Choices

I hear some people say that there are too many choices today. Too many choices? Isn't that part of the appeal of living in a free, economically advanced country? How can there be too many choices? I understand the difficulties of people who have trouble getting through the mega-supermarkets, who may have difficulty reading and comprehending all the product labels, trying to decide among product descriptions and ingredients they may not understand. I also realize that some people who may be unfamiliar with grocery shopping, and who are now faced with the necessity of going to the grocery store, for example, find all the choices and product information bewildering. And of course, great choice is not just the order of the day in the grocery store. We have huge varieties of product types in hardware stores, department stores, building supply stores, every kind of store. And what about car dealerships? I've even heard people try to make the case that having so much choice is immoral. After all, the people in the poor countries of the world are grateful just for the simple things of life! That may be true; but I am not guilt-ridden because I have more choices than the people of, say, Bangladesh! Further, I do not think that restricting choices in the grocery store or the department store is the way to take care of the problems of those who have difficulty shopping. If they so desire, they can go to stores where there are fewer choices. Personally, I like being able to choose my products just the way I want them. I think that is a very practical illustration of the fruits of freedom and economic competition and innovation. I know that some of the choices are simply made available because they're judged "politically correct" from a health perspective. That's ok. I can pass those choices by if I want to, and still enjoy my unhealthy junk food as long as there are enough folks like me so that the manufacturers can make a profit on junk food. (Somehow, I don't think I have much to worry about.) Choice is a function of service, of giving the customer what the customer wants, of creating a market for a new product. The last time I checked, those are sort of the heart and soul of free enterprise--and I'm all for it!