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Reviews
Subdivide and Conquer: A Modern Western (1999)
an excellent introduction to the topic of sprawl
This documentary is a must-see overview of the problems of sprawled development in the West. It covers history, transportation problems, social concerns, environmental impact and -- best of all -- solutions. There is excellent coverage of attitudes towards land use planning, the partnership between environmentalists and ranchers to preserve open space, and the growing movement back towards urban living. As a resident of the arid Southwest, I was a little disappointed in the presentation of the ranchers without mention of their impacts on the land. But one of the major points of the film is that subdivision home buyers are being sold on a Western myth that their very homes are destroying, and the cowboy is an integral part of that myth.
Who's Counting? Marilyn Waring on Sex, Lies and Global Economics (1995)
an entertaining introduction to international economics
This is an entertaining introduction to the work of Marilyn Waring, who was elected to the New Zealand Parliament in 1975 at age 22, and has been a national and international economic gadfly ever since.
The story begins with Waring as a political innocent, when she used "the art of the dumb question" to discover, then demonstrate, that the principles of economics have little to do with the real world costs and benefits of production and consumption. If you've ever wondered why things don't seem better when the GDP is up, you'll now understand. The film also depicts her efforts to put the spotlight on the unpaid labor of women around the world, the obscenity of military spending, and the importance of environmental preservation.
Waring has a direct manner of thinking and speaking, and a wonderful sense of humor, making Who's Counting an entertaining primer for anyone who suffers from what she refers to as economic anxiety.