What do Americans Want?

I recently re-read some of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, in which (among other things) he examines the essence of the "chief good." It got me thinking about what Americans most ardently desire. Aristotle describes four possibilities:

1. Pleasure, that is, the satisfaction of the senses and appetite, whether through food, drink, sex, or rest;
2. Wealth, which may be considered as a means to buying pleasurable things, but which may also be identified as a sort of power;
3. Honor, that is, the honest praise of those whom we respect; and
4. Contemplation, which is the consideration of the highest things.

Of course, Aristotle believes that contemplation is the chief good, and this line of thought has been adopted by Christians as well. But what about Americans? A very wise man told me once that if you want to know what someone prizes, look to how he spends his free time. For Americans, free time is spent watching television, and modern television is an orgy of pleasure and money. If we aren't watching another police drama with scintillating hints of sex, then we're viewing endless advertisements remdining us of how we need more money to spend. Ah well, perhaps if Americans read more books we might seek that greatest good of all...