A couple of documentary recommendations

Watched two docs over the weekend: I.O.U.S.A. and The Art of the Steal.

I.O.U.S.A. - is about the national debt and how out of control it's gotten. Talks a lot about how much we owe to places like China and Japan, and how our economy could shite itself if we were ever faced with having to pay countries if they wanted it (which is why the politics are so important). Also talked a good bit about the import/export industry. Basically, it was a good glimpse into the problem of national debt and how crazy it's getting, and how it will take some very unpopular policies to get it under control and moving downward. It's pretty eye-opening and scary in some ways, especially seeing how little the public seems to know about how all of it works.

Watching this one, it seems a little extreme (especially the projections), but definitely sheds a light on how big of a problem it is becoming. Also, it was released in 2008 and based on 2007 numbers (I believe). At the time, the national debt was $9.6 trillion. Today, it is almost $16 trillion.


The Art of the Steal - This one's about art and its culture...specifically the Barnes Foundation and its founder, Albert Barnes, which is basically the greatest Impressionist/Modernist art collection in the history of the world. It's valued at around $25 billion. Anyway, long story short, it's about how Albert Barnes created this collection and used it as an educational tool for art students (and other layfolk) and how he despised the Philadelphia (and really all) "art community(ies)" and vowed that they never get their hands on his collection. He set, very specifically, his will up so that his art would/could never be sold, rented, displayed, etc. to/at any of the art institutions around the world. He always wanted education to be the first and last result of his collection. The film documents how Philly basically destroyed his will and got its hands on the collection and did whatever they wanted. It's really dispicable (and scary) how things went down (at least according to this potentially slanted doc) and how the government and local big foundations (read: massive political pull) basically rendered Barnes's will completely useless.

Really solid doc, and the better of the two in this thread IMO. I'd recommend both docs, but if you only have time for one, catch tAotS.

Have any of you seen these? Thoughts/opinions..?