The "For Your Own Good" Police Are Coming...After You

Capitalism Magazine ^ | Mar 27, 2002 | Walter Williams

[The Raven]

Hope this isn't already posted.

[Drammach]

It deserves to posted several times.
Exposure to the brain-dead of America may do some good.

[Pearls Before Swine]

I wouldn't be surprised if their ultimate agenda is alcohol prohibition.

I hadn't thought of that, but gee, you might be right. Many movements turn into caricatures of their original intentions, attracting not only believers, but also the power hungy. The enviro-nazi, femino-nazi, and Communism come immediately to mind.

[Russ]

Did anyone see the California State Senator on MSNBC this morning who is introducing legislation to put a tax on soft drinks? Her objective is to reduce obesity in children. And we, as a society, sit back and put up with these busybodies...

[DoughtyOne]

Williams is correct. I don't agree with him when it comes to smoking in restaurants, but the rest is spot on. Cigarette taxes are wrong. Why should the government benefit from cigarette sales? And the idea that people should be prevented from smoking outside is ludacrist. The latest insult was that woman that's prevented from smoking in her car or home, since her kid objected.

The blood alcohol level is another such issue. MADD is just that if it wants to move the blood alcohol level bar lower than 0.08.

There are other good examples that Williams could have inserted here. National ID cards is a good one. Strip searches at airports is another.

There has to be limits to what the government can do. This last year I've seen most of them evaporate.

[babylonian]

And don't forget, reparations are on the way...first, the descendents of slaves, then comes the rest of the offended. It'll be a never-ending line.

[NMC EXP]

“Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
-- C.S. Lewis

Smart men, Williams and Lewis.

Regards

J.R.

[concerned about politics]

Did anyone see the California State Senator on MSNBC this morning who is introducing legislation to put a tax on soft drinks? Her objective is to reduce obesity in children. And we, as a society, sit back and put up with these busybodies...

NY already has a soda pop tax. It's included in the price. They did it, but didn't tell the consumer- like the Gore tax on AT&T phone bills for school computers.

[Raynham Iron]

Dear Russ et al: Has anyone heard of a plan to 'just' tax candy /cupcakes at nursing homes. I know in California they want to tax again all soft drinks. Thanks in advance for anybody's help,

[F16Fighter]

Surgeon General David Satcher...describ[ed] obesity as America's No. 1 killer.

Hey folks, we're almost there -- By decree of Surgeon General of the U.S., look soon for the Skull and Crossbones to be marked on the food wrapping at all McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendy's, with their respective franchise owners' faces posted on John Walsh's 'America's Most Wanted.'

[jadimov]

...reparations are on the way...

Soon we will all be slaves and there will be no need to give reparations to anyone.

[Richard Kimball]

In Robert Bork's book "The Tempting of America", he discusses the idiocy of the nanny-state, and the way in which much of the modern left is in one way totally libertarian, while in another, is so controlling it is unbelievable.

I've always thought that HBO was the best example of the inconsistancy of the left. One one hand, they refuse to show card girls when they carry a boxing match, because it is "degrading to women." On the other hand, they had one special where an "artist" was taking photographs of a nude woman holding onto a horses penis. Yes, they showed her grabbing it. In another "true crime" series, they showed home movies taken by a criminal of an actual rape.

While the left attacks smoking and fatty foods, I wouldn't suggest trying to bring up the medical costs of sexually transmitted diseases, out of wedlock births, or homosexually transmitted diseases. Conduct leading to these costs has been deemed "good", and if you speak out against them, you are a member of the Taliban, a homophobe, and you probably have bad breath, because you inhale gas fumes and smoke unfiltered Camels while driving your SUV over baby ducks.

[pray4liberty]

I know in California they want to tax again all soft drinks.

The power to tax is the power to destroy.

[Biblebelter]

A long time ago, there was legalism in the church that attempted to fashion people's behavior, whether it was in regards to make-up, dancing, tobacco, or the devil rum. Did anyone ever dream that that anal retentive crowd would evolve to find themselves a way into dictating from both elected and bureaucratic office? And as far as the churches go, along with accepting political correctedness, most have given up all objections to things such as homosexuality and abortion in the name of individual freedom and tolerance.

The message is very mixed, do not become overweight by putting fattening things in your body, but if you gain some pounds because of pregnancy, not to worry, we can take of that weight at any time up to and including infanticide.

[babylonian]

We're already slaves.

[pray4liberty]

Sometimes I wonder if the "look after us" crowd won't be satisfied until they have everybody in a padded room.

[tacticalogic]

The message is very mixed,

Government is amoral. No matter how well meaning the law is, it it can still be used to immoral purposes, and the government will sanction it. You can't look to an amoral entity for moral guidance without getting ambiguous answers.

[Hostage]

Over the past two decades, Americans have become an international joke with their obese bodies and crude behavior. Our fellows have lost a sense of decency and class. They attempt to cover their curds with mou-mou shirts and dresses in public. As a conservative, I long for the blue laws that shut down commerce on Sunday leaving the population with nothing to do but get in their Sunday best and promenade through parks.

But the point of this fatty blather is lost. It's the nanny state that wants to control our behavior because it costs so much. My answer is for our fellows including me and my own to manage our own vices and the diseases that manifest from them.

The fried chickens of our socialist medical system have come home to clog our arteries. Sedentary Sundays will soon see a grease tax at Sizzler's. Well why not? Tax the beer, the pizza and tax Rush Limbaugh for every regained pound of lard he tries to hide.

My fellows are indeed fat and ugly too. But in my opinion ugly is much more acute in those who choose to register Democrat, so I say tax the Rats more for their hideous politics and impositions. And while were at it, tax those who profess a liberal point of view because it is a form of mental illness and costs us billions upon billions of Btus to fill the Sunday talk show with hot air while we vegetate with a lost moronic look of emptyheadedness.

Have a happy Catholic Easter and be sure to eat that fluffy marshmellow coconut partially hydrogenated chocolate bunny Yum-Yum.

[Wolfie]

I wouldn't be surprised if their ultimate agenda is alcohol prohibition.

Or maybe some sort of multi-billion dollar Drug War.