Speaking on the government's role in diet and health last week, Bloomberg told the UN General Assembly, “There are powers only governments can exercise, policies only governments can mandate and enforce and results only governments can achieve. To halt the worldwide epidemic of non-communicable diseases, governments at all levels must make healthy solutions the default social option. That is ultimately government’s highest duty.”Really, Bloomie? That's government's highest duty? To 'make healthy solutions the default social option?' If you put Mao, Stalin and Pol Pot in a blender** and formed the resulting slurry into a single world leader, he still wouldn't be totalitarian enough to pull that off. But lord, wouldn't he have fun trying. And what precisely is an 'epidemic of non-communicable diseases?' Other than a contradiction in terms, that is?
Earlier in his address Bloomberg lauded the past dietary efforts of NYC, “In 2009 we enacted the first restriction on cholesterol-free artificial trans fat in the city’s food service establishments. Our licensing of street green card producer/vendors has greatly increased the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in neighborhoods with high rates of diet related diseases. And we’ve led a national salt reduction initiative and engaged 28 food manufacturers, supermarkets and restaurant chains to voluntarily commit to reducing excessive amounts of sodium in their products.”Yeah, like the State "engaged" me to "voluntarily" get my papers in order a few years ago. So that I wouldn't have to suffer those punishments again. "We only want you to comply, Joel." F*ck you. And vendor licensing 'increased the availability' of fruits and vegetables? I'd love to see you back that claim with figures.
Gad, what paternalistic bullshit.
*This is the last time I hat-tip Tam for that line. I'm totally filing off the serial number and claiming it as my own.
**Yeah, I know. Gooey. It is a pleasing mental picture, though, doncha think?
7 comments:
It would be a different story if they had the facts, the truth, the knowledge to make these decisions. If something in our diet was truely "bad" for you and there was real science behind it then by all means consider banning it or at the least educate people. But the whole knowledge base about food is based on myth superstition and pronouncements from self proclaimed gurus. There is no food or drink that has not at some point been pointed at as "bad" for you then reversed and declared "good" or vice versa. So were they right then or are they right now?? Before politicians ban something there should be iron clad evidence to support banning it. That is missing.
No, Mr. Anonymous... not in the least. It doesn't matter what kind of "facts" or "truth" anyone might come up with. It makes absolutely no difference.
The only person who has any legitimate authority to decide what I eat, drink, drive, or ANYTHING else that does not involve aggression against others... is ME, myself and I alone. For any reason I like, or for no reason at all.
There is No - zero - nada legitimate reason for any non-voluntary government to exist. Ever. Thanks for listening...
Spot on ML. My feelings exactly.
As for Bloomberg, well, quite frankly, he disgusts me to the degree that I can not even begin to articulate how much he pisses me off.
MamaLiberty: I think you misunderstand what I said. I am with you that they cannot ban just anything. However you are aware that about 8000 people a year die from food poisoning and about 30 million a year get sick from food poisoning. The FDA spends millions trying to keep our food safe and they do indeed "ban" foods. Whole boat loads of seafood products and fruits and vegetables from foriegn countries that are contaminated or have gone bad. Are you saying that stopping these foods from getting to markey is not "legitimate"???
I'd like to see where you're getting your figures. You do know 30 million people is one in ten, right? One in ten Americans get food poisoning PER YEAR? I've never had food poisoning in this country in my long life, though I did get a beaut of a case overseas once and that was purely my fault. 8000 people get it so bad they die? Unless you're talking about global figures, which have nothing to do with the FDA, I question your statistics. If you're getting them from the FDA, I REALLY question your statistics.
If people are so stupid that they kill themselves with food poisoning, imagine the IDIOTS they elect before they remove themselves from the human genome.
I mean, CRAP, how did people live past age 5 before the invention of electric refrigeration? How did they live past age 6 without the gunvermin telling them how to wipe their asses?
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