Dear Friends,

LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S PROGRAM:

(00:45) A nation of toys;
(17:52) “Waiting for Mr. Kim,” with author Carol Roh Spaulding;
(34:53) Climate Update: Coco Gauff, ANWR, blast fishing, and the disappearing Great Salt Lake;
(52:51) Invasive species: a local perspective on a global issue, with Kathy Byrnes.

1. Check out “Waiting for Mr. Kim.” Dr. Carol Spaulding-Kruse. Carol is a professor of English, teaches courses in writing and American literature, and directs the Drake Community Press.

2. Read and share Bold Iowa’s press release in response to South Dakota rejecting Summit’s request for a CO2 pipeline permit.

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One thing most Americans agree on is that we’re in trouble. I finally figured out why. The problem is toys.

We’re a nation obsessed with them. Every year, bigger, faster, shinier, more elaborate toys. Not all toys are bad, of course, but just as a kid lavished with too many toys becomes spoiled, so it is with over-toyed adults.

I’ve got a friend who at one time epitomized this fetish for toys. Every couple years, he was stricken with a new recreational obsession. First, it was canoeing. So he bought all the bells and whistles to assure the most comfortable, contemporary, classy canoe excursion one’s heart could desire.

Then it was bicycling. Then maybe archery, I can’t recall. But every new interest required the best, most advanced equipment, purchasing the shiniest new objects money could buy.

Profligate behavior? Sure. But common. And very patriotic. Each time my friend indulged a new shopping spree the stock market cracked a wee smile, and America’s sacred cow — the economy — bellowed a satisfied “thank you!”

Ah, the economy. Besides pricey new toy habits, what else is good for the economy? Money spent on drugs, psychiatrists, divorce attorneys, Superfund sites, war. All that adds positive value to the GNP.

Let’s back up, take a minute to delve into American history. The original settlers weren’t focused on toys. When Europeans invaded this continent (admit it, Mr. Columbus, you discovered nothing; it was an invasion), it was all about survival. Tools mattered. Toys, not so much.

But over time, tools kept getting fancier and more specialized. Innovation was less about survival and more about comfort and pleasure.

Let’s get real specific and look at the history of trees, or rather, the history of cutting them down. You used to have to chop down a tree with an axe. Then in the 1800s, axes were replaced by crosscut saws. By the 1960s, crosscut saws were out and chain saws were in. 

But wait. Forget about chain saws! Now we’ve got these huge tree harvesters — machines that cut down, de-limb, and chunk up an entire tree in under 90 seconds. Progress, right? By someone’s definition. It’s also why 80,000 acres of forest are wiped out each day across the globe.

To be clear, though I’m throwing around the term “toy” with more than a modicum of cavilieriosity, life without a refrigerator, a washing machine, and other conveniences (including chain saws) would be a lot more difficult. Even the most obnoxious water craft ever invented — the jet ski — might sometimes be helpful in assisting with a water rescue.

But can we agree that a tree harvester does more harm than good? Can we agree that it’s an adult toy that humanity and the planet would be better off without?

“Adult toy?” Let me try this three-part definition:

— Adult toys reduce the amount of human effort needed to perform a task — one reason both obesity and health club memberships are at all time highs.

— Adult toys satisfy our fascination with shiny new objects. It’s so much more appealing, and sometimes easier, to buy something new than to fix something old. People poke fun at my 25-year old duct-taped wallet. My 38-year-old tank of a bike. My 41-year-old birchbark basket. (See photo for pictorial proof of the existence of these non-shiny objects.)

— Adult toys are fun. Of course, so is a walk in the woods, dinner with friends, reading a good book, or listening to an excellent podcast (hint, hint).

Bottom line is, in the wrong hands, useful tools become toys. And when the hands that operate them are motivated by greed or profit or an unbending commitment to the Endless Growth Model, those toys can be badly misused.

Our obsession with toys is not just about comfort, speed, and cleverness. It’s also about defending comfort, speed, and cleverness. Guns were an “advancement” over bows and spears. Cannons, grenades, tanks, and cluster bombs “improved” on guns. Then we built an atomic bomb. Just in case, we built a hydrogen bomb, which can be up to 1,000 times more powerful than an A-bomb.

This trajectory cannot possibly end well. A civilization built on the acquisition and expansion of material stuff — and the expansion of military stuff to protect that material stuff — is doomed to fail.

And to fail gloriously, given what’s happening with our climate and the threat posed by 15,000 nuclear weapons. It’s not too late to change directions, to replace material values with spiritual values. But we oughta start today. It’s urgent, and time is not our friend.

Thanks for reading, listening, and taking action!

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Ed Fallon