what the consumer wants

Yesterday I heard that California wants to outlaw some energy-wasting big screen TVs. It seems like a no brainer to me. It appears that the race is on to impress one's neighbors with ever expanding screen sizes that do nothing more than waste huge amounts of energy to beam advertising into your life. TV's have become second only to heating and cooling in their energy consumption and the state wants to do something about it.

That does not sit well with the plasma TV association, or some such trade group whose goal it is to sell as many plasma TVs as possible regardless of the environmental impact. The organization readily decried California's stance as one that denies to give the consumer what the consumer wants. Honest TV installers were worried that they would be labeled criminals for attending to "people's needs." Oh how I do feel sorry for them!

Surely it is hard to think of something more un-American than to deny the consumer his or her every whim? Therein lies a battle cry more shrill than any other. The State of California is going to limit the choices we as consumers have! Surely they must be communists!

We are a long way from the famous Rolling Stones song, "you can't always get what you want." In this case it behooves us as society to pause for a moment and reflect upon this dismal state of affairs. Have we really regressed to the point of becoming temper-tantrum throwing toddlers? Do we always have to get what we want -to say nothing of how these "wants" and "needs" are artificially created through clever advertising?

Is it really so bad if the state provides some adult supervision? Is not adult supervision what we really need? Wouldn't a bit of adult supervision have gone a long way to prevent our current housing crisis? What if someone had told these "poor innocent victims of foreclosure" that it was a stupid idea to buy a house they could not afford? Would that have been so evil?

It is precisely the Reagan idea of laissez faire that has gotten us into our present trouble. You can always get what you want. "This is America," says none other than 24's Jack Bauer in the new Bank of America ad. An America that is as bankrupt as Bank of America.

You can get whatever you like, even if it damages the environment. The world after all, is here to please your every foible and fancy. Don't worry about anyone else. When you buy a stereo the goal is to drive your neighbors crazy. That is the message of conveyed by many car stereo ads. And not surprisingly, many teens and would-be-teens are eager to follow such smart advice.

You can have whatever you want, even if you can' t afford it. That is the Reagan message of hope. Don't worry America, there is always credit. No wonder half of the American households have negative net worth. Isn't it time for some adult supervision?