America is a country of opportunity because of its capitalist system where anyone can make something of themselves if they aim high and work hard. The downside to so much freedom is the fact many may have to suffer in order for others to succeed, a situation shown in the events of “Roger & Me”. The film focuses on corporate greed and the lack of corporate responsibility towards the public. While watching the movie, one can see how the CEO, Roger Smith, can change hundreds of lives, and how vulnerable Americans are to corporate capitalism.

Leftward – leaning filmmaker Michael Moore spends nearly three years documenting the demise of his hometown of Flint, Michigan, in his late 1980’s documentary, “Roger & Me”. “Roger & Me” surrounds the decision, made by the corporation General Motors, to close down 11 of their auto plants in the Flint area, and Moore’s resultant pursuit to meet and talk to the man he deemed responsible for the decision: GM Chairman Roger Smith. In the film, the situation of Flint is easily discernable; Flint’s economy is deteriorating as its auto factories and high – paying jobs are relocated to Mexico, an infamously cheaper – labor country.

Though the focus of the film is on GM’s assumed responsibility for the hardships of Flint, it also shows a situation in which the conditions of the town are not able to support a capitalistic and liberalist society. Flint was a classic study of the dynamics of a one – product economy in a post – industrial business environment. Liberalism and capitalism can only work when there is opportunity to pursue an individual’s profitable interests. In a one – product economy, there is too much risk involved for these principles to work fully for everyone involved. When the product disappears, it also decreases the opportunity to pursue one’s individual interests of gaining profit and private property, and therefore the environment cannot support the two philosophies.

Liberalism is defined by four basic principles: competitive individualism, right to private property, belief of limited government, and the free market system. These principles go hand in hand with the theory of capitalism. Roger Smith and the GM Corporation are a classic example of both of these standards. Smith made the decision to close and relocate the 11 Flint auto factories to Mexico because he would make more of a profit by doing so. By making more profit, his company remains competitive, he fulfills his responsibility towards the stockholders of the corporation, and he is able to pursue his individual interests in th

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