Retail Store Theory of Running a Country

I think that modern nations can be compared to retail chains.

France is a lot like Nordstrom. Everything is very nice, the experience and atmosphere are high quality, and it's very expensive. This is integral to their culture. It's a conscious choice that they have made.

By contrast, the United States is like WalMart. We want everything as cheap as possible, regardless. You can get decent things, but the emphasis is definitely on low price and large quantity. Experience and atmosphere are secondary.

Of course this is a generalization, and we don't always approach things this way. But it is true for a lot of things. People complain about prices at the gas pump but won't sell the SUV. We are willing to cut some basic programs so that we can pay a few dollars less in taxes. We insist on free internet porn (oops, uh, forget that last one).

It seems to me that the ideal may be somewhere around Target. It's a nice experience, but not overly so. The items are good quality and attractive, but not the best. It's affordable, but they don't sacrifice certain basic things.

The cost of things is important, because things of beauty and quality aren't as useful for the people who can't afford them, but it shouldn't be the only thing, or even the primary thing. Experience and atmosphere are important too. Quality of life is important. Art and beauty are important. These and other things that we sometimes forget about are what make the rest of it worthwhile.

How would you like to see your country run?