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In this episode, Dani talks about prices versus the actual cost of things.
She recommends reading "The Story of Stuff: The Impact of Overconsumption on the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-And How We Can Make it Better" by Annie Leonard and watching ThoughtSlime's video on minimum wage.
She also recommends helping in the fight to Stop Line 3. You can learn about the UN letter to the "US" government, send customizable letters to Jaime Pinkham and Joe Biden, learn up on joining in an Indigenous-led resistance, and find out when events are taking place on StopLine3.org.
For links & recommendations, view full episode notes.
Dani is honest and refreshing in her takes on the world and society. Listen as she explains how she’s come to understand the world through kindness, both towards ourselves and everything else.
[0:00] Hello friends! Welcome to Understanding Kindness, a podcast hosted by me, Dani! I’m someone who approaches life by learning from everyone around me, and I’ve decided to write it all down and talk about it here with you. I’ve learned that in order to create change in this world, we need to understand ourselves and the world around us, all while infusing kindness into everything we do. If I can do it, you can do it, and we can do it together. Welcome to Understanding Kindness.
[0:29] Hey there friend-os!…weird. I hope that I’m finding you well and staying safe. Today’s episode is kind of a continuation of the last episode on convenience. We’ll be discussing prices versus actual costs. I briefly mentioned both of these topics in episode 33, and today I’ll be wrapping up that discussion. We’ll talk about how blatant cover-ups allow us to afford the con- the prices of the conveniences we’re all so used to in the so-called United States, and hopefully I’ll be able to provide more evidence towards shifting to small Communities. Let’s hop off from there.
[1:09] For today’s Native segment, we’re talking about Line 3 again. Construction for the project is in its final days; Enbridge plans to have oil running through the pipeline by the end of the year. Water Protectors have continually been resisting the pipeline by blocking construction on-site, holding ceremonies, and protesting in various cities around the country. Minnesota governor Tim Walz has failed to revoke the permits for Line 3. There hasn’t been a sufficient Environmental Impact Statement (or EIS) for the project and Water Protectors have been turning to “US” President Biden and the Army Corp of Engineers’ Jaime Pinkham to revoke the permits. However, both Biden and Pinkham have refused to take action as well. Though all government officials have failed to take action thus far, Water Protectors are still pushing to stop Line 3’s construction and future use. They’ve continued to advise sending letters to and tagging officials on social media, and protesting in-person. On 25 August 2021, the United Nations sent a letter to the so-called United States’ government expecting a response “regarding the allegations of human rights violations against the Anishinaabe associated with the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline construction.” On StopLine3.org you can read this UN letter and further read on the d- devastation that Line 3 is causing. There is a ‘Take Action’ tab with a sample letter written and ready for you to sign your name and send to Jaime Pinkham. There’s a page with a sample letter to write to President Biden as well. These letters are customizable if you’d like to add your own voice and story. There’s also the ‘Come to the Line’ page with invaluable information about joining an Indigenous-led resistance and specifics about joining the Line 3 resistance. In addition to these sources, there is an events tab where daily events are marked for gatherings, marches, and protests throughout the month. On StopLine3.org you can learn more about Line 3 and Canadian oil company Enbridge to help aid in your understanding of the issue and how imperative it is that we do not allow this pipeline to transport “Canadian” tar sands oil to the so-called US, while illegally passing through Indigenous territories. Do what you can to help Stop Line 3. I’ll be linking all of these pages in the episode notes.
[3:35] {Singing} *Shooouuuuut-Ooooouuuutttttsssssss*
Hello, hello, hello Patrons! Thank you for sticking with us and continuing to support the show! If you’d like to help support the show, visit patreon.com/UnderstandingKindnessPodcast. You can also now support the show with a one-time or recurring donation through paypal as well! There’ll be links for both the patreon and the paypal in the episode notes.
While we’re here, I’d also like to shout out Luisriv89! I just saw that they left a 5-star rating and little review of Understanding Kindness on Apple podcasts back in June. So, thank you so much Luisriv89! Go ahead and leave a rating and review for UK, and you too could hear a shout-out just for you!
