GAO...needless to say, he quit stating that nobody in the gov't would listen to him. The irony of the situation is he went to a private orginazition that was funded by a banker, I believe, and will try to get his message out that way.

I've been following Walker for a little over a year and it is amazing that not many take heed of what he has to say.

While I concede this movie will have wide ramifications. One must also look at who's behind the curtain. Follow the money and be weary.

Blackstone's Peterson Backs Film on U.S. Debt Through Nonprofit

By Patrick Cole

July 11 (Bloomberg) -- Blackstone Group LP co-founder Peter G. Peterson celebrated the launch of his $1 billion foundation last night by showing off his latest acquisition: a documentary that examines the perils of the U.S.'s debt.

As he stood a few feet from a portrait of himself at the Council of Foreign Relations in Manhattan -- he's a former chairman -- Peterson, 82, addressed an elite crowd of 150 that included philanthropists David Rockefeller and Donald B. Marron; former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger; former New York Governor Mario Cuomo; Quadrangle Group LLC co-founder Steven Rattner and Robert Rubin, the former U.S. treasury secretary.

Peterson told the crowd that the Peter G. Peterson Foundation has bought the rights to the feature-length documentary, ``I.O.U.S.A.,'' which will open in 10 cities on Aug. 22. The distributor is Roadside Attractions.

Directed by Patrick Creadon, the film features interviews with investor Warren Buffett and former Federal Reserve chairmen Alan Greenspan and Paul Volcker, who discuss the dangers of U.S.'s national debt, which is about $9.5 trillion, according to the Bureau of Public Debt, an arm of the U.S. Treasury.

``Over time, taxes would have to double to pay for the debt and that's unthinkable,'' Peterson said.

Peterson announced in February that he would create a foundation to address the U.S.'s economic, environmental and social problems.

`Why So Difficult?'

The nonprofit will help promote the film's release and offer free DVDs of ``I.O.U.S.A.'' to the public after its theatrical run, said foundation spokeswoman Elizabeth Wilner. It will also spend $5.3 million in grants to help young people learn about public and personal finance.

``We're not going to be just another think tank,'' Peterson said to the group. ``Our mission is to create awareness and to bring Americans together to achieve real results. Why is that so difficult?''

The film's trailer was shown on big-screen monitors in the wood-paneled room as the audience drank cocktails and ate chicken on skewers.

``This is going to be an economic version of `An Inconvenient Truth,''' said the foundation's chief executive officer David Walker, the former U.S. comptroller general who has a speaking part in the new film.

``Pete knows business, he knows the economy -- I think it's a terrific idea,'' Kissinger said in an interview after viewing the film clip. ``If we continue on this road, it would be awful.''

"...economic version of `An Inconvenient Truth" were the blame is/could be shifted to the people and away from corporate interests and the entire world economic model. I'm not out to discourage anyone from viewing the film but one must be prepared for the media spin and not be lead by it.

Oh, I've been waiting for someone to bring up "who's behind the curtain". Thanks for finally doing so. ;) Yes, just like anything in life we must be leery (or wary, as opposed to weary), but not to the point of missing the value something like IOUSA provides.

Those who are part of organizations such as the CFR are not boogeymen out to get everyone while they sleep. They just have a differing point of view about what's best for the world and how issues should be approached.

I completely agree people must not be led by media spin, and media spin can (and does) exist on just about everything. However let's see what the content is of the movie before we start worrying too much about that. :) The basic intention of trying to inform people about the upcoming problems is inherently good. You're asking the public at-large to make a *huge* jump in understanding when at this point they don't even get why universal health care is not financially feasible.

Have some historical presedence to back that up? Perhaps not all CFR members are evil boogeymen, but the amount of control and infuence they and they're affiliate organizations have is undeniable. This becomes self-evident if you follow up on their history.

I don't disagree that they have influence. In fact you have to grudgingly give them respect for the influence they have built and developed over the years, through a lot of networking and connections throughout the world.

All I'm saying is they put their pants on the same way I do ... I don't fear them. We all have the ability to organize and wield influence in any way we like, i.e., the freedom of assembly. It's up to us to decide what we do with it.

I'm not going to write off a movie because it happens to be created and developed by a foundation with CFR connections. There is something to be learned from what they are able to accomplish.

I'm not suggesting anyone write off the movie. In fact I'm planning on seeing IOUSA as soon as humanly possible and I'm going armed with DVDs and literature to pass out after my own viewing. This is perhaps the most important event of August and should be taken full advantage of while the iron's hot.

I'm glad we agree. ;) I'm curious to know, what type of DVDs and literature are you planning to pass out after your viewing?

Fiat Empire
Money as Debt
Monopoly Men
Creature From Jekyll Island - G. Edward Griffin
The Money Masters
The Fiat Money System by Bill Veith w/ Alex Jones
America: Freedom to Fascism