Freedom and Big Apple Pie

People who warned us that big government has gotten too involved in regulating our personal business have sometimes appeared alarmist. But now, sadly, they look visionary: There's a proposal in New York City to completely ban tans fats from being served in restaurants. No more French fries, donuts, or pies. The smoking ban was a qualified success, why stop there?

This is a great reminder that some people will never be happy unless they can meddle in the affairs of others. They will endlessly complain about the way "regressive" religions tend to moralize about right and wrong - but they seek to do something more insidious. Instead of establishing principles, virtue, and values to guide our free decisions - they simply want direct control over other people's behavior. It's not enough to convince people that some food is healthier than others, some cars are better to drive, or certain methods of education are superior. They will actually legislate choice away from the individual - who is implicitly seen as a stupid, pathetic creature.

The essence of freedom is the opportunity to make purely personal decisions that may not always be in one's best interest. We can't keep giving power to the state. Smoking and French fries are bad for our health - of course this is true. But we have every right to shorten our lives, if we choose, by indulging in these creaturely pleasures.

More importantly, here is the real slippery slope that people bitch about: Take away personal freedom on "obvious" issues like public health (smoking, nutrition) - and the scope keeps getting broadened. The busybodies and bureaucrats never will cease to justify their own existence with endless incrementalism, and your freedom will erode slowly, by degrees.