[enoch_r]

The author's claim is that, if we split the price of our meal evenly, we'll all be better off than if we each pay for our own portion.

It may be true that splitting the price encourages us all to eat more, and pay less attention to price. That increases the demand for everything, and expensive options in particular (the lobster and filet mignon).

It's entirely possible that switching to a "pay-for-your-own-meal" model would reduce the amount of food people buy, and possibly even end with the expensive options being removed from the menu.

But our current situation isn't better for everyone--it's just better if you really like to eat, and especially if you really like to eat expensive things, because you'll be subsidized by the people who just get a salad.

[pbreit]

Except there's a huge difference: cable tv is a zero marginal cost business.