Story of Stuff

What Annie Leonard claimed in the video "Story of Stuff" was quite interesting. However, I think that only half of her assertion is true : that over consuming must be stopped. Truly people nowadays consume too much. We eat too much, we use too much, and we waste too much compared to how people lived decades ago. Most of such consumptions are unnecessary and, as Leonard claimed, using up much natural resources and polluting our planet. Furthermore, such extravagant consumption is not even evenly allocated. Only some nations are wealthy and prosperous. Only some people in the same wealthy nation hold most of the fortune. We can never say this kind of world is operating fine.

On the other hand, the other half of her claim just seemed to be an attempt to attack the government and large corporations. She said that the government and large companies were making people to spend through several ways including advertisement. She alleged that this system of consumption is something planned by them. I believe, nonetheless, that the primary source, which make the system running on, is common people. Even though it is true that corporations are promoting people to use more, people are never forced to spend their money, and how people act can completely change the corporations since it is people whom the corporation need to make profits. People always have choices : choice to save energy and resources, choice to resist temptations of large companies, and choice to save the planet. It is a meaningless excuse that the corporations and the government coerced us to be in such consumption-based system.

MOTIONS

1. Showing any one-sided argument to those in middle or elementary school must be banned.

2. Advertisements that seduce unnecessary consumption with exaggerated information should be forbidden.

3. Using labor force and resources of other nations by large companies is justifiable.