Political Economy of Harry Potter: Ministry of Magic

The 2000’s have been a decade of Harry Potter. Although the series has finished, the story continues through the movies, and the love for the story spreads. Interestingly enough, a main theme through out the series has been the error in the Ministry of Magic who continuously undermine one of the most powerful greatest Wizard of all time.

The lesson? Government failure and their disillusion that they have the correct solution over the experts. Does real life need a villain in order for any fan of Harry Potter to see the errors of a strong central government which believes it knows better than the specialists?

Within the Potter world, could many events have been avoided if the Ministry of Magic had only listened to Harry Potter and Dumbledore?

Within the real world, could the events of the economic collapse been avoided if the government had corrected their policies according to what most economists viewed as the correct policy?

My last question is, why aren’t Harry Potter fans skeptical about government intervention?

Rocky and Economics

I have been stating that the Rocky series are some of the best films ever.
There have been books written about the economics and philosophies behind The Lord of the Rings, Matrix, and Star Wars series. Why has Rocky not made the list??

Rocky on comparative advantage:

                Yeah -- My ol' man who was
 never the sharpest told me --
 I weren't born with much brain
 so I better use my body.

   ROCKY
  (continuing)
 What's funny?

   ADRIAN
 My mother told me just the
 opposite.  She said, 'You
 weren't born with much of a
 body so you'd better develop
 your brain.'

Rocky on self interest and regulation:
Rocky Balboa:
Yo, don't I got some rights?
Boxing Commissioner:
What rights do you think you're referring to?
Rocky Balboa:
Rights, like in that official piece of paper they wrote down the street there?
Boxing Commissioner:
That's the Bill of Rights.
Rocky Balboa:
Yeah, yeah. Bill of Rights. Don't it say something about going after what makes you happy?
Boxing Commissioner:
No, that's the pursuit of happiness. But what's your point
Rocky Balboa:
My point is I'm pursuing something and nobody looks too happy about it.
Boxing Commissioner:
But... we're just looking out for your interests.
Rocky Balboa:
I appreciate that, but maybe you're looking out for your interests just a
little bit more. I mean you shouldn't be asking people to come down
here and pay the freight on something they paid, it still ain't good
enough, I mean you think that's right? I mean maybe you're doing your
job but why you gotta stop me from doing mine? Cause if you're willing
to go through all the battling you got to go through to get where you
want to get, who's got the right to stop you? I mean maybe some of you
guys got something you never finished, something you really want to do,
something you never said to someone, something... and you're told no,
even after you paid your dues? Who's got the right to tell you that,
who? Nobody! It's your right to listen to your gut, it ain't nobody's
right to say no after you earned the right to be where you want to be
and do what you want to do!... You know, the older I get the more
things I gotta leave behind, that's life. The only thing I'm asking you
guys to leave on the table... is what's right.
Perhaps this will become a regular theme, economics from Rocky.

Rambo: A searching for faith in a hostile envorinment

Many know that I am a pretty large fan of many of Sylvester Stallone movies. The Rocky Balboa series, the Rambo series, heck, I even enjoyed Cliffhanger. There is no doubt in mind to how good his two large series that took place mostly through the 70's and 80's are. Rocky Balboa came out a year ago and proved to be a success even with all the criticisms brought up by Stallone's age.

That same criticism arose with Rambo this year, yet that is not the only thing that helped deteriorate the amount of people who wished to see the film. The trailer for Rambo is poorly done. In view of the trailer alone, one would expect to see only meaningless action scenes with a loose cannon of an individual who had the highest training in the art of war. Truth is far from the fact, Rambo lacks anything except 80 montages.

This movie is not for the light of heart. Rambo is bloody. Limbs fly, women are raped, and children are beaten. This is the world of Burma to which the movie introduces us to in a news commentary in the beginning with a remembrance of a cold feeling from fall 2007, the death of a Buddhist priest who was taking part of a peaceful protest.

Watch it, understand that government's are corruptible and that at times you will find yourself not wishing to get involved only to find there is no choice, something must be done. You have to find the faith within yourself to believe that nothing is impossible.
So the world doesn't have a Rambo, we have other heroes. We have seen Gandhi, Washington, Bolivar, to even Dr. King.

