Comedian Jerry Seinfeld had a routine in which he pointed out the absurdity of television commercials showing groups of people laughing, running, smiling, and dancing -- all because they had soda. Why was the routine funny? It was true. The bulk of American society equates soda with good times.

Soda is associated with happiness and fun because soda manufacturers want it that way. For the same reason, cigarettes, back when they used to be advertised on television, were associated with happiness and fun -- as well as sexuality, sophistication, maturity, and rebellion. The advertising of cigarettes on television stopped in early 1971. Later that same year, the beloved "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke®" television commercial first appeared.

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Americans' consumption of soda nearly tripled between 1977 and 2000. Soda has become a ubiquitous part of the American lifestyle. Soda bottles and cans fill an entire aisle in the average grocery store, and gas stations sell cases of soda, making it seem obvious that you should not go home without it.

When you visit a friend or relative, you are immediately offered a soft drink. When you go to a baseball game, a rock concert, or a street fair, there is soda. In public school cafeterias, there is soda. In hospital waiting rooms, there is soda. There is soda, soda everywhere, and not one good reason to drink it.

Non-diet soda is harmful to the human body because it contains large amounts of high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is immediately turned to fat in our bodies, and it does not cause the pancreas to produce insulin, which makes us feel full. That means people who drink soda add fat to their bodies and never get the message to stop.

But why are you reading this on the Democratic Party site at BellaOnline.com?

Here's why. Many people believe that America's health care reform needs a strong focus on prevention of disease and unhealthy lifestyle choices, and to that end, there has been talk of including a tax on soda in the Obama administration's upcoming health care reform bill. Of course, the beverage companies are against it.

The American Beverage Association (ABA) has spent $2 million on television ads calling a tax on soda a slap in the face to the "simple pleasures" that American families can enjoy in these trying economic times. Ah yes, and down the road those same families can enjoy the "simple pleasures" of treating Junior’s morbid obesity and giving him his daily insulin shot.

The President of the ABA, Susan Neely, told ABC News on May 14, 2009 that even a small soda tax would "have a dramatic impact on this industry" financially. Does she really expect Americans to feel her pain? If her comment implies concern for workers, the soda companies can surely make other kinds of drinks that do not contain high fructose corn syrup.

President Bill Clinton also opposes a tax on soda, because he believes that "incentives . . . for prevention and wellness" are a better way to create a healthier America, according to ABC News on May 14, 2009. And Trevor Butterworth, on June 19, 2009 at Forbes Magazine online, doubted the "linear relationship between soda and obesity" and whether taxing soda would ultimately have much effect on what people weigh.

Here is the bottom line. According to the Associated Press on September 16, 2009, President Obama is not going to ask Congress to put a soda tax into the health care reform bill. It seems that the vigorous debate cannot stand one more issue to fight about. But the idea of taxing soda brings up important questions about government's role in our lives. Should government be involved in what we eat and drink? When and how -- if ever -- should government intervene with regard to improving our health?

Cigarettes have nearly vanished from the landscape. I believe that soda will, too. And, somehow, I think we will all be able to have fun without it.

In the meantime, if you believe that soda should go the way of cigarettes, here are some things you can do. Vote with your wallet; don’t buy soda. Vote with your actions; don’t serve it in your home. Vote with your voice; tell people why you aren't serving it. And, as always, write to your representatives. Tell them you'd like to buy the world some health.