No se confundan

Muy interesante comentario en Cato sobre los talibanes que proponen prohibiciones/impuestos adicionales a las gaseosas.

A pesar de que lo que suele creer mucha gente, no existe aquello de una “pérdida de libertad buena”, o menos mala, o por nuestro bien. Toda pérdida de libertad o, lo que es lo mismo, toda transferencia de nuestras prerrogativas al estado, es negativa:

But really, it’s a lot simpler than that. What I should say is that your body is yours. Liberals themselves would tell you just the same in many other contexts. It’s yours to do with as you see fit. It’s yours to use, and it’s yours to use up, as Dan Savage once put it. (Can bans on risky sex be far behind?)

Part of being free is being free to make bad choices, to take risks, and to bear the consequences. Part of being free is that you, personally, may decide what you eat or drink. It’s a liberty so elementary that our founders never even imagined that it would need protection, but today, it does. (These same founders also rioted when the British taxed their tea. Which I’m sure Parliament only did for their own good anyway.)

To be sure, there are many costs associated with socialized health care, and some of the choices we make will certainly raise those costs. That’s one big reason why the nanny state is suddenly in the food business. But if we absolutely must have socialized health care — a point I don’t for a moment concede — then I’d prefer to pay a little bit extra and keep all my other liberties, thanks.