On Bill Maher's November 12th episode, future presidential candidate that is not Sarah Palin Mike Huckabee pronounced that government shouldn't be in the business of regulating the health and welfare of its citizens. He particularly honed down on the salt/transfat regulations born out of the not-exactly-uber-leftist mind of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Normally, this is not a proposition that most residents of free democracies would protest with a whole lot of vehemence. Progressives don't want government in the bedrooms and in their bodies, either. Though certainly there are external economic costs associated with obesity that society must suffer as a whole.
But Huckabee took it an extra step. As an example of an ostensibly more desirable "market solution," he offers the following:
Kraft, after reviewing a government study, decided years ago -- and before it was a fad -- to eliminate trans fats from its products. "Because they read the study and decided it was the right thing to do." Not, mind you, because of those invisible, inevitable and myopic "market forces."
It is difficult to discern how, exactly, it is better if a business enterprise, and not a government, unilaterally decides what's best for the society. After all, the government is, theoretically, is responsible to the people.
At least its legislators are elected by everybody, and not just by shareholders -- who aren't really allowed to directly influence corporate policy anyway.
