I’d like to say a few things about this video and its value to us as parents. On the surface its presentation and tone are friendly and it is easy to believe that it is a well-researched mini documentary, but that’s the scary part. It IS well presented, but it’s mission is not to inform, it is to persuade. It is a blatant attempt to mislead and actually lie to our childre; this video should NOT be in our schools, unless an opposing viewpoint is offered for equal time.
The video came out last year, and that far right-wing network CNN (sarc) did a short segment on it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vTJdpbUYhY
The “Story of Stuff” video portrays America and corporations in general as bad, a concept that I wholeheartedly disagree with. Leonard complains about “stuff” but fails to talk about how the manufacture, sale and consumption of “stuff” has helped make America the greatest nation on Earth.
For starters, Annie Leonard is the host. As with any presentation the audience should know what the speaker’s credentials are and why we should be listening to her. Leonard has worked for some of the most liberally oriented organizations in America.
- Greenpeace International – Far left environmental activist group, its history and violence is well-documented.
- GAIA – A Dutch group who’s vision is stated in its web site: “for all people to live in settlements containing all elements of society much like a holograph, where every part contains the whole.” It is anti-corporation, but interestingly enough, GAIA is funded through a massive hedge fund based on currency trading.
- Health Care Without Harm – The Tides Foundation is one of its many funders. HCWH has “a vision of a health care sector that does no harm, and instead promotes the health of people and the environment. To that end, we are working to implement ecologically sound and healthy alternatives to health care practices that pollute the environment and contribute to disease.” This sounds great, but the group is quite liberally biased.
- Global Greengrants. This group is a non-profit that provides grants to green projects and activists. Its board treasurer works for George Soros’ Tides Foundation, its board chair runs the Tobacco Free Project based in San Francisco.
- Essential Information – Founded in 1982 by Ralph Nader, Essential Information is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Very anti-corporation, anti-industry.
Based on her resume Annie Leonard is what most people would consider biased. As to the facts and errors in the video, it has been thoroughly explained and debunked. These videos are worth watching more than once.
- Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5uJgG05xU
- Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZzHU3ZfTtY
- Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgLrZc7cws8
- Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XeW5ilk-9Y
If you lack the time or attention span to watch the four videos above I’ve provided a small sample of the problems that lie within. Keep in mind that the following five errors appear in just the first three minutes of the video. The italicized statements are from the video verbatum, you can also download the script with footnotes in PDF format.
The source of this statement is the “War Resisters League.” Obviously they are biased enough, but the math is just horrible. To reach this conclusion they removed Medicare, Medicade and Social Security costs from the equation to inflate its number. Why? Because it serves their purpose of persuasion. By the way, the Congressional Budget Office confirms that military spending consumes 20%, not 50% of tax dollars. That’s a BIG difference.
2) “It’s the government’s job is to watch out for us, to take care of us. That’s their job.”
This is a very liberal interpretation of the PreAmble to the Constitution. The government exists to protect us from invasion, to handle foreign trade, and that’s about it. The STATES have more rights. The state is NOT our parent, our teacher or our baby-sitter. We get Life, Liberty and the PURSUIT of Happiness, not the GUARANTEE of happiness.
3) “Of the 100 largest economies on earth now, 51 are corporations”
Source: IPS, which acknowledges that it operates as a training center for radical organizers. This is a radically left anti-corporation organization. It is based on sales revenue, not profits. It is meaningless. Yes, Exxon/Mobile sells more product than the entire country of Chad. So what? This is just more anti-corporation rhetoric.
4) “we’ve seen a little change in the government where they’re a little more concerned in making sure everything is working out for [corporations] than for us.”
Again, more liberal anti-capitalism bias. The video shows the government shining the shoes of fat corporations. She completely ignores the influence of unions, lawyers and environmental activists on corporate behavior.
5) “In the past three decades alone, one-third of the planet’s natural resources base have been consumed. Gone.”
100% false. Pure liberal bias based on a book by environmental activists. It cannot be proved because it is a useless statement. As one of the videos above says, land with oil underneath it was useless until we discovered oil and learned how to use oil. Resources are replaceable.
I could go on but I think I’ve made my point. This well-produced video — funded by some of the most liberal, anti-American, anti-capitalism groups in existence — has done damage that we as involved parents need to correct. I shudder to think how many parents are not aware of this and how many millions of minds have been falsely persuaded toward this liberal eco/green way of thinking.
This is scarry.