Freedom from Choice
Many Americans consider freedom to be one of life’s most precious gifts. The documentary Freedom from Choice claims these freedoms are an illusion. Finally, the film discusses how free we can be when the US government cooperates with big corporations in food, finance, media and medicine?
When you walk into a grocery store and are faced with option after option, you may not know what you’re being denied. But fat lobbyists and compromising politicians have dictated many of the products you can buy. Remaining in the shadows are smaller independent farmers who remain committed to operational transparency and products free from harmful pesticides and processing.
The safety standards of our medicines are also at risk. Plenty of popular drugs have been approved despite objections from the FDA’s own medical reviewers. Why? Big Pharma has all the sway and leverage over policymakers in Washington. Meanwhile, ordinary people who live on these drugs are guinea pigs because they can have adverse side effects and even die.
The 2008 financial crisis was caused by bribery of regulators vowed to protect us. Instead of appropriate fines and stricter regulation, we have rewarded the leaders of these banking institutions with bailouts and huge bonuses.
Anyone looking for unfiltered news often turns to the internet. This poses a threat to entrenched power. Therefore, plans were made to centralize and control the internet. “They work 24/7 to scare people into believing the internet needs to be controlled by our politicians,” said one commenter.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. The film showcases ongoing conversations with political commentators, writers, investigative reporters, and advocates of all kinds. They alert us to behind-the-scenes deals that are effectively jeopardizing our freedoms without us even realizing it.
The theme may be somber, but the tone of Freedom from Choice is always vibrant and compelling. It represents a body of undeniable evidence that we should all consider.
Director Tim Del Mastro
