
Abolish the Food Industry - nbj914
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/02/abolish-the-food-industry/252502/
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javert
I believe that people should be free to make their own decisions.

I _do not_ want to live in the kind of authoritarian society the author lusts
for. In fact, I _would not._

This article disgusts me to the core.

To those of you who want to be free to produce, build, and create (whether
tech startups or something else): If you think that people who claim that
human beings need to have their choices made for them, and their freedom
limited, are _on your side_ , you are _deadly_ wrong.

These people are not our allies.

~~~
yequalsx
Clearly people, in aggregate, need to have some choices made for them.

It's not feasible for everyone to be knowledgable enough to know what
constitutes acceptable electrical wiring in a home. In such a case isn't it
best to have an agency make this choice for us? That is, an agency to say this
is the worst wiring job that is acceptable? I'm glad for this.

I'm not talking about the article above. I'm wondering how extreme your
position is in regard to your statement

"If you think that people who claim that human beings need to have their
choices made for them, and their freedom limited, are on your side, you are
deadly wrong."

~~~
javert
_Clearly people, in aggregate, need to have some choices made for them._

No, I don't think so at all.

And it's critical for people who oppose the "control state" (for lack of a
better term) to stand their ground on this point.

Otherwise, they are throwing away the fundamental principle, which is their
only intellectual ammunition.

\--

There are lots of trivial applications of this (like electrical wiring). But
gettings bogged down in those is missing the forest for the trees.

However, just to prove that the principle still applies, I'll answer your
electrical scenario:

If electrical wiring were not highly regulated, best practices and self-
regulatory mechanisms would be develped to deal with the situation
effectively, _just like any aspect of any industrial activity that is not
regulated_.

It is key to recognize the truth of the part in italics. Just think of how
commerce and trade work - there are abundant examples.

~~~
yequalsx
The history of the free market (to the extent that markets can truly be free)
shows that your view in italics is not correct.

Regulation has led to clean water standards, electrical wiring standards, safe
working environments, etc. In countries where such standards don't exist or
are loosely enforced one sees that mechanisms aren't developed to deal with
these situations. Just look at China. Companies try to cut corners. They do it
whenever they can get away from it. There are examples where companies don't
cut corners but there are a plethora of examples to show that enough companies
do cut corners that it is needed to have some regulations.

~~~
javert
_The history of the free market ... shows that your view in italics is not
correct._

I completely disagree with your analysis of history (although I'm aware it's
the commonly accepted and promulgated one).

Still, a fine technical analysis of history is not needed to see the truth of
my point.

Think about the PC revolution, or the Industrial Revolution, for example.
Think about how trade and commerce is carried on in aspects thereof that are
not highly regulated.

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nasmorn
Do they add sugar to flour, milk and vegetables as well? I do think sugar is
seriously bad for you but as ling as you can buy staples you can cook. You can
cook, right?

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reedlaw
While I'm not sympathetic to the tobacco industry, this is a dangerous
argument because it depends on some agency's definition of "healthy". The
article points to sugar and alcohol as being unhealthy, but what about
saturated fat or fluoride? There is plenty of debate on those as well as many
other foods and ingredients.

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jmilkbal
I agree with the article, but I can't decide if sugar is should be the
catalyzing factor or the plethora of other toxic chemicals they put in food.

