The Story of Stuff - Generally Irritated

I think the huge debate over "The Story of Stuff" is a little ridiculous and everyone who is up-in-arms about how anti-American and anti-Capitalist the movie is, should take it with a grain of salt. One of the first steps to solving America's problem with 'saving the environment' (more like the fact that we have done absolutely nothing for the environment) is to acknowledge that we suck. American has done nothing and will continue to do nothing until people realize that this IS A BIG PROBLEM. We consume way more than we need to. The fact that this is being shown in schools is GOOD because we are brought up with the notion that 'more is better' and will make us happier. This is not true. We can see it everyday on American University's campus. Further, let's not focus on the warped fact about military spending because it's not important. Honestly, if that's the main thing that people get out of this movie, then there is something wrong, because it is not the focus at all.

Further "making people feel guilty about consuming and opposing all form of solid waste management doesn't seem particularly helpful." Yes, actually, it does. People should feel guilty for buying their fourth car, their eighteenth pair of shoes, their 48-pack of water bottles or their $200 pair of jeans. If not on an environmental level, at least on a humanitarian level of looking at the disparity between the United States and the third world. It's hard to understand how someone can justify such waste and frivolity when other people in the world will never even be able to look at half of the stuff we consume. What other way is there to get people to stop consuming other than making them feel guilty? Obviously, awareness, science and technology is not going to change anyone's opinions. We need to appeal to emotions rather than facts, because nothing else is working.

Also, people need to focus on real issues! The extensive debate and energy and time used over this 20-minute movie could have been put into something so much more useful! Like, actually trying to address some of the issues presented in the movie. It's pointless to debate this movie, what is it going to change? Annie Leonard isn't going to back off and be like "okay guys, sorry, this was a little too extreme." She's going to continue promoting her movie like she should. People need to learn how to deal with opinions that differ from their own and focus on what is really important and what really needs to be done (And no, I'm not claiming to embody this train of thought - I get very worked up over other people's opinions, just like everyone else).

As a sidebar - I also think it's really silly that people are getting stressed out that Annie Leonard is a Greenpeace activist. I got the impression that the Heritage Foundation has a notion to "bar the door" when presented with Greenpeace. At least Greenpeace is out there actively engaging people in environmental issues instead of sitting behind a computer screen complaining about minute facts in a movie on a blog. And come on - their name is Green-peace. They may be a little radical, but they're not that bad. Get over it. The French bombed their ship in 1980's...not the other way around.