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Donald & Lee Dialogue on The Story of Stuff

I am Lee Borden, one of the two webmasters here (along with my wife Amanda). Donald Harwell is my dear friend of more than 20 years. You can find out more than you ever wanted to know about me here. Donald is recently retired from owning and operating a small business in Birmingham with his brothers. I am frankly and unashamedly "liberal" on most political issues; Donald is just as frankly and just as unashamedly conservative.

Here is the dialogue we have agreed to have about the film The Story of Stuff, featuring Annie Leonard. We'll keep adding to it as we find out more.

This conversation started when Lee sent this e-mail to the Serendipity Sunday School Class at Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church:

My dear friends of Serendipity,

Last week during our discussion about the world-class musician posing as a street musician, Lara Waites asked why we are so “busy.” I jumped in with swagger and confidence to say that we are busy because we’re locked in a self-destructive cycle of needing more and more stuff in order to be happy. You can see a short, fun, and entertaining version of the argument here, and I commend it to you.

I have since read some research that challenges that notion, however, and I think it would be unfair to you for me to remain silent about it. I hope you will take a few minutes to read the cogent analysis of Elizabeth Warren in Harvard Magazine, The Middle Class on the Precipice. It’s not long, so you can read it quickly. What she found in her research (all adjusted for inflation) is striking. Here are the key points:

	· Although median household income has increased dramatically during the last generation, the income of the principal wage-earner has actually decreased. The only reason families are making more is that more wives are working.
	· In contrast to the assumptions that many of us (including me) have been making, we Americans are not spending more on frills. We spend a little more on iPods, but less on other appliances. We spend more on computers, but less on clothing. More on big-screen TVs, but less on food (yes, even now, we spend less on food). Dollar for dollar, we spend about the same on discretionary purchases that our parents did when they were our age.
	· The big increases in our spending are going for the basics: housing, health insurance, child care, college, transportation, and taxes (taxes not because the rates have changed, but because the family’s income is higher). These “fixed” expenses account for 75% of the median family’s income, leaving little room for discretionary spending.
	· Because this modern median family has budgeted to the limits of two incomes, it’s much more vulnerable to financial setback. There’s a much higher risk of a sudden loss of income, there’s no longer an option for Mom to pick up a job if Dad gets laid off, and there’s no one to care for a sick child or relative because everybody’s working.

If you want to learn more about Warren’s research and perspective, check out this lecture and this interview.

I apologize for my erroneous comment. I guess it’s just a reminder of how much an old fart still has to learn.

Donald posted this message to the class:

Annie Leonard is full of stuff. She states less than 4% of our forest are left. If this is true how can 33% of the total land in the US is forested? This does not count reserved land which has nearly doubled since 1953. Oh, one other thing Forest is renewable. Another doom & gloomer.

Lee sent this message to Donald:

Excellent! So you watched the film! I’m delighted.

Donald, you are one of the smartest guys I know, and you and I come from different perspectives on a lot of these issues. Would you be willing to engage in a dialogue with me about what Leonard says in the film, where she’s right and where she’s wrong, and what it might mean for us as Christians? I think it would be fun for both of us.

We could agree that we will simply tell the class we’re doing this and that we’ll issue one or more joint reports as we progress. What do you think?

Donald sent this message to Lee:

No problem. There is one thing for sure, she has never owned a manufacturing business. This women has no clue. I can only base my interaction on bits and pieces because, for some reason my computer will not download or buffer the whole clip at once. Hey, let me know.

Lee: Ooh. We sure want you to be able to see it in its entirety. I’ll download it. Are you planning to be in SS tomorrow? If so, I’ll try to go ahead and burn a DVD for you.

Lee provided Donald a DVD of the film, set up this page, and told Donald about the page so he could look it over.

Donald: Looks great! I cannot believe we are doing this. I have listened or watched the whole video. However, my computer that I usually use has a small problem and it is now in the shop. I am on an old back up computer which means for the next couple of days I may not respond quite as soon.

I would like to comment today based on the example of the $4.99 radio at Radio Shack. I, along with my two brothers continued a scaffolding manufacturing business that my father started in 1946. I took over ,as you know, around 1976 and our last day of operation (our choice) was December 31, 2005. I was surprised Ms. Leonard was able to recognized the true cost of a product, and then would criticize Mr. Big Bad Money Hungry Business for not providing benefits or better than mediocre wages. By the time we bought domestic made steel, paid for products liability insurance, provided a good health insurance plan, paid good wages, complied with government agencies such as the EPA, ADEM, Jefferson County Health Dept. and any other agencies plus paid all taxes and fees the cost of our product was twice of any import and we did not get all of this for "Free". I am a little confused on the "free" part. Anyway, let me hear back of your part and I will comment more later.