skadidpm I am glad I watched this film carefully and critically. There's a subtle guise to make it look objective, scapegoating Schumer and casting a generally negative light on the DNC too. Our system is undoubtedly broken. However, as an economist, I can't take this film seriously because more than a dozen charts and graphs shown here lack sources and footnotes. In my world, un- cited data is worthlessly dangerous and usually depicts fiction. Because I am intimately familiar with the actual data, (BEA, BLS, COB, etc) I am comforted by reality and know that the "experts" here are not lying; they are simply stupid people.Further though, the poverty pimping respondents featured in the film suffer from denial. The dumbing down of America is very real and is a pervasive snowball. I've been dead-ass broke 2 times in my adult life and I strived myself out of the hole, unassisted. I smirk with amazement that the fricken bell-boy complained about a $50 Christmas gift from someone (David Koch) who was not obligated to to give anything. Yet he hides his face and voice and pines that he somehow deserves more? If he could only see that Mr. Koch is doing him a favor. The kind of entitlement propagated here and throughout 'progressive' America is shameful. I have no sympathy or compassion for the "experts" featured in this hack piece nor especially for the bell- hop. But if you rated this film above a 6, my heart bleeds for you. You have all my compassion.PS: One reviewer who loved this film wrote they were "surprised it wasn't nominated for an Oscar". Ironically, so am I.

pismo10 As soon as I heard "a recession caused by bankers across the river" I knew the rest was going to be a joke and it was. The centralists in DC caused our latest economic woes, nobody else. Very silly mocumentary based on pure ignorance of the world as it is today and a total ignorance of history. If you want to see poverty just follow the prescription implied by this "film" and the US will be swimming in nothing but a lower and lower standard of living. Production made America, not welfare. Productivity created the middle class, not regulations and unions(which hurt the middle class more than all else combined by shipping everything overseas) Very liberal, very today, very hip but totally inaccurate assessment of the US.

SoonerArrow This is quite an eye-opener regarding the incestuous relationships between the über-wealthy, corporations, political action committees, Congress and even the U.S. President. Like I say in the title to this post, it should be a mandatory study portion in any Civics, U.S. Government, Economics and even US History classes at all levels of education starting in 6th Grade. Each student should delve more deeply and asked to write a paper with proposed solutions to this issue.It very plainly explains how the top 1% of the top 1% (and even the top 10% too) of the wealthy in this country wield true power through their money. I don't believe it's a bad thing to be wealthy or even über- wealthy; it is how they use that money that is offending to me. If the top 400 wealthiest people in our country would donate even 2% of their annual net worth (not salaries or bonuses) at Thanksgiving each year, this money (probably into the billions range) would go a long way to reduce hunger in America and they could create many endowed scholarships at many universities or to local Community Colleges to help the middle and lower classes to become empowered to earn their way up. Luckily, we do have a good number of very civic minded billionaires in our country, beginning with Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, who created the "The Giving Pledge" (givingpledge.org) and I would estimate that over one-half who have signed the pledge are Americans. This philanthropic endeavor is estimated, as of July 2010, to worth in excess of $125 BILLION dollars. Today, it must exceed @00 BILLION.On a personal note, the list also includes a very special lady, Lynn Schusterman, who I've met and worked for her now deceased husband, Charles Schusterman, at his primary business, oil and gas production. Their daughter Stacey has been the CEO since shortly before her father passed. This family has done so much for our state, Oklahoma, by contributing to the University of Oklahoma (OU). As a matter of fact my hometown, Tulsa, would probably never have an OU campus, if not for Lynn and their family Schusterman Foundation. She's very active in family and children's services and a slew of other organizations that badly need their assistance. Charles, Lynn and Stacy, who I all met and spoke to on numerous occasions, were all very approachable and very caring about his employees. Much like Warren Buffett, Charles was down to earth and a hard worker. I would be remiss if I did not mention the hundreds of millions of dollars of giving and active management of those resources by T. Boone Pickens, to our other state run university, Oklahoma State. He's given to OU and many other organizations here. We are very lucky to have these two fine families call our state, home.I'm not believer in conspiracy theories like "A One World Nation", "The Bilderberg's", "Trilateral Commission", Yale's "Skull & Bones", the Freemason's and the list could on and on. The fact is that once you acquire a vast amount of wealth, through any means, you get a seat at the table with the political power broker's. Especially, since SCOTUS gave corporations the right to been seen and treated as an individual person that then allowed them to make almost unlimited campaign contributions stemming from the "Citizen's United" case.Politician's need money like humans need air. That is an inextricable fact. Also, this documentary states unequivocally that it's the lobbyists who actually write the legislation that comes to floor of either house of Congress with little or few modifications. I wasn't overly surprised but surprised and concerned enough to ask this one question:WHO IS ACTUALLY RUNNING OUR COUNTRY?Watch "Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream (2012)" and then, decide for yourself.

gavin6942 Is class warfare the rich against the poor, or is it the ultra-rich pitting the middle-class against the poor (and each other)? While maybe not objective, this documentary looks at the power behind the politics.I love that Jack Abramoff appears here and speaks candidly. I do not care whether he feels he was right or wrong, but that he is able to come forward and explain how the game is played really adds to our understanding.I further love the film's turn towards David Koch and from there towards the state of Wisconsin (where I have lived over 30 years). It was great to see familiar faces like Mahlon Mitchell and Mark Pocan, and hear the connection between Ayn Rand and Paul Ryan.We even got to see real folks in Waukesha and hear more of the Scott Walker prank phone call. From the start it looked like we would be focusing on the Park Avenue of Manhattan versus the Park Avenue of the Bronx. I am glad it went beyond that. Will other non-Dairy State viewers enjoy it as much? I cannot say.