Most importantly, if you'd like to know topics are being explained to you cognizant of the fact the content-maker doesn't have to worry about insulting potential advertisers (because it's Netflix), then this is the series for you. In addition, the title song is by "Run the Jewels" one of the few rap groups I still listen to.
The first episode is "Hard NOx". It deals with the VW scandal & provides new perspective on the "defeat devices" which were installed on the German manufacturer's cars.
Like most everyone else, I take my car to pass emissions every two years & if my current car manufacturer had done the same thing as VW, I'd be just as angry as this episode's director (Alex Gibney). California's Air Resource Board (CARB) was instrumental in finding out about the cheating yet the Trump administration wants to undermine it; no surprises there. What is surprising is how lax European regulators are towards car manufacturers who are causing massive air pollution in their continent. Although things may be changing (hopefully) as reported by the NYTimes today:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/30/business/energy-environment/german-carmakers-diesel-monkeys.html
"FRANKFURT — Volkswagen suspended its chief lobbyist on Tuesday amid a growing furor over revelations that the company and other German carmakers had financed experiments on monkeys as part of an effort to play down the health hazards of diesel exhaust."
Another important episode is "Cartel Bank". Of course, since the episode deals with HSBC's corruption & money-laundering for Mexican drug cartels, it hits close to home for me because my family is from Mexico. Therefore, I worry about the safety of Mexicans. However, this episode makes it very clear about the lack of concern the U.S. government has in truly punishing financial institutions who do business with drug cartels.
Then there's the "Payday" episode, about payday lenders utilizing abusively high-interest rates & hidden fees to take advantage of working-class & poor people. The episode focuses on Scott Tucker who was recently sentenced to 16 years in prison:
"Scott Tucker sentenced to over 16 years in prison for exploiting struggling Americans"
The episode "Drug short" confirms everything bad you thought you knew about pharmaceutical companies & their lack of concern for struggling people who can't afford their medicine. Again, pharmaceutical companies wanting to impress Wall Street by hiking prices in order for their stock to rise will anger most everybody.
There's also "The Maple Syrup Heist" about the robbery of $18 million worth of syrup. I wasn't that interested in that particular episode to tell you the truth but it was nevertheless interesting. Independent producers versus BigSyrup (?). I'm sure there's more to this particular episode but I may not have been paying attention: sorry.
Finally, the topic of Trump and his many failed businesses, bankruptcies, potential links to organized crime (& of course the Russians) is thoroughly examined in "The Confidence Man" (con-man). Which is one of the most interesting episodes because it deals with our current charlatan leader. Go watch it.
No comments:
Post a Comment