by Chris Staron | Sep 14, 2021 | Episodes, Multi-Level Marketing
The story of how pyramid schemes came to effect 1 in 6 American households
Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a relatively new invention. It was created when a failed vitamin salesman named Carl Rehnborg was out of options. So his wife suggested that he attend a rally by Dale Carnegie, author of “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. Once there, he formed a bond that created one of the most profitable predatory financial traps in modern history: multi-level marketing. One that found its legs… in the world of cemetery plots.
Our guest in this episode is Robert FitzPatrick. He’s the founder of PyramidSchemeAlert.org, a non-profit that tells the truth about pyramid schemes. He’s also the author of the excellent book Ponzinomics: The Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing.
Discussion Questions:
- Do you know someone who sells for an MLM?
- Have you ever sold for an MLM?
- Do you think they should be legal?
- What is market saturation and how does it impact salespeople?
- Have you ever bought an item that you didn’t need just because the salesperson was so good?
- What can you do to show MLMs for what they are?
- Has anyone at your church ever tried to sell you on an MLM?
- How can tying a bad business practice impact how people see Jesus?
Helpful Links:
by Chris Staron | Aug 3, 2021 | Episodes
Melvin Benson of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast asks Chris Staron about the Truce Podcast
Truce usually uses research, music, sound effects, and expert interviews to tell complicated stories about the Christian Church. We’ve made something like 100 episodes! Our listeners recommended that we celebrate by asking Chris questions submitted by audience members.
Special thanks to Melvin Benson of the Cinematic Doctrine podcast for asking the questions!
by Chris Staron | Jul 20, 2021 | Economics and Faith, Episodes, The American West
What the richest town in the United States can teach us about the rich young ruler and the potential evils of wealth
Jackson, Wyoming is a small tourist town in the middle of nowhere. It is just a few miles south of Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone. Millions of people pass through each year as tourists. It’s a vacation hotspot. But for those who choose to stay in this region, Teton County is anything but a vacation. Rising income inequality and housing costs have created a hostile environment for working people. The median home price in Jackson went up 47% in 2020 alone, rising to $2.2 million while wages remain stagnant.
We’ve been talking for the last few episodes about myths of the American West, how cowboy myths about a lone rugged individual have shaped the US. Now it’s time to understand how cowboy myths have impacted American Christianity.
Our guest today is Justin Farrell. He’s a sociologist and professor at Yale. His book is Billionaire Wilderness. In it, Farrell recounts his studies of the ultra-wealthy. What makes them tick? What are they afraid of? Why do they dress the way they do? And what draws them to the far western border of Wyoming?
Discussion Questions:
- Read the story of the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17-27). What do you think of Jesus’ warning about wealthy people entering the kingdom of God?
- Many of the tax avoidance practices discussed in this series are legal (except pretending to live in one place while living in another). Do you think that legality and morality are tied together?
- Are these practices moral?
- What types of friction do you experience in your own life?
- How would more money change the level of friction you encounter?
- How would less money change the level of friction you encounter?
- Do you think that friction is a valuable thing to pay attention to in our lives?
- What is the role of empathy in a Christian’s life?
- How do you use money to benefit yourself as opposed to others?
Helpful Links:
by Chris Staron | Nov 24, 2020 | Episodes, Season 3 - Communism and Socialism
The United States staged a coup in 1954 to protect the United Fruit Company. We overthrew a democratically elected leader.
In 1954 the United States government, led by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, staged a coup to oust President Jacobo Arbenz of Guatemala. For what reason? To help the United Fruit Company.
United Fruit was a giant company, capturing over 90% of the market in its heyday. The juggernaut found President Arbenz to be a nuisance when his agrarian reform meant they would be paid for some of their unused land, which would be given to peasants. With the help of powerful friends like Allen Dulles (the Director of the CIA), the United States staged a coup, installing Castillo Armas in his place.
All of this took place while the USA was busy framing itself as a Christian nation. What does that mean for the Christian Church today? Are we a nation that supports that kind of behavior?
Our special guest for this episode is Stephen Schlesinger, co-author of the excellent book “Bad Fruit: The Story of the American Coup in Guatemala“.
Discussion Questions:
- What threat did President Jacobo Arbenz pose to United Fruit?
- United Fruit owned many utilities in Guatemala from the trains to telephone lines. How would you feel if our utilities were owned by foreign entities? If they controlled our natural resources?
- Do you think the land reform deal was a good one for their country?
- Were people like John Foster Dulles right to overthrow Arbenz?
- How might it have benefited them to do so?
- In what way could the actions of the US in the 1950s reflect poorly on Christianity domestically and abroad?
- It has been argued that American consumers benefit when Latin American and African countries are thrown in disarray. It means cheaper diamonds, gold, rubber, and more while also stranding the people in those countries in poverty.
- Does it bother you that you may be benefiting from unbalanced countries?
- Do you find the assumption that we are benefiting to be offensive? Why?
- Is there anything we can do about it?
Sources:
by Chris Staron | Jun 4, 2019 | Episodes
If life begins at conception, what do we do with all of the embryos left after in vitro fertilization? Author and journalist Nate Birt (Twitter: @natebirt) joins us to discuss embryo adoption and his book Frozen But Not Forgotten.
This is a Truce Podcast extra. Truce is a listener supported show. Donate on Patreon, GoFundMe, and on our website. Send us an email to let us know what you think of the show and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
