Films For Action's Library: Explore Thousands of Activist Videos, Articles & Documentaries

Do you feel like life is a constant game of catch-up? No matter how much you strive to get and do, you feel like you need to do more or have more?

11 min

We Went To Puerto Rico: The Inequality We Saw Will Shock You

43% of people in Puerto Rico live in poverty. More than 5,000 crypto traders, real estate developers and other wealthy Americans have moved to the island since 2012. These rich transplants pay 3% taxes, while locals pay up to 36%. We spoke with local residents, investigative...

19 min

Why Social Democracy Isn't Good Enough

One of the major stumbling blocks for new lefties is getting stuck in the "why can't we just have social democracy?" phase. On the surface, the Nordic Model looks pretty good - social safety nets, great public services, better workers' rights...so what's the problem?

17 min

Billionaires are Pillaging America. How Do We Fight Back? | The Chris Hedges Report

The resurgence of the labor movement in 2023 galvanized and emboldened unions around the country—and sent capitalists scrambling to squash the nascent militancy of their workers.

55 min

The Rules of the Game Must Change | Yanis Varoufakis

In a world where machines talk and robots walk, what becomes of human work? Discover why 'Universal Basic Income' might just be the lifeline we need in an automated future. Are we ready to rewrite the rules and reclaim our place in a world shared with AI?

6 min

In The Eye Of The Storm: The Political Odyssey Of Yanis Varoufakis (2024)

'In the Eye of the Storm' is a six-part documentary series about the dramatic journey and inspiring vision of one of the foremost political figures of our age, the maverick Greek economist Yanis Varoufakis.

258 min

The work-in-progress film will be an expansive deep dive into our socioeconomic system as the interconnected root cause of all our crises. It's about the two systems that are locked in battle on planet earth: the life system, and the money system.

7 min

It's Basic (trailer)

When the Coronavirus Pandemic threw livelihoods into uncertainty and consequently spurred the creation of multiple direct government assistance programs, every American was given first-hand experience with the concept of Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI), an idea that has been...

3 min

AI Riots vs "Moore's Law for Everything" by Sam Altman

Moore's Law for Everything: https://moores.samaltman.com/

38 min

The Needs of the Management Class Shaped Racial Pseudoscience

As we enter Black History Month, it is important to understand how management race science was developed to divide and conquer the workforce as it struggled against long odds to form labor unions.

Les Leopold

How the United States RIGGED the Global Economy

Globalization, in theory, means the free flow of goods, money, and ideas around the world. In practice, its rules are set to benefit powerful nations like the United States. Over the last 75 years, the United States has rigged the global economy to guarantee its dominance.

10 min

America Could Be a Utopia

A rebuttal of popular perceptions of the United States.

39 min

Stop Being a Climate Change Doomer

Climate Change doesn't have to scare the Emojis out of you.

12 min

Richard Wolff: How You Are Being Exploited

At the very heart of capitalism is a system of exploitation. That is not a pejorative label: it’s an objective definition of what work actually means. In order for capitalists to make a profit, their workers have to earn less than the value they produce, and that extra value...

6 min

How do we get to UBI and Post-Labor Economics? Decentralized Ownership: the New Social Contract!

PHASE 1 - EARLY VICTIMS First victims are creatives (default value of creativity is zero) Back office (clerical, administrative) is on deck RULE OF THUMB: forgivable and unregulated jobs most vulnerable

40 min

How Racism Harms White Americans (2013) (trailer)

Distinguished historian John H. Bracey Jr. offers a provocative analysis of the devastating economic, political, and social effects of racism on white Americans. In a departure from analyses of racism that have focused primarily on white power and privilege, Bracey trains his...

7 min

Complicit: The Dark Realities of China's Electronics Industry (2017)

Official reports state that a worker falls victim to toxic chemical poisoning in the manufacturing process every five hours, though the actual toll is suspected to be much higher. Captured discreetly over a span of three years, 'Complicit' chronicles the journey of Yi Yeting...

58 min

Your Amazon Returns Are Thrown in the TRASH

So-called "free returns” aren’t free at all. In this video, I share the surprising truth about the lies corporations tell you to make you buy more, and what REALLY happens when you send it all back. - Adam

14 min

Why Inequality Is On The Rise

Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/firstthought

7 min

To Save US Democracy, Tax the Rich at 90%

Wealthy people in America screamed and yelled when FDR said he would do it, claiming a hike from 25% to 90% would crash the economy, but instead that top tax rate kicked off the first middle class to encompass more than half a nation’s population in world history.

Thom Hartmann

HeadSpin! Rewrite the Rules of the Money Game (2023)

Introducing… HeadSpin! our parody game show which exposes the only real winners in this economy: big banks, fossil fuel giants, and landlords.

