Observations From the Spectrum

Tastes Great. Less filling. The ad campaign that dumbed down America. In 1987 Miller Launched the campaign that riled our spirits and helped to rewrite the direction of our history. Prior to 1987 people were simply more informed and there buying was based on necessity, value and performance. This was the period when Japanese and German cars flooded the market and Americans cars, at least the middle class commuter, were the laughing stock of the industry. I am using the example of the automobile because most people have a point of reference when it comes to cars.

So what did this ad campaign change? It changed our psyche to believe that semantic issues are important and it is clearly evident today. This ad made us worry or give energy to issues that are semantic at best. This campaign had us chanting Tastes great, Less Filling! About the same product. That’s an amazing feat of persuasion. Awesome! Mind blowing. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning.

Since then, we have debated which is better: Pepsi vs Coke, Marlboro vs Camel, Ford vs Chevy, Lee vs Levis, Apple vs Android, Marriage vs Civil Union, Hillary vs Donald. The fact that we have been suckered into believing that there was something really at stake and important in these issues in laughable. The joke is clearly on us. Soda is bad for us. Cigarettes kill. If the car gets you from A to B, it is awesome. Jeans are blue pants with rivets. A cell phone is an awesome tool regardless of brand. Marriage and civil union in the eyes of the government are the same, separation of church and state. To think otherwise goes against our constitution. They were on the same playing field. Neither was a good choice. We at least got the more entertaining.

I am the guy that goes to a football(soccer) match and cheers. If a shooter scores. I scream ‘Awesome!’ and if a goalie blocks a shot I scream ‘Awesome!’ I am a fan of the sport not of a team or an individual. But I see it, they got us fighting and arguing over nothing. And where we should be making a stand, we sit idly by because we are exhausted from our semantic debates.

Healthcare in 2019 is a need and expensive. As a law abiding citizen, I do not understand how any other citizen can think that socialized medicine has any negative attributes. It should literally be one of your payments for being an American citizen. The other payments should be educations and a retirement plan. A worker who works and pays into the system should be taken care of and to create those workers they need to be educated. No exceptions. No argument. Not everyone can financially plan well or has the luck of life to be able to financially take care of themselves for the end of their lives.

But instead we are on edge spending time and money and resources on inconsequential issues. This person said this. This person said that. Her email. His hair. None of it should matter to us. The only thing that should matter is that the president in 2020 can do what is needed for the citizens of our nation. You either need to put people first or freedom first. Putting people first has tangible outcomes. Putting freedom first is just a song in the wind. Freedom is relative and not easily defined as much as some people want to sell it that way. My definition and your definition is surely different. Disease, skills and financial security are not.

• All works at Observations from the Spectrum written by Dylan Netter
• Observationsfromthespectrum.org
• OFTS.blog 
• On? a third point of view – book of Essays
• Marinehippie.com podcast w/ Docstodden.com – dialogue exploring politics and musings of life 
• Horizoncoaching.org – English Tutor and Guide
• BeeHIVeplus1.org