The culture critic assesses the plan by the Emperor of the Big Apple to outlaw large sugary drinks:
New Yorkers may be fat, but that doesn’t (necessarily) mean they’re stupid. If you can’t buy a 16 oz. drink – why not buy two 8 oz. drinks? Duh!
There is a serious point in all of this, of course, and it has to do with how some people view the role of government in a free country. Some, like Mayor Bloomberg, see government as a nanny. They lack faith in the people who elected them. They figure they don’t know what’s good for them, so government has to pass laws to make sure the dummies don’t do dumb things – like drink the wrong drinks or eat the wrong foods.
But if government can implement rules like that, what can’t government do? Can it make you eat fruits and vegetables every day? Before you say “Of course not,” why not? Soda is bad for you. Fruits and vegetables are good for you. In the nanny state, a law mandating that you eat well makes sense.
And what about ObamaCare? If government can force people to buy medical insurance for the good of society, why can’t it force them eat broccoli or apples for the same reason? The U.S. Supreme Court may answer that question, any day now.
Read the whole column (“Hey Fatso! Listen Up!”) here.