Living as we do in a land of plenty, we Americans tend to get when we are confronted with unexpected shortages of things we need or want. When the supermarket is out of our preferred brand of corn flakes or toilet paper or ketchup, we complain loudly to the manager. When the local Apple Store doesn't have just the right iPad or iPod or other widget we want, we whine like it's the end of the world.
But I can tell you, Dear Readers, things are a lot worse in other countries, where shortages of some items pose real problems.
Consider the situation of underendowed women in Venezuela, where there is a nationwide shortage of silicone breast implants, no trivial issue for a nation in which nearly 85,000 aesthetic (as opposed to reconstructive) breast procedures were conducted last year. Only the United States, Brazil, Mexico, and Germany perform more breast surgeries.
According to this article, currency controls put in place by the Venezuelan government have led to shortages of many critical items, including breast implants, and to skyrocketing prices for those items when they are available. A breast prosthesis can cost $5,000 or more if a patient is fortunate enough to find one*. And it makes the lady who reportedly paid over $20,000 to have her chest enhanced by the addition of a third breast look positively greedy.
Have a good day. Be grateful for what you have. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
* Of course, "one" doesn't do much good when the surgery is for aesthetic augmentation, does it?
7 comments:
I love the cartoon!!!!
I also don't believe that the woman who had a 3rd one added is for real. I think it's a publicity stunt.
A real doctor wouldn't do that.
The woman with the three breasts is a serial hoaxer.
Implants do feel different, but whether real or fake, they both look great! I wondered if the woman in my current post had real ones or accentuated ones. Look for the tell-tale scars below the breasts!
Elvis, you can't really always get a chance to see the scars! But when someone is a size 6 and has huge "girls" then there is positively a question in my mind.
Getting a pair of stripper boobs will cost about $8000 - $10,000, depending on the surgeon and locale. And if you get implants, you practically have to wear a bra all the time.
The only thing missing from the cartoon is a guy standing in line for the microwave with a plate of frozen chicken nuggets and some dipping sauce.
Venezuela and Columbia are both big into beauty contests.
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