Rambo is a film about believing in something, having a reason to live, and having the faith that even if it is only you, you can make that stand to help make the world a better place. Let it be intellectually, spiritually, or physically but make sure you know how to stand for liberty by knowing what it is, why you want it, and what rights grant us such a grand gift to live.

Oh yes, click the title for a link to their interactive menu with information about the movie, the situation in Burma, and Rambo icon/wallpapers.

Why Transformers was better than 300

Yes, I said it. Transformers was better than 300. A little late to write this but lets have it, I am never on time as it is.
300, the movie about Thermopylae and the 300 Spartans. Disappointing as it lacked storyline as it was extremely predictable filled with sex scenes that were pointless. I'll give it to them for the scene at the Oracle, that is how the Oracle originally worked, but the marital sex was pointless as he was not turned on by her but to the mere fact he was a "free man". A "free man" who did not choose to be a fighter nor a Spartan. A "free man" who only had one choice throughout the movie, bow down to Xerxes or have to fight for his kingdom. Hey have to call it. When you have no choice towards your profession or lifestyle, it is not freedom. A shame for everyone to believe that only through the State can you achieve Freedom.
Transformers, corny throughout the movie, but more depth in the storyline than 300. Why did the car choose Sam should have been the question in the beginning? What is it the Decepticons are after should have been the next question. Of course, we should have been able to foretell what they were since the displayed it in the beginning of the movie with Sam. Yet the plot of Transformers had something that 300 lacked. Cooperation, innovation, and a better message.
Let us define the different versions of Freedom
In 300, Freedom is to live under the state you are used to.
In Transformers, Freedom is the ability to choose b/w life and death; between good or evil and not allowing others to make that decision for you.
How about Innovation?
300, Innovation was to fight at Thermopylae as to create a small pass where the 300 could hold off the entire Persian Army.
Transformers, the military overcame and adapted to the situation learning from each battle with the Decepticons of what they could do to cause harm to the giant robots; changing the battle area from one place to another to allow themselves a strategic advantage. Heck even the Decepticons overcame their disadvantages by shutting down the communications link throughout the world. This isn't to say that Xerxes never overcame anything, but according to the movie he had to wait until a crippled Spartan had leaked information about a pass so that he could attack the Spartans in a new fashion.
As for the message,
300 claimed that men died for a reason which would be Freedom thus encouraging all of Greece to unite to fight against the Persian Army.
Transformers completely took all the work 300 and worked it into 300's ending. Instead of their being death to cause people to unite, they found their was one cause that those with differences can unite for; Freedom.
Truth is the actual history of Thermopylae is a time when Greece unified itself to overcome the Persians. The true story was that like the movie Transformers. The most disciplined force of ancient times, the Spartans, with only a handful of themselves assembled with other Greeks and held the land battle. The Athenians, greatly outnumbered in the sea, led a sea attack against Persian ships to curtail them from sending reinforcements behind the land units on the pass.

Face it, 300 was disapointing, so they gave us Transformers.

It all returns to Faith

Its almost Halloween, not that I am a huge fan of Halloween, it is just another day... but I was writing a post upon horror films when I decided it was about time to discuss one of my favorite movies, which I do not classify as a horror film, The Exorcist.

Oh yes, people tremble at just the name of the movie. Many have only viewed the movie once and have only traces of the demonic scenes imbedded into their memory of the movie. I tend to try to speak about this movie any chance I get because what I believe the message is, even though the movie executives would rather the message be different. I won't lead you on, I'll tell you what I found in this movie that makes me smile whenever Halloween comes around, because I know it would lead to The Exorcist to be played on tv. It is like the Christmas Story for many others on Christmas. I just enjoy the Exorcist. Yea, I know I must be a Satanist to enjoy a movie with this topic, but the topic to me is not of demonic possession; but of Faith.

I first noticed this years ago when watching the movie. I like to find explanations to anything, for this reason I like watching Ghost Hunters on Sci Fi when I can since they tend to disprove any supposed hauntings. Where is the faith you might ask? Although the movie is loosely based on a true event, we do not know what actually occurred. It is really just a screen writer/book author and Hollywoods rendition of a demonic possession and exorcism. Yet, from the beginning of the film we are introduced to a young priest. This young priest is continuously attacked and has begun to lose his faith in the Catholic Church. Recall that his mother is dying; he is approached and told that if only he wasn't a Catholic priest he would be a rich psychiatrist able to take better care of his dying mother. Here is when the demonic face first rises in the young priest's dreams when he is chasing his mother.

