Grilled Stuffed TVs

It was mid October; I was at my local Costco in utter disbelief that Christmas had already arrived in bulk. Everything one would need for decorating their house, to gift giving, and/ or holiday meal preparation all laid out in jumbo sized quantities. I did not know what annoyed me more the fact that Halloween was still a week away with Thanksgiving even further behind or the fact that individuals were stuffing their carts with plastic reindeers and ten gallon jugs of mayo all for the discounted price of $15.99.
Americans are victims of Madison Avenue. We have allowed our media outlets to determine our priorities as consumers. For example, it is 9:30 at night and you are watching your favorite sitcom, the show breaks for a commercial on Taco Bell’s new ad campaign “Fourth Meal.” As you watch the commercial you are bombarded with images of hot juicy cuts of meat wrapped in a soft taco shell just waiting for you to enjoy. These marketing campaigns are genius; they inspire you to be hungry and leave you with a need to feel 'hip', which can only be satisfied by eating a taco at 10:30 at night. The ‘food porn’ is just the beginning of the mind control that has gripped this nations priorities; i.e we have been programmed that everyone deserves a $30k truck that can go through the mud at 45mph while the seat warmers keep our butts nice and toasty. It is no surprise to me that this country has such a tremendous debt problem; in fact, are we really the ones to blame; the commercial said I had ‘earned and deserve’ that new 54’ Plasma TV.
We have come to believe that new cars, tacos at midnight, and fancy TVs are what we work for and deserve and items such as healthcare are undisputed rights. Does anyone else see a problem with this situation where we has a society have determined that paying a $1,000 for a TV is a legitimate purchase but planning for future health care expenditures has become a taboo subject amongst certain political groups? As a society would we vote to enact a government socialized program where everyone receives a new color TV? Sounds ridiculous and drawing the parallels between a socialized TV program to a socialized healthcare system are not one to one comparisons but should we show apathy for those individuals that make the personal choice to buy the new TV instead of health insurance and then crowd our ERs looking for society to pick up their healthcare bill? I am not saying that those without should go without needed healthcare; what I am saying is that individuals need to have the incentive to manage their health and their healthcare expenditures and not develop the mindset that “everyone” else will pay. For example, why are TVs flat and produce an amazing picture, because the market has pushed TV companies to compete by designing slimmer brighter TVs for the masses to purchase. If there was no incentive to produce better TVs because of a “universal TV plan,” where everyone gets a TV from the government, everyone would watch the nightly news on a black and white tub TV or worse yet because of government rationing would be forced to get their news from…the radio.
Comparing the US healthcare market to tacos, new trucks, or even TVs is a unfair simplification. However, the laws of economics and incentive driven behavior do exist in all facets of our lives including the healthcare marketplace; therefore, I encourage everyone to consider what some are proposing in terms of a universal government run health plan i.e. when was the last time you got your 10pm news from your radio.