The One-Handed Economist

[Via Drudge] Yesterday LA County voted to look into following New York’s lead in banning Trans-fats from food in restaurants.

New York’s ban, the first in the country and to be expected from somebody like Bloomberg, took regulatory nannyism to an entirely new height. Banning trans-fats lacks even the “what about the workers” excuse that various cities have used to ban smoking. There are no externalities to consuming trans-fats, like the rest of your diet they only affect you, but in this age of infantilizing even adults many cities are considering such moves as a way to “protect the children”.

Well, from what are we protecting them, exactly? From having to learn the responsibilities that come along with decision-making in a complex and difficult world? From developing the necessary skill to practice moderation when it comes to eating deep fried fat dipped in fat? From ever having to act like an adult? Look, I understand that children are the one place where libertarian philosophy sort of breaks down, but let’s be honest here for a minute: these laws are less about helping children than they are about telling voting adults what they may and may not put into their own bodies while harming nobody else. About par for the course with government, it seems.

FYI: I’ve decided to enable comments while at least one of the Inactivists is posting here, just in case anybody feels like being chatty.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 10th, 2007 at 6:02 pm and is filed under Tilting At Windmills, VITRIOL, Politics, Current Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.