Fault Lines: ''Why Affluent Americans Decline Interviews''

[DeSwiss]

Run time: 01:51 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFYH4ROPgAo   Posted on YouTube: July 29, 2011 By YouTube Member: AlJazeeraEnglish Views on YouTube: 302   Posted on DU: July 30, 2011 By DU Member: DeSwiss Views on DU: 4337

 

Presenter Zeina Awad describes the challenge of interviewing subjects on the topic of their personal wealth in this video extra from the upcoming episode of Al Jazeera Fault Lines.

"We knocked on so many doors...and no one would talk to us."

The new episode of Fault Lines, "The Top 1%," first airs on Al Jazeera English August 1, 2011 at 2230 GMT.

http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/faultlines/

"The secret of a great success for which you are at a loss to account is a crime that has never been found out, because it was properly executed." ~Honor de Balzac

[Demeter]

1. Keeping their heads down, for one

for another, minding their own business.

[handmade34]

2. seen in this documentary

http://www.theonepercentdocumentary.com/

[wtmusic]

3. Publicly acknowledging wealth can also be dangerous. nt

[RZM]

4. LOL

'Hi. I'm from Al-Jazeera. You don't know me, but I'd like you to sign this release form and speak on camera about your personal finances for this documentary about rich people.'

[Sarah Ibarruri]

5. Because they know they're corrupt a-hs living well off the backs of the rest. nt

[DeSwiss]

9. +1000

:thumbsup:

[RZM]

14. I doubt that many rich people believe that they are grifters

I think you're projecting. You may believe that, but I don't think many of them do. I imagine most wealthy people believe that they haven't done anything dodgy to get what they have. Many probably believe they are lucky and/or blessed, but I doubt many think that they are swindlers.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

16. I'm not saying all are, but I think a great majority of the mega-wealthy...

can watch their country die because they're taking the lion's share of the wealth, and not care a rat's behind because they know they will be fine, and/or can move somewhere else while the rest of us suffer hell.

[baldguy]

21. They'll happily watch the USA descend into a third-world hellhole

Because it won't effect them one bit.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

22. They don't give a damn because they will be safe no matter what.

I have no respect for them, and it's not them that I have to worry about. They've taken care of their own cheating asses.

[BNJMN]

24. Saw a bumpersticker 'Let me keep the money I earned!' ...at a public effin' park here in Austin.

Also, "I'll keep my Freedom, My Guns, And my Money..etc etc blah blah blah"...at a State Park.

Gotta love Texas.
Jeeezuz, what a fucking shithole this country is.

[ZombieHorde]

6. Recommended. nt

[aquart]

7. Because there is nothing they can say that won't sound condescending

and out of touch with the reality of the 99%.

[grahamhgreen]

8. To be fair, i dont see any saudi princes or chinese communists talking about it either.

[DeSwiss]

10. Yeah but it's the Affluent Americans who are at the head of the line. The rest are just pikers.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

12. You forgot the sarcasm tag....

[DeSwiss]

17. If by sarcasm.....

...you mean: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sarcasm">''harsh or bitter derision or irony'', then no, I didn't forget it. From a GDP perspective, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28nominal%29">they are just pikers.

[grahamhgreen]

19. The truly rich all live in the same country. Above the law.

[DeSwiss]

20. Ain't that the truth. :-/ n/t

[A wise Man]

11. They don't want to be interviewed because...

most of their wealth comes from illegal gains....that's why they want the rethugs to fight for them against raising taxes. If the laws of government were the same as the days of "AL COPONE" in the 20's....they would all be in jail today and we wouldn't be in the mess we are in today. After what happened with the rethugs yesterday....a person would be a complete fool or insane to vote for a rethug ever again. THEY ARE THE MOST DISCUSTING THINGS ON EARTH..NOT WORTHY OF BEING A HUMAN.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

13. Any thinking person turns down any media request

The miserable accuracy rate in the media and the plethora of individual agendas makes it the smart thing to do.

[RZM]

15. The clip said they knocked on doors in the Upper East Side and in Georgetown

Both of those areas have a large Jewish presence and perhaps that has something to do with Al-Jazeera's lack of success in getting people to talk on camera. Al-Jazeera isn't exactly known for even handedness in its Israel/Palestine coverage. Frankly, I suspect that the people behind this documentary deliberately chose those neighborhoods in the hopes of playing to negative stereotypes about Jews and wealth.

The idea that anybody associated with this project is 'surprised' that they had trouble getting interview subjects is not very believable.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

18. Thus my comment about agendas

[KurtNYC]

25. Yes. Reporters and doc makers have an agenda.

If they don't know what the agenda is, the safe thing to do is to say no.

I don't see how you amass wealth by changing tax codes. You could preserve it but lower taxes by themselves don't make money stack up as this short clip suggests. Not wanting to appear in some hit-and-run Al Jazeera documentary is not evidence of a crime.

There is a saying in TV: "when the camera goes on, your IQ drops 20 points." Best to know the questions in advance and have your answers ready.

[Turborama]

23. The full documentary (and all other programs) can be watched live online, here --->

http://english.aljazeera.net/watch_now/

Fault Lines is on at these times ...

GMT: Monday: 2230; Tuesday: 0930; Wednesday: 0330; Thursday: 1630.

The schedule for other shows is also available at the link above.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

26. She should have said she was from MTV Cribs

Might have opened a few more doors.