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collectivism \ energy \ environmentalism \ Individualism \ paternalism \ technology
The Right to Light: Don’t Let Washington Ban the Incandescent Bulb
The motive behind the [light bulb] ban exhibits the same collectivist paternalism seen in Anthem. As a consequence, the ban will curtail our freedom to decide what is best for our lives.
enviromentalism \ EPA \ freedom \ paternalism
Governmental “Nudges” Undermine Freedom
EPA Grading scheme for vehicles distorts our ability to act on our own judgment The Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed a scheme by which vehicles would be “graded” based on fuel efficiency. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal: “Under the system, the only cars that would receive an A-plus, A or [...]
FDA \ Genetics \ health care \ paternalism \ regulation
Should You Be Allowed to Know What’s in Your DNA?
“You can’t handle the truth!” That’s the federal government’s latest message to Americans seeking to learn the content of their own DNA. Recent advances in biotechnology have allowed private companies to offer affordable genetic testing directly to consumers, to help them determine their risks of developing problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and various forms [...]
ban \ fast food \ FDA \ freedom \ health \ nanny state \ paternalism \ prohibition \ regulation \ slippery slope
On The Road to Ever-More Government Control
A California county recently banned fast-food restaurants from including toys in their kids’ meals. The goal of this new ban is to reduce rampant obesity in today’s youth by breaking “the link between unhealthy food and prizes.” On the face of it, the effects of this ban seem trivial: so what if there are no [...]
ad hominem \ health care reform \ health insurance \ healthcare \ Ideas \ individual rights \ Obama \ ObamaCare \ paternalism \ tea party
The Great Health Care Squabble: A Battle of Ideas?
Are those who oppose health care reform simply racist? Or perhaps just trying to fill their unemployment-related free time? Two articles recently appearing in the New York Times offer just such accounts of what motivates the Tea Party protesters and other vocal opponents of the new health care legislation In “The Rage Is Not About [...]
Big Brother \ Guns \ paternalism \ police
Campus Media Response: Paternalism and the Dispute over Armed Protection
Editorial: Up in arms, April 13, 2009 The Daily Princetonian Princeton University Sir— Within your editorial, “Up in Arms”, you rightly point out that guns, as such, do not compromise the relationship between students and Public Safety officers. Yet, given the tension that many civilians experience when faced with an Officer of the Peace, it [...]
Obama \ paternalism \ smoking \ taxation
A Tax on the Pursuit of Happiness
President Obama’s first tax increase went into effect yesterday, in the form of the single greatest federal tax increase ever levied on cigarettes. Instead of paying a 39¢ tax per pack, now individuals will be forced to pay $1.01 per pack. One of the motives for passing this legislation is to discourage people from smoking [...]
