"Thou Shalt Not Covet" Exodus 20:17

In reading "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible" By A.J. Jacobs, in which a man lives by the Bible fundamentally for a full year, a daunting task at best in today's landscape, this commandment struck me most fiercely. Imagine if the whole population in North America and Europe followed this to the T. Millions of jobs would cease to exist, namely advertising, and commerce and economy would change to something totally unrecognizable. This commandment can be broken innocently and quickly. That commercial for the new iPod nano video, the one where Feist sings 1,2,3,4 draws you in easily. Suddenly you (I) want that iPod video and the iTunes download for Feists' new track. See? I did it twice in that one commercial. I coveted two things! Our whole society works, nay thrives, on coveting others things and lives. I don't work like I do to survive, I work as hard as I do to be able to fulfil my covetous desires. Does this mean we are a truly Godless society? Are we so far gone from God? Those that would condemn our society for it are perpetrators themselves. Look at your local pastors' house, car, children, education...they are all products of coveting. Even the most innocent activity is fraught by covetous tendencies. Why are you eating steak? Is it because that is all there is to feast upon or you have a craving? I would assume the latter.
Humans have accomplished many wonderful things as a result of defying Exodus 20:17, Edison, Newton, Einstein, they all wanted something better for the world and themselves. Is that not the essence of coveting? But is it also not the essence of us as humans? What separates us from the animals? And yet according to the bestselling book of all time, that ancient scripture, the Bible, forbids it. How can we as a race compete. Hell is going to be full to overflowing and heaven as underpopulated as a skating rink in Alaska. Are there exceptions? Is God really watching us repeatedly sin and damning us to hell without context for what is being coveted? We will never know. I am not judging our way of life, I myself take every opportunity to abuse my credit card after a bad day at work. I do take issue with those who claim to live by "the word of God" literally and yet still manage to participate in the activities of consumerism. Maybe the Amish are the only peoples who can claim purity in this area. I leave it to you, dear reader, to cast your vote.