Pursuit of the the American Fallacy

The "American Dream" is touted as a right to every American. The best car, the best home, the best family, the best everything. In a time such as this when people are being buried under financial burdens that they cannot climb out of, this fallacy seems to still have it's effect on the American citizens. Although it is no secret that banks like money, at the moment it seems they keep getting richer and richer while so many are getting poorer and poorer. This seemingly endless cycle of debt offers no end in sight. The average American seems to accumulate more in debt by the day than they make in a week.

A quick look at the televisions does shed a little bit of light onto the problem.
Growing up in this country, one is constantly bombarded by commercials. Everyday, companies take over the stations targeting consumers. All day telling them what they must buy to be "in". Channels directed at little kids are no different. They have commercials telling them to get their parents to buy them the newest, and coolest gadget that will invariably break within the week. There have been studies showing that many younger children cannot differentiate, hence the commercial and the show become interchangeable associating the product with the show and believing that the company actually cares about him or her, thus becoming an authority figure to that child.

Although it's not a big secret that America is in a down turn economically, one of the main factors being debt and bad loans. Daytime television viewers are bombarded with commercials offering "help" and the "solution" to their debt problem. This solution that is so miraculous? More debt. Which is quite possibly the last thing any one of these people actually needs.

Sadly this is the way things seem to work more and more recently. It was announced that the government was going to send out check ranging from roughly $600 to $1200, to according to President Bush "to jump start the economy". Perhaps this will, as people go out and buy the latest gizmo that the television claims they cannot live without. Or, maybe-just maybe they'll put their money in a safe place, to grow a bit and mature, to save for something they'll actually need on a rainy day.