[4:24] Real quick before we start, I want to mention that the main responsibility to change the things we’ll be talking about today is not on the consumer; it is on the corporations that create these conditions in the first place. While we strive to dismantle these systems, we can still choose differently. I want to stress though that not everyone has the ability or choice to be using their money to pay for ethically sourced products made with fairly-paid labor. Many of us don’t have that luxury because we may find ourselves in similar situations where we’re not paid enough for our labor and thus can barely get by in a capitalistic stoci- society as is. Although I believe it is important for us all to understand the realities we’ll be discussing today and strive for a more just and natural society, the large burden of this is not on those who are also negatively impacted by the economic structure. The largest burden to strive for better are those benefitting from the negative impacts on every else. Those of us who can choose. Realize that you do not need all the things you think you need. Seek out goods and services that are ethically sourced and pay the proper amount to ensure that no one else down the line is paying for you. If you cannot ensure that you’re paying a proper amount (which, arguably no one really can due to the harm caused in the end), but if you can’t ensure that at least the items were ethically sourced and fair wages were paid to the laborers providing this good or service to you, then find something else or go without. You will be okay. Now let’s get into the episode.
[6:10] So, in the last episode I ended with a recommendation to read Annie Leonard’s “The Story of Stuff”. If you’ve read that, you may have a hint as to exactly what we’ll talk about in this episode. Today we’re gonna talk about prices of things versus their actual cost. This goes in-hand with the last episode on convenience and is a big contributing factor as to why and how we’re able to afford the conveniences we’re used to in this modern society in the so-called United States. Let’s begin with that little Garlic chopping machine we’ve been using over the past few episodes.
[6:44] As you’re aware by now, that little machine costs about $18 at the store for a new one. These little machines are small and essentially a mini food processor. There’s a base made of plastic with a couple buttons for speed, there’s a removable spinning blade made of plastic and metal, a plastic container with a locking lid where the Garlic is actually chopped, and an electric cord. Now, plastic is very cheap to create, especially when it’s virgin plastic. Virgin plastic is just brand new plastic. Using recycled plastic is actually must- much more costly. In order to make virgin plastic, you must start with its first raw material: oil. Yep, plastic is made of oil. I had no idea about this until I read “The Story of Stuff” and now that I’m aware of this I- I try to avoid plastic at all costs- especially near my food. Anyway, oil doesn’t just show up on the doorstep of the Little Garlic Cutting Machine Factory, it has to be mined first.
[7:44] Mining oil is an extremely dirty process. As I mentioned in quite a few Native segments, mining and transporting oil inevitably leads to oil spills and leaks. So from its beginning, oil mining and processing destroy our environment. Now, once it’s processed into oil that’s useable for plastics, specifically the type(s) needed for this product, it needs to be molded into the specific shapes needed for this little Garlic-chopping machine. You can’t forget about the metal used here too though. That also needs to be mined. I’m not sure exactly of the process for mining metals; all I know is that mining is a very labor-intensive process and it is horrible for our Mother Earth. I’m also not sure of all the products and raw materials used in an electric cord, but that’s another step that needs to be done to create this product. Once they’re all put together and you have what is now recognizable as a Little Garlic-Chopping Machine (TM), we need to package it.
[8:46] Let me say here now that I’m not sure how this little machine company works or all of the facets of it, but in some cases each step of this process is done by a completely different company. For instance, one company may only mine materials and then sell them to another company that processes them into useable materials. Then yet another company will actually create the products used to assemble and form a recognizable product that we’d see on a shelf or online. Then another company may be responsible for packaging and shipping the product to a store or online retailer, which are separate companies themselves. Not only are m- multiple companies hand- handling your product before it reaches you, but think about all of the hands that have worked on this product. All the People involved in creating materials to create a product that can be sold to you. All of this before it even reaches your hands.
[9:41] So, in the packaging process materials are used here as well. In the case of the Garlic Cutter I’d guess that cardboard for the box is used, maybe some styrofoam or plastic to wrap it in inside the box; possibly a twist-tie for the cord, probably some tape to seal the box. All this just for packaging the product! Large amounts of materials are needed to make the actual product and to package it. All of these products are created, passed through an array of different companies, and touched by countless hands to package one single product. All to end up on a shelf or search page of some company so that you can buy it at your convenience.
