The Unbroken Window

“The greatest tyranny has the smallest beginnings. From precedents overlooked, from remonstrances despised, from grievances treated with ridicule, from powerless men oppressed with impunity and overbrearing men tolerated with complacence, springs the tyrannical usage which generations of wise and good men may hereafter perceive and lament and resist in vain.”

- London Times editorial (1846)

Massachusetts plans on following the lead of New York City health officials, who three years after banning smoking, last month banned trans fats in all restaurants. Cooks throughout the state’s thousands of food service establishments will not be able to use any ingredients containing what it calls a “toxic” substance.  Say goodbye to your favorite French fry or Dunkin’ Donut.  

Trans fats are bad for you.  How could anyone be opposed to such an ordinance?  Is it really such a big deal if one ordinance gets passed that’s well motivated and is enacted to save lives? 

Simply yes - this is the death of liberty by a thousand cuts (in supposedly the cradle of liberty!!!) and there are darn good reasons to be sickened by this bout of government paternalism.  Why should you care?  Paternalism puts us all on a slippery slope to a bad place.  First government slaps mandatory labels on food on the grounds that it really does not infringe upon individual sovereignty.  After all, you’re still free to eat trans fats.  Who can be against that?   This is followed by real regulation - bans on using the substance; enormous taxes and bans on entry.  Recall what happened with smoking.  But hey, these things are dangerous!

What exactly does dangerous mean?  I think I’m a dangerous driver because my mind is always in a million different places - yet I’ve only had one small fender bender in my life.  Dangerous is a meaningless term - it is great for demagogue politicians and bureaucrats but it is useless in economics and happens to take the joy out of life.

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Mail (hidden) (required)

Website