CNN’s “Inside Man” – Drought, Ranchers & Ranches

I generally don’t like watching television, but there are a few shows that I’ll tape (or DVR or Tivo or whatever the kids are calling it these days) to watch when convenient, without ads.  One new show that I’m really enjoying is CNN’s “Inside Man” which is directed by, and stars, Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. 

One of Spurlock’s previous films was “Supersize Me,” where he ate nothing but McDonalds for a month and suffered some serious and disgusting health problems in the process.  I’ll never forget the scene where he’s trying to down his second or third Big Mac of the day and ends up puking all over the Mickey D’s parking lot.  But I digress….

In his new hour-long show (40 minutes without ads), he examines many controversial issues including immigration, elder care, and bankruptcy.  All of the shows are eye opening and educational, but also entertaining.  In one of his more recent shows, he investigates the drought that has been plaguing the America West for the better part of the last decade.  In this episode, Spurlock follows a Nebraska ranching family whose cattle operation has practically imploded because of the lack of rain – which translates into lack of grass – which translates into not being able to raise cattle.

Over the course of the show, we see the family having to sell off cattle because they simply don’t have enough grass on their 11,000-acre ranch to feed their herd.  Buying supplemental hay or feed is not an option, because the price of both has skyrocketed to the point that it doesn’t add up financially.  We see where a prairie fire scorched a portion of their ranch, effectively reducing their cattle carrying capacity by half.  We watch them trying to protect the small amount of hay they did mange to grow from thieves, who have begun systematically stealing it because of its high value and scarcity.  We even see them visit their local banker’s office, weighing the pros and cons of completely shutting down their ranching activities and liquidating their assets.

As unsettling as it is to watch this family’s struggles, it even more disconcerting to think that this same drama is being played out in every ranching community, all over the American West and Mid-West.  I appreciate Spurlock bringing this issue to the forefront, because it seems that most “news” outlets (CNN included) are more focused on Kim Kardashian or American Idol than real issues like this ongoing debilitating drought.  No matter where you live, the drought is real issue that directly affects our economy, our national security, and our national identity.

Set your DVR or VCR to record the show.  You’ll be smarter because of it.