Not long ago, I posted on my Facebook status that I had just
watched 12 Years a Slave and would soon be watching my second
selection, The Wolf of Wall Street. A colleague and friend commented on my
status telling me how tragic the movie, 12 Years a Slave was in both movie
form and in real life. Indeed it was a tragedy – Solomon Northrup is a freed slave
living with his educated wife and family in Saratoga, New York. He, himself is
educated and makes a living as a fiddle player. He is tricked into a drunken
state and soon Solomon Northrup finds himself a slave and is no longer called
Solomon Northrup, but Platt. For twelve years he tries to survive, keeping a
modicum of self-respect, patiently waiting for a chance to reclaim his freedom
and return to New York where his wife and children are awaiting his return. Northrup
ends up on the plantation of Mr. Epps who reads the bible daily to his
‘property’, but is himself a sinful drunken sadist who believes in the corrupt
principles of capitalism. It is a tragic story.
Through the
power of media, the movie Twelve Years a Slave, reminds us
once again of that dark and terrible time in our life as a nation. Forcing any human being to perform under the
threat of severe beatings or even death is a terrible thing. It is terrible to
think that there was a time in our history where it was acceptable to own human
beings, treating them as property, nothing more than a beast of burden to do
our work, helping the owner to become rich. How terrible it is that there was a
time in our history when there was no humanity, no conscious, and no remorse
for the way we treated other human beings all for the sake of earning a dollar
and living the American dream of earning more and more capital. It is a tragic
story.
We fought a
war, brother against brother, and family against family to end this tragedy.
For the north, perhaps we fought this war on the grounds of a moral imperative
that slaves were human too and no human being, under the threat of severe
beatings and sub-human conditions should be used to line the pockets of wealthy
landowners. For the south, the Civil War was about economics, the right to own
human beings, and the right to make money, no matter the cost. 1840 was a long
time ago and the Civil War ended with the emancipation of the slaves – no more would it be acceptable to own human beings as property. Fast forward to The
Wolf of Wall Street, a movie about a stockbroker who in the early 1990's
starts a brokerage firm and grows the company from 20 people to a staff of 250.
Their status, as a trading company and as stockbrokers grows exponentially. Jordan
Belfort becomes known as the wolf of Wall Street and through lies, trading
schemes and lavish parties becomes filthy rich. As his fortunes continue to
grow, Jordan Belfort falls into more lies, more deceit, and soon spirals,
uncontrollably, into substance abuse that destroys his family and ultimately
his fortune; all this deception and craziness because he believed in the
American dream of getting rich and the sins of capitalism. It is a tragic
story.
I am struck
by the differences, yet similarities of these two stories. Although set in different
eras, they are both tragic stories that I believe expose, clearly, the sins of
capitalism. A scene in Twelve Years a slave showed the owner, Mr. Epps presiding
over the weighing of the cotton brought in from the fields by his property, the
slaves. If Mr. Epps was not satisfied
with the yield that was brought in by the slaves, he would instruct them to be
beaten. Likewise, in the movie, The Wolf of Wall Street, the
sentiment was the same – you stay on the phone until the person at the other
end either dies or buys shares. Jordan Belfort gives motivational speeches to
his team to sell, sell, and sell some more. If you do not meet the goal for the
company, you are bullied and humiliated by Jordan and his staff. Sell at all
cost. No conscious, no remorse, and no excuses. It is a tragic story.
Still, we
have much to learn. I tune in the radio in my car. I am a captive audience and
for ten minutes, commercial after commercial, inform me that it is my duty as
an American to earn and spend money. I was told of many opportunities in which
to spend my money and why wouldn’t you want to spend money on yourself? After
all, you deserve it. I was chastised for
keeping my cars for 10 years and encouraged to replace my ‘old clunker’ with
something newer, fresher, and more exciting model – the kind that will make my
buddies jealous. The holy voice from on high informed me that it was a good
time to buy a house and that their realtors were ready to serve you – to get
you into your new home in 30 days or less. The commercials go on and on and
tell us a tragic story about capitalism that is self-indulgent, self-centered, and
reckless. As I see it, all of this commercial hype is contrary to the values of
serious Christians practicing their faith. I have a dream for America too and
it fights mightily against the demons of capitalism. Yes, 12 Years a Slave and the Wolf
of Wall Street are tragic stories, and sadly, so is the American dream.
Perhaps, one day, we’ll see more clearly the sins of capitalism.
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