I am not going to make this longer but just describe the loss of faith from the young priest who could find no explanations in the possessed girl's actions. His faith was so low that when the Exorcist had told him not to listen to the demon that possessed the girl the young priest could not. Remember, the demon began talking like the young priest's deceased mother, to which the elder priest remarked not to listen the demon's lies. Attacking his spirit from the beginning of the movie, I believe the demon's goal was the priest not the young girl. The Exorcist made the young priest leave the room because he knew his faith was too weak to be of any help in performing the exorcism. The next scenes are not shown, but we are next invited back into the room where the demon lived in the girl with the limp body of the Catholic priest who was performing the exorcism. It was not that the demon was too strong for the exorcism, but I believe that although the Exorcist was strong in faith that he could call out to God to wield him the power to cast the demon, his physical strength was too weak; recall he was sick since his first meeting with the demon both from a past exorcism and in the dig in Iraq. The Exorcist had needed the young priest in order to wield the power of God to cast the demon, but as the young priest had little faith he was of no use causing the Exorcist to die. Entering the room, the young priest has no choice. It appears he finally understood what it was the demon wanted and his faith grew. He knew it was he the demon wanted and called out to it, commanding the demon to take him and leave the girl. For this, I believe the movie to be about faith, that the demon left the girl for the Catholic Priest who finally found enough faith and strength that he could hold on to his physical body enough to kill himself and the demon.

Because of this movie, I am not afraid of demonic possession. I know that it is faith that wields the strength in order to cast out the demon. In this time of fright before Halloween, perhaps you should build up your own faith. Not neccessarily Catholic, but with whatever it is you have faith in. I am not here to say what religion is right, only that when you feel like you are falling you mean only to look into oneself and strengthen your faith.

The Season of Fright

Horror movies, they are forever being released and yet none give a large amount of satisfaction. Horror movies have the most sequels than any other type of genre. Just think of Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13, and even newer movies like Saw. (and people want to say they should end the Rocky series, which by the way, is released this December) Are movie executives running out of ideas that they create a new movie with the same story but add a few more twists? Yet they are continuously being released, because the public obviously is in search for a few shrieks and thrills. The same public who called The Passion of the Christ too gory, but in my opinion, the Passion at least had a great story line.
Not here to bash horror movies only expressing thought on why they are so popular. I know men who do not care for them but will watch horror films for their loved one. Why? Supposedly there is a theory tied close to being scared and to sexual arousal. Perhaps its because the girl gets scared jumps into her boyfriend/husband's chest releasing the pheremones? I am not a doctor or study the human body nor am I a student of psych, but that is a big incentive for men; that is if the theory that all men want is sex is held true.
Taking a look into the horror films we find a trend. Horror films come with cheesy acting with many no name actors who are hoping to have a break out performance (note that Paris Hilton was in a horror film). How many actors have ever won an award for a horror film? Consider Hitchcock horror and you may find yourself with a list of Hollywood stars, but his movies were inpredictable and did not include ghastly figures or grotesque death scenes, merely a taste of the unexpected or unexplained.
Besides of terrible acting the horror films tend to have the worst plots. Most have a beginning that draws you in only to leave you devasted in watching the film to the end causing yourself to ask why you watched such a predictable movie. Ok, so thats mainly the horror films of today. It is sad when M. Night Shamaylan is the only film director who continuously fools me with his plot, and he is not a horror film director(no matter to what genre others place him in). I'm not going to list the predictable endings to the horror films who only make you giggle rather than scream, but is there another trend rising? The trend of remaking horror classics? An American Haunting, Psycho, do I really need to list all the remakes? I am not sure what makes the public love horror movies, but I am not impressed. I want more depth, cause me to scream and shriek which is not blood and gore. I get that enough from movies like the Passion which made me cringe and close my eyes more than any horror film. Come on Movie Execs if you are going to say its a horror film actually make it interesting.