In general I have pooh-poohed any dire assessments about America's current economic situation. After all, rising gas prices have been forcing Americans to make environmentally-friendly choices such as driving less and using more fuel-efficient cars; higher food costs are making us be more careful to get our nutritional bang for our buck; and the home-mortgage market implosion is forcing us to take a long, hard look at how we regulate that particular industry.
Well, maybe not so much of a long hard look as a politically expedient bailout....
But still, if you look closely enough, there has been a silver lining to the financial clouds which have been raining bad news down on the head of the average consumer for the past few months.
Until now...now there is this piece of news. The sort of news that can make even a Pollyanna such as myself wonder, "Are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness viable options in a world where chocolate prices may go skyrocketing out of control?"
11 percent, people - Hershey has raised its prices 11 percent. Soon I'll be having to choose between my chocolate and my petrol. And what sort of a life is that, I ask you? Whatever happened to the American dream? You know, a car in every garage and a Snickers in every pot...
And why haven't our esteemed presidential candidates addressed this particular issue? Oh, it's off-shore drilling this and war-in-Iraq that; but nary a word from either camp about rising candy-bar prices or imminent chocolate shortages... Tell me, is that the sort of leadership this country needs in the 21st century?
I can't help thinking that a woman President would have been just a wee bit more concerned than the current male contenders about the chocolate situation facing our nation. Just sayin'...
Now this is the sort of political argument I can get worked up about.
ReplyDeleteAre you live-blogging the convention, then? ;)
Please say it isn't so! I don't need my car! i can still walk to the convenience store for my snickers! No really, I mean it!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but to equate the war in Iraq with rising chocolate prices just isn't funny.
ReplyDeleteSomeone ought to clue John McCain in on this. I mean he is having trouble with female voters...
ReplyDeleteWow. As if I wasn't concerned enough about the state of our country. Now this. It's a lot to handle.
ReplyDeleteI can live without gas if I have to. After all, I can walk. I can NOT live without chocolate. Now I have something else to worry about. Just great.
ReplyDeleteIf it's one more incentive for me to lay off the chocolate I'm going to try and look at it as the high gas prices/more carpooling situation.
ReplyDeleteGood thing I don't like Hershey's chocolate. :)
ReplyDeleteNot even no chocolate ever would have made her a good choice. Sorry. Glad to see you are back from vacation and you got some knitting done despite the bamboo issue.
ReplyDeleteThis world is just spiralling down the drain. I. Simply. Cannot. Live. Without. Chocolate.
ReplyDeleteyou know, you could use the chocolate sugar buzz to run/take a bike instead of a car. that way it is a decision between petrol and chocolate but you would make the right choice!!!
ReplyDeleteand technically chocolate, meaning cocoa is a vegetable so you can save more money when it comes to food. forget about other veggies because you have chocolate!
franzi
It truly is the end of the world as we know it!
ReplyDeleteSAVE THE KISSES! SAVE THE KISSES!
This might be a good thing for people on a diet :)
ReplyDeleteIt's time for a boycott. Buy Lindt instead! :P
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that Hillary eats chocolate; if she did, maybe she'd smile more.
ReplyDeleteBut with all the news you're imparting, I think I'm going to have to pull the blinds and crawl back in bed. This is just too much to face. No chocolate?!?! Time for the 2nd coming for sure!
the german au pairs are talking about your garlic in a jar and your condiments! LOL
ReplyDeleteGlad to see your political priorities are firmly in place!
ReplyDeleteThis is what I love about your blog - how you cut through the minutae of life and focus on the really important matters that plague our world.
ReplyDeleteROFL
Thank you for bringing this travesty to our attention. Something must be done.
ReplyDeleteNot only that, Mars is redesigning M&M's. "These M&M's have no candy shell — just a shiny topcoat with a marbleized, almost metallic-looking finish in bright colors."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/08/business/08adco.php
Apparently, they're already being sold in cool flavors in tiny expensive boxes. Bad trend...
How did it ever get to this point?
ReplyDeleteThis would cause serious problems in my workplace. If mama ain't happy, ain't no one gonna be happy. To raise the price on chocolate is inhuman. Chocolate chips at costco last week were twice the price they were a few years ago. I won't be able to afford to make cookies soon. I'll just have to eat handfulls of chips. :(
ReplyDeleteThat's it. First thing tomorrow, I'm hitting the store and buying up every last bag of Hershey's miniatures. Heck, I'll even go for the Lindt bars. This is an emergency, and I've got to stockpile.
ReplyDeleteThen I'll tell my husband Suburban Correspondent made me do it.
You know the straw that broke the camels back? Well, that it. Food, fuel, housing...simple luxuries...but NOW they're messing with NECESSITIES!!!
ReplyDeleteForget happiness....we need Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of CHOCOLATE!!!
Amen. CHocolate. Important to me too. Cripes, let's talk about the IMPORTANT ISSUES, people! Chocolate! In every pot!
ReplyDeleteI thought my chocolate was costing me more....damn. I may have to make a chocolate lovers piggy bank so we can save our change for our chocolate. Hmmm...thanks for the idea : )
ReplyDeleteAnd I, for one, would surely choose chocolate over gas.
Well put. I, too, was worried when I heard this story. Clearly, something must be done. Chocoholic Bloggers Unite!
ReplyDeleteApparently John McCain is a The More The Messier fan! Who knew? You sent up the cry and he responded. I wonder when Ms. Palin will reveal the campaign's new Chocolate Policy. Politics is riviting stuff isn't it?
ReplyDeleteI say Suburban Correspondent for president! Save our chocolate!
ReplyDeleteGood GOD, now chocolate?? If they raise the price of tequila, I'm in deep trouble.
ReplyDelete