The House of the American Family

Economist Robert Heilbronner describes the luxuries a typical American family would have to surrender if they lived among the one billion hungry people in the two-thirds world. We begin by invading the house of our imaginary American family to strip it of its furniture. Everything goes, beds, chairs, tables, television sets, lamps. The box of matches may stay, a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt. A few moldy potatoes already in the garbage can must be rescued for they will provide much of tonight's meal.