6 min

How the US Property Tax System Robs The Poor to Pay For The Wealthy

Discover the shocking truth about a secret racket in America that's been hiding in plain sight for years; High-value homes are escaping their fair share of property taxes, burdening less wealthy neighbors and straining city budgets.

18 min

Why Capitalism Loves Fossil Fuels

"In this video essay, I look at how the birth of industrial capitalism led to the birth of fossil fuel use at an industrial scale. Specifically, I look at how capitalist forces led factory owners to embrace fossil fuels over water power, despite water being cheaper and more...

23 min

Elements of Mutual Aid: Experiments Toward Liberation (trailer)

A compilation of footage from the upcoming, independent docuseries "The Elements of Mutual Aid." Spanning North America and including over 60 voices from the frontlines, this project explores the origins, structures, healing ways, and logistics of grassroots mutual aid toward...

3 min

Boomerang: Empire and Britain's Economy (2023)

Empire not only made the colonies. It made the unequal Britain we see today.

31 min

America Lost (2019)

America Lost is a documentary triptych that explores life in three of America’s “forgotten cities”—Youngstown, Ohio, Memphis, Tennessee, and Stockton, California. The film shows the dramatic decline of the American interior through a mosaic of stories including an...

76 min

What Happens to Rich People Under Socialism?

It's a common misconception that socialists want to...ahem...*bonk* the rich. So what do we really want to do? Come learn about how socialist societies treat those with wealth and power!

14 min

Zeitgeist | Requiem by Peter Joseph (trailer)

This is the official Film Trailer for “Zeitgeist | Requiem” by Peter Joseph. Fourth in the series, Peter Joseph continues to explore the incompatibility of modern capitalism with future human survival. Departing from the ideological dogmas of today, the work focuses on the...

4 min

A Case for Color Blindness | Coleman Hughes

Racial inequality provokes passionate opinions and varied ideas of how to build a fair, equitable society. One topic that's been contentiously debated for generations is color blindness: the concept that we should look beyond race when thinking about equity. In this talk...

14 min

How America Invented Race | The History of White People in America

The white “race” was invented by rich Virginians in 1676 in the aftermath of a populous rebellion of impoverished, indentured, and enslaved Africans and Europeans now known as Bacon’s Rebellion.

9 min

'Silent Coup'—How Corporations Rule the World w/Matt Kennard | The Chris Hedges Report

The 20th Century saw a great global uprising against European imperialism as the former colonial countries shook off their shackles and rose up for independence. More than a half century later, global inequality is sharper than ever before. To understand the current...

47 min

Inequality for All Turns 10: Has the Movie’s Warning Come True? | Robert Reich

In the 10 years since we made Inequality for All, inequality has surged. Yet I have hope for the future:

6 min

Jon Stewart Explains Trickle Down

When corporations profit - they keep it. When they fail - we pay for it.

2 min

This Is How the Capitalist Class Views the Working Class. It's Not Pretty.

"Capitalists are THE enemies of the masses because they view us and use us as cattle. You should know this by now. But if you don't, here is a rare moment where one speaks honestly. And don't be mistaken... this is how they ALL think." - The Hampton Institute

1 min

What the Fossil Fuel Industry Doesn't Want You To Know | Al Gore

In a blistering talk, Nobel Laureate Al Gore looks at the two main obstacles to climate solutions and gives his view of how we might actually solve the environmental crisis in time. You won't want to miss his searing indictment of fossil fuel companies for walking back their...

26 min

The Commons: Reclaiming What Is Ours (2019)

The Commons is a documentary film about communities re-asserting sustainable futures using consensus, equity and shared resources – ancient Commons principles. The film shares the increasing privatization and destruction of commons, primarily in the United States. It also...

110 min

Seeding Change: The Power of Conscious Commerce (2021)

20 years ago, a young group of social entrepreneurs started a company to sustainably harvest açaí berries in the Brazilian Amazon. They joined a movement of purpose-driven companies looking to change the world through an alternative economic model. These "triple bottom line"...

51 min

This Is Why You're Poor

We've all heard poverty described as a "mindset" or a "moral failing," but those claims don't hold up to scrutiny when you start to look into it. In this episode we'll take a look at the real causes of poverty, and why it persists in capitalist economies. – Second Thought

22 min

The Invention of Individual Responsibility

Humans love to fix things, to find the cause of a problem, to probe, tinker, and mend. We ask, in many different ways, Why does this happen? What’s the root cause? What’s the origin? What or who is at fault? What or who is responsible? But there are three subjects that have...

53 min

The Most Profound Insight about Poverty You'll Ever Hear

Structural violence - why isn't this idea common knowledge yet? This is a clip from Zeitgeist: Moving Forward, directed by Peter Joseph, featuring Dr. James Gilligan.

2 min

Debunking “No One Wants To Work Anymore” | Robert Reich

What corporate America says: “No one wants to work anymore.” The truth: No one wants to be exploited anymore.

