nanny state

Does it not sometimes seems as if the nation – and the media, especially – has become overly in awe of the president and that it might be time for whomever is in the White House to stick to running the government – when he is not running for reelection – and let people run their lives on the assumption that they can handle it ... whatever "it" is? Do we need a president for this?

The mayor of New York does not believe that a willing buyer in search of a 32-ounce soft drink and a willing seller of the same should be allowed to make the deal. This, in a city that is famous for deals that involve quite a bit more than a few pints of sugar water and do a whole lot more societal damage. But never mind. People may have gone bust when Lehman went toes up, but nobody got obese as a result of its over-indulging in credit default swaps.

This month, the Los Angeles city council is expected to ban single-use plastic bags. “[T]he ban is an attempt by the city to reduce litter,” says the Los Angeles Daily News. But it is likely to reduce something else: jobs.

A new poll by Rasmussen shows only 44 percent of Americans think cameras at traffic intersections are a good idea, while another 44 percent don't think they are a good idea. But those surveyed are much more supportive of surveillance cameras in police cars and in public spaces:

Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chef and host of the Travel Channel's very popular "No Reservations" does not mince words about the possibility future overbearing salt regulation.

In this otherwise depressing Time piece that, among other creepy sentiments, asserts that "we can be trained" to get by with less sodium and calls salt a dietary "cocaine," Bourdain's delightfully politically incorrect sentiment is, well, the salt and the light.

To use one of the president's favorite words, this expansion of the Nanny State is unprecedented. The federal agency believes that, without further authorization from Congress, it can go ahead and take charge of our palates.

In talking to CPAC this week, George Will noted that the "agenda of dependence" is enabled by trial lawyers, the cultural result being the infantilization of the populace with warning labels like, "Do not fold stroller while child is inside."

As if on cue, a call for warning labels on foods that could choke your kids:

If you are a heroin addict in New York, and you want to learn how to shoot up “safely,” there’s a free flier, “Take Charge, Take Care,” produced on the taxpayers’ dime by the health department of the City of New York that will come in handy.