Read this before you buy that.

I am not a big fan of Michael Moore. I find his documentary style to be a little over-the-top. Being a “trained” journalist myself, I think he is a little heavy on the drama and light on objectivity. In his defense, he’s never purported himself to be anything more than a guy with an agenda. Of course, in his mind, the stories he tells are the truth.

As a blogger who does nothing but rant on what other real journalists have reported, one would think I idolize a fella like Michael Moore. And to be honest, I kinda do. If only because I appreciate the way he uses his fame to make the world a better place. Even if it is his perception of a better place.

But enough about Michael Moore, what got me thinking about Moore was another later-day docu-cause-ist, Morgan Spurlock. He’s the guy who brought the world ‘Super Size Me’ the documentary where he lives on nothing but McDonald’s food for 30-days straight. Spurlock nearly killed himself in the process, but he wanted to illustrate, how corporate interests can cause the well-being of average Americans to take a backseat to profits. I caught some of the movie and found it interesting in much the same way you slow down to check-out an accident on the side of the freeway…morbidly interesting, but not entertaining.

That being said, I was underwhelmed when I heard Spurlock had adapted the 30-day concept into a TV show for the FX network.

That is, until I saw an episode a few weeks back.

In the show, Spurlock returns to the ‘Super Size Me’ concept and tries something different for 30 Days. In the episode I caught, Spurlock spent 30-days as a minimum wage worker. And it really opened my eyes.

I have been lucky. In that I have only worked for minimum wage a few times in my life. And I have always had enough to get by.

Watching Spurlock’s experience and seeing the plight of people he met during the show, really hit home with me.

I grew-up in a less-than-affluent family, which I am proud of. But my family did own their own home and though some bills rolled every now and again we always got by. I was cared-for.

Thinking back to my Mom while fretting over which bills were going to roll to next month and another question pops into my head; Do people stuck in minimum wage jobs have time to think about the future or is the-here-and-now too demanding?

Which is not to say that I am now drinking from a golden chalice. But I am secure in my position in life. And as such, I worry more about where I am headed this weekend than the lights being turned-off.

All of this got me to thinking about the American Dream and the concept of the “Haves” versus the “Have-nots.” I think this is an overlooked concept in America. Personal successes are always measured against others. In order for you be doing well, there has to be someone who is worse-off. The American Dream may be open to all people, in theory. But there seems to be quite a paradox inherent in it.

Some politicians have called for an increase in the minimum wage to remedy the problem. I disagree. Throwing more of an already deflating currency at poor folks isn’t going to fix anything. Paying real wages and fair prices for goods and services is.

Do you really think that $5 sub sandwich or $1 burger is supporting a living wage for the person making it?

Americans, including myself, seem to have a disconnect between what they are willing to pay and what things really cost.

For example, someone has to make those shoes, so why is it ok to pay someone in Italy $500/pair and someone in Indonesia $2/pair? (I do acknowledge the differences in cost-of-living, but the sentiment of fair compensation for fair labor is what I am getting at here.)

Consumers aren’t the only ones at fault, as big bad Corporate America does make a pretty sizeable profit on those $2 shoes, none of which ever makes it back to the laborers who made them.

I am just as guilty as the next. I shop the sales and don’t make sure that my coffee is fair trade. But becoming more aware of how little actions like going to lunch or buying a pair of shoes affects those laboring to bring them to us can mean a world of difference.

If you took half the time to research/source what you are buying as you spend looking for a good deal online, you might improve a bottom line other than your own.