The Rockefellers

Gag......majestic music, uplifting descriptions of American Royalty blah blah blah....Gag...'it's so very lonely growing up here in paradise'...blah blah blah. What's MOST galling about this is I used to fall for this stuff-like a stone.

 I find it interesting this YouTube video has some kind of technical superiority to most others which allows my PC to play it effortlessly with no lag time -even if I stab the mouse pointer repeatedly at the the progress bar to move around in it-ZERO lag time-which means somebody has paid for ultra deluxe accomodations on the YouTube servers making it's transport to your brain smooth and effortless ...hmmm

This was an engaging treatment of the Rockefeller story and the family members historically.  Its strength is that it gives us a sense of the humanness of these people we tend to cast in stereotyped evil roles with little shading.  But in doing this and in dwelling on the theme of "the problem of integrating power and goodness" as the real mission of the family members post-John D. himself, the film ends up being a well-executed whitewashing of the family, ignoring the destructive role of the family in shaping national and world affairs.  In focusing the lens in this way, the documentary avoids even touching on any of the profoundly destructive activities of which the Rockefellers and their companies and foundations have been originators and/or supporters.  Still, it's worth the watch -- as a source of fill-in material -- as long as you don't get suckered in by its skillfully devised PR machinery.

Your points are valid, Brian, but I enjoyed learning more about this infamous family.  It puts a human face on oppulence and priviledge.  The film helps me to remember that even the lucky sperm count winners have a cross to bear.  Money and happiness do not necessarily come hand and hand.

I make no excuses for them or for the other plutocrats who control the world's wealth and power by exploiting other human beings.  Rather, I think that understanding each other goes a long way in mending the class war between us.

Although the Rockefeller's philanthropy seems to be motivated primarily from their desire to rescue the family name from disgrace, at least it demonstrates some level of decency.  The same cannot be said of other moguls like Wall Street Bankers who could care less if anyone thinks their gains are ill-gotten.

I'd like to see the Morgans, the Rothschilds, the Duponts, the Kelloggs, et al find a conscience and use some of their billions to benefit humanity.

... is that these people are all just products of the American dream and the illusion that any of us could achieve the same. The problem lies in the fact thst these people have set up the system, over time to only benefit themselves. It is pure greed and when you realize that small players like the Rockefellers could feed all of the hungry on the planet with almost no impact on their wealth, you begin to realize the pure lust for power that the elite have and the complete lack of regard thst they have for the rest of humanity. Legally, they have never done anything wrong but, morally it is reprehensible. I say, to hell with the blue bloods. I have worked to my utmost ability for all of my life and it has gotten me only to a level of makng it day to day. When will my hard work pay off? Those that work the hardest must somehow get a little more but somehow, those who have the inside knowledge get it all no matter how hard they work. The pursuit of worthless but necessry money is the root if all evil and hopefully, with real change, this will not continue.