[10:22] Think, too, about the workers in the stores or working behind the scenes to deliver that package to you. We all know that those workers aren’t paid enough and work long hours on their feet without much break. Yet still, this is considered acceptable in our society. We throw barely, maybe $15 an hour, minus taxes of course, with some benefits their way, but we know that they can’t get any of that time back to spend with their Families. $15 an hour is barely a livable wage (check out ThoughtSlime’s video on this for some more info on minimum wage, linked in the episode notes). Now let’s think back on all those hands that passed over your new, shiny product before it got to that minimum wage store or delivery worker.
[11:07] The factory workers who handle the products while being packaged and assembled are barely paid mini- minimum wage most times, too. And that’s if they’re being assembled and packaged here in the so-called US. Other parts of the world don’t have the same laws and get away with even lower wages or slave labor to create these new, shiny products for your convenience. How sure are you that the product you purchased wasn’t made with low-wage or slave labor? If we’re not the ones paying for the real cost of something with our own money, someone somewhere is paying with much more than money. Heavy, I know, but if we don’t think about these things and change our ways because of our new understandings, we’re perpetuating the problem and allowing this to happen. And this could be the case the entire way up the supply chain.
[11:58] There’s no way the miners are getting paid enough for risking their lives and destroying their lungs. And who is actually paying for the destruction caused from mining? The pollution, the desecration of Earth? To most companies, the destruction of our environment and our Mother Earth isn’t even thought of when looking to make profits. It’s seen as a sad, but necessary result of development and creating a “strong economy”. These effects have been compounding for at least a couple hundred years, around when these processes became industrialized. We’re seeing their devastating effects in full force now. We’re all paying for this destruction caused by mining. Our Mother Earth is paying and she’s showing us payback. She’s showing us the consequences of that “strong economy” we so greedily strive for, those profits that we can’t get enough of, that sweet, sweet dollar that weighs down our pockets. We’re paying that actual cost of these conveniences with our health and the lives of our future generations. We’re sacrificing lives for this “great American economy”.
[13:08] So, if we strive to move away from expanding this “great American economy”, where do we put our efforts, or rather our dollar? Because we are all subject to the conditions of this American society and economy just by the fact that we were born into it and/or live here, we are still weighed down by that “almighty dollar”. So, how can we manipulate that dollar so that we can ensure we aren’t harming others along the way? Let’s see, first off we want to strip ourselves of that feeling of need for convenience. This is probably the trickiest and most difficult step here because it involves rethinking how we live, how we earn money, and what we use our money for. We’ve got to rethink what is important to us in our lives, in how we choose to live. Is that shiny, independent lifestyle, separated from anyone outside of our “nuclear” Family the way that brings us the most joy? What if we lived in multi-generational housing where Elders are taken care of, Children are taken care of, and everyone works together to provide for each other? This helps divert the pressures involved in owning a single-family home, having your own car, raising Children under a solely two-parent household. Everyone can pitch in to help with chores, cooking, childcare, the list goes on.
[14:32] What about how we earn money? Is spending 40+ hours of our lives every week to earn a big paycheck that we can use to pay for those big, shiny things and conveniences worth it? We don’t get that time back and, again, wouldn’t you rather be spending that time with the People you love? Think about if you’re able to work less. Of course, if the current situation that we find ourselves in hinges on the fact that we spend 40 hours a week making X amount of money it’s more of an uphill battle. But that does not mean that it is not a battle worth fighting. The fact that it’s daunting is exactly how that “great American economy” wants it to feel. The “great American economy” is a machine that needs constant input of your time and labor in order to function and, not just function, but grow exponentially. It needs all of your finite amount of time that it can get; of course it wants you to feel like you have to stay put and there’s no hope of ever living a life free from those constraints! It is 100% worth thinking through these things and trying to restructure your life so you can have more of your finite time to yourself and for your loved ones.
