The Fundamentals Of Caregiving

Found within the library of Netflix originals is the movie The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving. The movie is about a man that decides to take a caregiving job. His reasons are intrinsic and we learn how powerful the roots of compassion are when it comes to caregiving.

The movie has many themes that are important. To pay a caregiver 9.00hr is a nightmare in this country. The misgivings of such a wage challenge a family to question whether a caregiver is properly fit for such a task. The young adult in the movie has serious complications due to ALS. For any parent to leave such a medical risk with an improperly paid caregiver can be quite challenging.

Another amazing theme in this movie is that people with disabilities or life threatening illnesses can have a refreshingly strong outlook on life, if given the chance. They struggle every day, when the perceptions of parents and the community are a barrier to free will. Too often, decisions are made by authorities, not people.

The caregiver challenges this perception. He believes a young man with a disability deserves a road trip full of adventures. A voyage of discovery would be good for the young man. What is fused together on a "road of discovery" is that two parties can benefit from such an idea. It would seem that the caregiver benefits just as much as the person in need of care. This is the magic of the movie. It challenges us to expand the boundaries of caregiving. Too often, we restrict people due to disability. This movie allows us to see the benefits of enabling people to be who they are, themselves.

There is a reoccurring theme in this movie that I absolutely love. People with disabilities can have a humorous take on their own situation. I can not provide the examples without giving away the movie. (AKA the spoiler alert) I can tell you that it is these genuine moments that bring reality to light. We all have the ability to find light in dark situations.

Lastly, I cannot say enough about Paul Rudd. This movie showcases his acting talent. Too often the Hollywood machine can limit an actor. This movie gives Rudd freedom to bring emotional and raw feeling to his character. Craig Roberts also does an amazing job with his character as the young man with ALS. Both individuals work well together and their on screen chemistry make this a truly special movie. If you are a caregiver, or someone who advocates for people with disabilities, this movie is well worth watching.

Where To Invade Next

Michael Moore's latest movie challenges us to consider the benefits espoused by the European Union and a few countries around the world that have socialist democracies. The movie is quite important for citizens of the United States to watch. We will eventually have a similar form of government. Socialist governments work for the people, not corporations. When they misbehave, jail time and equitable justice will be a consequence of failure to serve the citizens. Socialist democracies are functioning quite well in Europe and some countries outside of the EU.

The movie does have some flaws and it is important to acknowledge them before viewing the movie. The basic problem for non-believes regarding Michael Moore's film is he picks and chooses what the United States should adopt from very unique countries. Many of the countries have homogeneous populations which is quite different than the United States. They often times do not have the challenges of our nation. However, their concepts of services and education have merit, and it is important for us to reexamine our principles. Those who dislike Moore will likely be unchanged after the movie. Unfortunately, that is the crowd that needs changing the most.

There are great things to consider within the context of this movie. The first thing I liked about Moore's movie is that most ideas are "American" ideas. For example, the criminal justice system in some countries is far better than ours. The concept of cruel and unusual punishment is examined closely in many countries to ensure that prisons are not corporations and judicial systems are less political and more about the civil rights of all individuals. Too many people have their rights violated in our nation. From the police to the courts, we are a nation of shame when it comes to criminal justice.

Another thing Moore does that I like is he compares and contrasts the actions of some countries to the actions of our own government. It allows the viewer to consider alternate realities. This is important as many Americans like to believe where "#1" when in all actuality, we fail our citizens due to greed and mismanagement. Healthcare is the strongest example in the movie of how positive it is to live in a society free of worry when you get sick. Another example is worker's rights. It is powerful to witness how worker's rights can transform a nation. Finally, for me, the examples of voter rights was truly powerful, and it was a theme repeated throughout the movie. Red states and Blue states are a creation of the political process in our nation. The control of the voting process is how you suppress a nation from changing the structures that exist. We have to tackle voting rights first in order to fix the rest of the problems.

Moore did not give the Democrats a pass, which was refreshing. However, I felt he gave the Clintons a pass. This is another criticism of Moore that I have to agree with. The Clintons can arguably be discussed within many topics of the movie. From email to voter fraud, he gave them a pass.

Overall, the greatest strength of this movie is the concept of socialist democracy. We need to educate ourselves that we live in a nation that government receives it's power from the people, not corporations. The quicker we transcend our nation to a government of the people, the better it will be for all Americans.