The brothers Mortimer and Randolph Duke conspire (and place a $1 bet) for two radically different men to "trade places" in life.
Louis Winthorpe III, an Ivy League white guy (played by Dan Aykroyd) is falsely accused of theft and his life spirals out of control. Ultimatley, he's fired from his job (working with the Duke brothers), loses all of his possessions, his friends, and his dignity. At the same time, the stereotypical, black-skinned hustler (played by Eddie Murphy) is given everything Winthorpe lost.
As you'd expect, the movie has a happy ending with revenge against the rich guys. I love that.
Unfortunately, what happens in the movies is not what happens in real life.
So it's ironic that the producer of Trading Places -- Aaron Russo... just released a documentary called Freedom to Fascism -- it's a movie the IRS doesn't want you to watch.
The film starts with Russo's quest to validate the claims of the Tax Honesty movement -- that paying individual federal taxes is voluntary. In Russo's attempt to get an answer to the one simple question, "What is the law that requires people to pay personal income tax in their wages and salaries," Russo is stonewalled by just about everyone, he instead discovers everything from the evils of the Federal Reserve System to human-implanted RFID tracking chips and even corrupt Diebold electronic voting machines.
Unfortunately, Russo never gets answers to his simple question.
I understand Freedom to Fascism gets standing ovations... how many movies can claim that? Yes, it's that good. I wished it didn't end...
... And that my only critique of the movie -- it didn't end. Instead, Russo asks us what our next step is. That's a pickle most can't handle. I was looking for ideas on what to do next.
This isn't Russo's first documentary about corruption... he actually created an hour long informercial called, "Aaron Russo's Mad as Hell."
Russo is a fascinating guy (to say the least). During my research, I discovered Russo is (allegedly) the mystery man wiretapped by "famed Hollywood private detective" Anthony Pellicano... apparently initiated over a sour business relationship with financier Adam Sander. Russo also ran for governor of the state of Nevada in 1998 because, ""I believe that America is rushing headlong into becoming a socialist totalitarian society and I want to help stop it. I see the Federal Government disobeying the Constitution. When the government is allowed to take control by force and act unlawfully, then thats tyranny."
Screening of Freedom to Fascism
http://www.poodlecrap.com
Freedom to Fascism websites:
http://freedomtofascism.com
http://en.wikipedia.org
Aaron Russo's Mad as Hell
http://video.google.com
(Warning: the sound quality is horrible.)
Russo for President:
http://www.russoforpresident.com
(This is a cached version of the site from October 22, 2003.)
Donate to fund Freedom to Fascism:
http://www.freedomtofascism.com/donations/donations.html
No comments:
Post a Comment