3 min

Behind Closed Doors | Documentary on How The West Encourages Global Corruption (2023)

A Documentary about corruption in high places and those who enable it.

61 min

Do We Really Live Under Capitalism?

One of the most common objections to critiques of capitalism is "we don't have real capitalism, we have corporatism" or "crony capitalism" or even "techno-feudalism." These claims are often well-intentioned, but they miss the point. Let's talk about capitalism, corporatism...

15 min

Are You Paid What You’re Worth? | Robert Reich

The idea that everyone is "paid what they're worth" has proven to be a cruelly effective way to put the blame on workers for not getting ahead — while giving the rich and powerful cover to rig the game for their own benefit. Don't buy it.

5 min

How Consumerism Ruins Our Planet and Finances

Consumerism is destroying our earth and our wallets - here's how. In this video essay, we're discussing the advertisement-driven world we live in, the ways consumerism impacts personal finance, mental health, and the environment, and what we can do to combat consumerism.

10 min

Our Obsession with Economic Growth is Deadly

We are surrounded by stuff. We buy and buy and buy - it’s the foundation of how our economies run, how they grow. But all this buying, all this economic "growing", is devastating people and our planet. We are in a dangerous spiral of out-of-control resource use. In the third...

26 min

Worker Self-Directed Enterprises: the Cure for Capitalism

“Socialism Sucks!” This blatant invective was hurled at me while I stood on a DC metro train reading Richard Wolff’s new book Understanding Socialism. I chuckled a bit, having heard this refrain from InfoWars or Turning Point warriors for years. “I suppose it depends on how...

Kevin Gustafson

The Truth About Corporate Subsidies | Robert Reich

Who else is sick of our government subsidizing the health care industry when millions can’t afford insurance, subsidizing Big Oil while they destroy the planet, and bailing out Wall Street when they crater our economy?

5 min

Should We Move To A 4-Day Work Week?

Our mindset surrounding work is stuck in the 20th century. With massive improvements in technology and productivity in the last few decades, it's time to reassess what work could look like. Is it time to move to a four day workweek? - Second Thought

13 min

The Pluralist Commonwealth: A Vision of Economic Democracy

Historian and political economist Gar Alperovitz offers an animated view of what a next system grounded in democratized ownership of the economy and real sustainability would look like.

5 min

Why Corporate America Hates Unions

Unions are having a bit of a moment right now - countless stores under brands like Amazon, Chipotle, REI, Starbucks, and many more are winning victories left and right, and corporate America is pulling out all the stops to crush them. Why is the US so antagonistic towards...

19 min

David Graeber on the Meaning of Work and the Rebellion of the Caring Classes

Does the world really need neuroadvertisers, PR researchers and branding consultants? Renowned academic and coiner of the ‘we are the 99%’ slogan, David Graeber was a passionate advocate for meaningful work. After famously condemning the 21st century phenomenon of ‘bullsh*t...

5 min

Workplace Dictatorships

In this episode of All Things Co-op, Kevin chats with Professor and author Elizabeth Anderson about her book Private Government, which pushes back on the myth that a free market means workers are free. Most workplaces function like dictatorships, with their own private...

69 min

How Corporate Welfare Hurts You | Robert Reich

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich explains the policies that line the pockets of corporations while hurting ordinary Americans.

5 min

Capitalism Has Hijacked Christmas for Profit. We Need to Reclaim Its Humanitarian Origins.

In this video essay, I look at why we need a war on capitalist Christmas. Specifically, I look at the history of how capitalism stole Christmas, and how we might be able to steal it back. Christmas wasn't always a holiday of private gift-giving, it used to be based in public...

22 min

The Socialist Guide to Surviving in Capitalism

This might be controversial.

21 min

Why It's So Hard To Imagine Life After Capitalism

There's a common expression, "it's easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism." When the current economic model is seen more as an immutable force of nature than a system created by humans in the recent past, it becomes much harder to imagine actually...

19 min

How to Defeat the Fossil Goliath?

The KEY question, I'm asked by students when I guest lecture about the #ClimateCrisis is 'but what can we do?' So I recently rewrote my materials to try & tackle that question head on. Feel free to adapt them. Buckle up - here's a LONG thread🧵about how we can fight back!

Dr. Aaron Thierry

Climate Collateral: How Military Spending Accelerates Climate Breakdown

Military spending and arms sales have a deep and lasting impact on the capacity to address the climate crisis, let alone in a way that promotes justice. Every dollar spent on the military not only increases greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but also diverts financial resources...

3 min

Occupation Inc. (2020)

A documentary about Spanish involvement in the Moroccan occupation and exploitation of Western Sahara, Africa's last colony, with Sahrawi human rights defenders Elghalia Djimi and Sultana Khaya.

42 min

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