It’s rather strange to see how many people can be fooled by a smooth-mouthed scam artist that offers impossible ways to make an easy million dollars or lotions that can grow hair on a bald head, or miracle pills that guarantee that we’ll live past 120. People still have not given up their search for an anti-gravity machine, the fountain of youth or the perpetual motion machine. Every day the papers are filled with such ridiculous advertisements and claims and the radio sells these foolish dreams to the gullible and naïve public. Health magazines make millions by advertising these sensational claims and vitamin companies get rich selling their vitamins that for the most part few people really need. Doctors make money endorsing these products and companies make a good profit by selling them. One thing they surely are good for; they stimulate the economy.
Without them the newspapers would be half the size and the shelves at the health food centers would be empty. The quacks would be busy collecting unemployment and the government would go broke. And so it’s the end result that counts. Money changes hands. People feel happy believing that they have been cured or that salvation is on the way and the government collects more taxes from the wealthy scam artists. Why kill the goose who lays the golden eggs? Without them the government would have to raise our taxes and who wants that to happen? So we choose the lesser of the two evils, hoping that some day we’ll find the treasure chest hidden at the end of the rainbow. It can’t hurt to dream about winning the million dollar lottery. If that is what will make you happy, then pleasant dreams. I just wonder what will happen when we wake up?