Where To Invade Next

My Discussion Questions

1. What is the longest jail sentence someone in Norway can receive for any type of crime?

B 21 years

2. How many weeks of vacation does an Italian average in a year?

C 7 weeks

3. Citizens in which country are given the most amount of paid time off for raising a newborn/adopted baby?

B Italy

4. What is abstinence and which country teaches it is not worth practicing?

A It is the act of wearing protection when engaging..

5. Which word best describes a typical lunch in a school in France?

A Gourmet

6. How many hours a week do 1st graders go to school in Finland?

A 20

7. How much homework does the average student in Finland get?

A None

8. How many people were arrested in Portugal last year for using/dealing drugs?

A None

9. Which country gets paid for 13 months of work even thought there are only 12?

A Italy

10. In Germany, the government pays for a 3 week spa vacation when an employee goes on a burn out?

A True

11. Which country does not offer free University to its citizens?

B United States

12. After watching most of this video, what country would you most like to live in?

E Slovenia....Ofcourse !

13. True or False - Canada ranks in the top ten for one of the most successful education systems.

A True

14. Which country gives its workers a full 2 hours for lunch every workday?

A Italy

MY SUMMARY

In the film “Where To Invade Next” Michael Moore introduced viewers to different perspectives of multiple countries, showing different living styles and governmental regulations. Moore visits over ten countries in Europe and in each one finds a specific lesson that the United States and other countries should copy. A few examples: Eight weeks of paid vacation in Italy, whose per capita income isn’t far from the U.S’s, with typically only two weeks. Free university education in Slovenia, vs. high tuition and large student debt in the US. The film also emphasizes on childhood joy and allowing kids to be kids, an element in Finland vaulting to #1 in the world in student academics and learning. I enjoyed the film very much and I found it to be very thought-provoking, it should influence everyone to be better. To show what the USA can learn from rest of the world, Michael Moore also visits various nations in Africa as a one-man "invader" to take their ideas and practices for America. Whether it is Italy with its generous vacation time allotments, France with its gourmet school lunches, Germany with its industrial policy, Norway and its prison system, Tunisia and its strongly progressive women's policy, or Iceland and its strong female presence in government and business among others, Michael Moore discovers there is much that American should clone. In my personal opinion I felt as though the documentary was very informative, it might’ve been one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. It gives viewers the raw magnitude of what the world is really like, and what it should be. These perspectives are what individuals need to study and encounter in order to do better, from a societal standpoint.

For me directly, the film sparked countless emotions. It forced me to actually realize the atrocious behaviors individuals can possess, especially towards one another in America. When I watched the segment on how Black men were treated, it put me in an uncomfortable position almost as if I wanted to cry. Somehow, sitting there in my seat, I felt the pain they endured. Grieved, furious, provoked, just to name a few emotions I tolerated. Nevertheless, the film and its entirety gave a great illustration of the world and its governments in a raw fashion. If I could single out one of the ideas from the film to be implemented in the U.S. it would be the notion of debt free college education. In the film, Moore explained that there are dozens of countries with free college tuition. Countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Norway, France, Finland, and the best one of them all Slovenia. I would choose this idea because by negating the large bill of a college education, we would see an increase in the number of students able to attend college. This then creates a more well-educated workforce and a population that has better critical thinking skills. This could lead to more innovation in all areas of society. However the question is, Is this possible? If America were to adapt to a debt free college policy, where would the money come from? It seems certain that the upper echelons of the American society will see increased taxes if this were to pass. There is a likelihood that it will increase in the upper-middle-class as well. The point is, all we know is that someone has to pay these dues through taxes. The uncertainty of who will carry the burden is not making many Americans comfortable. Yet, it is still possible.

Aside from the ideas in the film, there are other progressive solutions that we should import from other countries that were not featured, such as the simple fact of being generous and charitable to your neighbor and the less fortunate. The feeling of helping and looking out for one another is unmatched. In America, everyone is all for self and narcissistically isolated. We need to adjust to other countries’ behaviors and be happy amongst one another. After watching the film, one quote I will never forget is “The American dream is alive and well everywhere, but America.”