It’s unfortunate. Groceries are already expensive. In order to maintain a low risk for any sort of health problem, eating healthy is necessary. And now soda is less expensive than water.
Yep, that’s correct. And just plain sad.
It wasn’t until a week ago, when I headed towards the local Safeway searching for root beer and ice cream to satisfy my sweet tooth with the wonderful invention known as the root beer float, that I realized this.
The cheap root beer was 88 cents for a two-liter. And one-gallon of water was two dollars. And there’s no reasonable explanation for this, either, making me really wonder whether there’s some more price gouging happening besides the obvious stuff with oil companies.
It’s no secret that retailers have had a hand in “eating healthy” as well as branding products so that they appear to be in flow with what the body needs, neither is it secret that there is a broad range of consumers wishing to “live well and thrive.” So dare I ask if there’s a bigger conspiracy? Forgive me for utilizing the “C” word, but I don’t have a more accurate term, currently. I understand that it’s business and that companies are trusted by shareholders and employees to generate revenue, but I also understand that there needs to be a line drawn, establishing when too much of something is a bad thing.
Feel free to call me a “socialist” when I say that the American public bears a responsibility to one-another, because in many regards, that’s precisely what it is. Being responsible in society is what police agencies request of the public, firefighters, and really all government agencies. Neighbors appreciate quietness and retailers appreciate cleanliness among consumers. So really, you are too.
But let’s establish what too much really is.
Too much greed equates to too much poverty. Too many bad home loans equates to extended poverty. The mass availability of firearms means that irresponsible gun-owners are everywhere, and murder rates skyrocket. Too much good-health could even turn into famine. But the idea of mass-hunger in the United States becoming reality is pretty silly, especially considering that it’s only happened once in 224 years, since the U.S. became a sovereign nation in 1789.
The real quandary is what Americans can do in order to address the issue of skyrocketing prices of foods that aren’t loaded with all things synonymous with illness.
Boycott grocers that gouge? No, because then they could just raise the cost of the unhealthy foods. Raise the issue to their local congressional representatives? Maybe. Actually, we know how effective congress is, so probably not. Grow your own produce and stock up on in-home water filtration systems? Yeah, actually.
Because if you want something done right, do it yourself. Seriously.