"Where to Invade Next?" Michael Moore's Buoyant New Film

Where to Invade Next is the newest movie by Michael Moore, known for satyrical and politically engaged films such as Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine.

It's time to take over the world, and Michael Moore isn't looking back. Armed with an American flag, our human stereotype travels across Europe in search of great ideas. His first stop is Italy. There, Moore is blown away by the amount of paid vacation the average Italian benefits from each year. After investigating the subject, interviewing employees and managers, and uncovering the long-term benefits of paid vacations, Michael Moore plants the American flag in Italy, sending a clear message back home: we could use this! this is a fantastic idea!

And so Michael Moore visits France, Finland, Germany, Tunisia and more, hailing each country's success in a specific aspect of their social system. In France, it's the lunch quality in public schools. In Germany, it's the power vested in labor unions. In Finland, it's the radical and extremely successful approach to schooling. In Tunisia, it's women's right to get abortions and contraception, since 1973.

Michael Moore admits himself that he idealizes each success in each country. In effect, it's pretty clear to any European that yes, what Moore is saying is true, but it needs to be put in its in context: indeed, France affords its youth a very strong culinary identity, but the country is nevertheless in political and social turmoil; indeed, Italy is a great place when you're well-off or have a stable job, but over a third of its youth is currently unemployed.

It's important to contextualize Moore's information, but I am convinced by his idealism. He really only picks the best aspects of each country, and explains why principles such as: cheap and high quality education, equality between sexes, and workers' rights spawn tangible benefits in the futur. More importantly, Michael Moore argues that these improvements aren't unattainable in a country like the U.S. Sometimes, it starts with the little things, like providing all teenagers with accurate sexual education and contraception like they do in most European countries.

The part of the film that touched me the most was Moore's visit in Germany. After praising its empowering labor unions, Michael Moore visits a German school. There, German students are discussing and commemorating the Holocaust. Students are taught by teachers that the WWII genocide is a collective burden, regardless of age. Moore then makes you think critically about History classes in the U.S. : how much do we really tell our students about the Native American genocide, carried out by colonialists? Do we acknowledge enough the fact that the U.S. was built on the back of black slaves? Moore raises critical questions about race, incarceration, and political institutions in America. This contrast between idealizing Europe and criticizing America is truly stunning and worth watching, even if only to acquire another side of the story.

Michael Moore's film is not only a call for change, but an argument on why the U.S. should emulate successful aspects of European institutions that have themselves been inspired by the U.S.

I support Michael Moore with all my heart, and his film has convinced me that socialism, equality and respect are the path to a healthier America.