[15:49] We must also begin considering how we spend our money. If we’re earning less money because we’re giving less of our time to some company, we’re going to have to look at how we spend our money. We’re going to have less “disposable” income. Because we live in this society, we have to pay for shelter to live in. This is where reevaluating how we’re living is helpful. If we choose to live with or in closer proximity to those we care about, we can begin pooling our money so that the pressure is dispersed and no one has to pay for all of the rent or mortgage. What about those big, shiny things and services that we like so much (aka conveniences)? Well, in the last episode we talked about how the conveniences of things can be replaced with the convenience of everyone helping each other in a Community. So instead of using our money to buy gizmos and services, we can use that for the things we “need” to live in this society, like rent or debt or taxes. This shift is so simple in theory, but like I said earlier, this rethinking and shifting of lifestyle is the hardest part. We do have to understand and accept that we are giving up some of the things we’ve gotten used to, things that we’ve been told we “need” all of our lives. The shift is beginning to ask yourself what you really need and actually listen, versus just getting what you’re told you need. At least for me, I know that I know what I need better than anyone else, especially a society that lead me to be depressed and anxious.
[17:30] We’re all subject to these messages that are plastered in our faces day after day, minute after minute. None of us are immune to them. The pressures are ever-present and defying them is work every day. When I find it difficult not to succumb to the pressure, I like to ask myself, “If the pressure wasn’t there, how would I live this life, this moment? Why do the pressures exist, if not to constantly try to get us to go against our natural instincts?” This “great American economy” knows that if these pressures didn’t exist things would be different, were different. It also knows that when we are weak and exhausted and deprived we are more likely to succumb to these pressures. The “great American economy” knows that if it keeps us weak and exhausted and deprived by say forcing an independent lifestyle on us and making us give 40+ hours of our lives a week to it, we are more likely to succumb to any momentary sense of relief from feeling weak and exhausted and deprived. It can sell us those conveniences, even when they’re provided by low-wage or slave labor, even when they’re desecrating our Mother Earth and suffocating us all. When we’re weak and exhausted and deprived we will do anything not to feel that way, especially when we’re not shown the actual effects of this independent, shiny lifestyle and society. When we are shown the effects though and begin thinking about how this lifestyle and society actually make us feel, we can understand what we’ve got to do to take back our lives and live the way that makes us feel whole and energized and connected once again.
[19:23] {Singing} *Recommendaaaationsssss*
So for today’s recommendations, if you haven’t read it already, “The Story of Stuff: The Impact of Overconsumption on the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-And How We Can Make it Better“ by Annie Leonard goes much deeper into today’s topic. Check that one out for a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.
You can also check out ThoughtSlime’s video on minimum wage titled “DESTROYING all arguments against raising the minimum wage in a BERSERKER FURY” on youtube. Funny title with a fantastic overview of the issue. Give that a watch!
Lastly, we have all the ways to learn about and help stop Line 3. In the episode notes, I’ll link the article mentioning the UN letter to the “US” government where you can find a link to read the actual letter. I’ll link the customizable letters for you to send to Jaime Pinkham and Joe Biden urding- urging them to stop Line 3, as well as the ‘Come to the Line’ and events tabs on the StopLine3 website so you can learn how to help in the resistance.
As always, everything mentioned in today’s recommendations will be linked in the episode notes.
[20:38] If you enjoyed this episode, help support the podcast! All this content is free and I’d love to make it my job one day, so if you’re financially able join our patreon or send a one-time or recurring donation through paypal! You can also share an episode with family or friends, and give UK a kind rating and review!
Check out UnderstandingKindness.com for all episodes, transcripts, and blog posts. And why not take a listen to my other podcast, Better When Awkward, co-hosted by my childhood best friend Jasmine!
Get in touch with me by emailing UnderstandingKindness@protonmail.com, or through social media. You can find all links in the episode notes.
For now, be kind, be compassionate, be understanding, and question everything. I’ll be here. Thank you for listening to this episode of Understanding Kindness.
[21:27] Alright, let’s do this. Understanding Kindness episode…what episode is this? 35. The Actual Cost…is the rough title right now. [End transcript]