Although I.O.U.S.A. was not graced with the honor of an Oscar nomination this morning, the movie's power and message is undeniable. The filmmakers did a great service to the issue of fiscal responsibility and the country's dialogue about generational stewardship. 

This was eloquently brought home to me in a letter I recently received from one of my Midwestern volunteers. Strong in her Christian faith, she was instrumental in bringing a screening of the documentary "I.O.U.S.A." to her church in order to encourage others to see the parallels between Christian values and the stewardship practices needed now to ensure a good quality of life for future generations.

She starts out with a quote from Martin Luther King:

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

And continues:

"A diverse group of people at our church gathered expectantly one Sunday afternoon. We shared a potluck meal together and then shared the challenging film, I.O.U.S.A.. I thought I knew what to expect, but there was so much I was unaware of about our economy and how we got to where we are now. I was stunned...

In the movie I.O.U.S.A., Warren Buffett affectionately labeled China “Thriftsville” in his parable about the dangers of the United States over-consuming and relying on foreign production and lending. The movie also introduced us to a young Chinese couple, who met each other while working in a light bulb factory. This couple boasts that "saving money is a Chinese tradition," and they save half of the $20-a-day they earn.

The problem is, in an economic downturn, increased saving can harm short-term economic activity. So, from the front page of the print edition of today’s Washington Post, we learn that China is apparently now pursuing more than half a trillion dollars in fiscal stimulus (emphasis added):

China on Sunday night announced an aggressive $586 billion economic stimulus package, the largest in the country’s history, at a time when it is struggling with increasing social unrest due to factory closings and rising unemployment.

In a wide-ranging plan that economists are comparing to the New Deal, the government said it would ease credit restrictions, expand social welfare services and launch an...

Many of our reports from the field over the next few weeks will be about screenings we are doing all over the country for I.O.U.S.A.. The primary idea behind the screenings is to reach colleges who weren't in session when the film was originally released and other locations where the movie hasn't been able to show.

Sunday night's screening of I.O.U.S.A. at Columbia University is a great example of why I love my job. The Conservative Forum packed almost 75 people into a basement to watch the movie on a pull-down projector screen. The audience was hooked, and I had to laugh as they stood up and swayed in their seats to read a subtitle or name at the bottom of the screen (we weren't able to swing stadium seating rental in the basement).

At the end of the film people got ready to leave, but when we announced that the director, Patrick Creadon, was there to answer questions, most stayed. After a good Q&A session, Patrick sat down with a pen and a stack of I.O.U.S.A. posters. About 20 people lined up to get his autograph and gush about the film. I even had a number of people come up and ask how they can set up more screenings A.S.A.P.!  

As if the night wasn't already a huge success, I had arranged to meet with a group of dedicated New York City Concord Coalition volunteers after the...

Executive Director Bob Bixby is quoted in a good article on Time Magazine's web site about the growing budget deficit, where he argues that the rising deficit, and some of the most recent policy actions that have contributed to it, are "necessary evils" to keep the economy afloat as long as the actions are targeted and temporary.

What also stuck out, was the nice picture of the National Debt Clock in Times Square (probably the most famous "tabulation" related to Concord's mission). You can see more about the debt clock, and the family behind it, in the movie I.O.U.S.A.. The picture however, shows something you won't see in the movie. Since filming, the national debt has moved from $8.6 trillion to over $10 trillion, meaning they had to paint a dollar sign onto the clock to make room for the 14th digit. There is always hope though, this debt clock does have the capability to go backwards (the one in use in the 1980's and 1990's did not). Let's hope we can test that ability out someday.

--Josh Gordon