Michelle Minton on Your Freedom to Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
Radio Interview: Wednesday, 13 February 2013
I interviewed Michelle Minton on "Your Freedom to Eat, Drink, and Be Merry" on Philosophy in Action Radio on Wednesday, 13 February 2013. You can listen to or download the podcast below.
The government heavily regulates food and drinks commonly regarded as dangerous or unhealthy. What motivates such regulations? Why are they so widespread? How can they be fought?
Michelle Minton is the Fellow in Consumer Policy Studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. The issues she manages include food policy, FDA regulation of non-pharmaceuticals, alcohol regulation, and the online gambling industry. Her work has been published and cited by nationally respected news outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, prominent magazines, and scholarly journals.
Tags: Activism, Alcohol/Drugs, Free Society, Government, Health, Integrity, Law, Nutrition, Politics, Regulation, Rights, Science
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- Duration: 58:26
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Subjects Discussed
- The most common regulations and laws pertaining to food and drinks
- Colorado's laws about grocery versus liquor stores
- Federal versus state versus local regulations
- The true purpose of these laws and regulations
- The goal of Michelle's advocacy
- Why we have more regulations today
- Conservative "solutions"
- Bad studies and sloppy journalism: the phony case against the egg
- The accusations against Four Loko
- Future trends, including appeals to children
- The three-tier system of alcohol distribution
- Bootleggers and Baptists
- Not being in the pocket of "big business"
- Advocating for freedom in this area
- Economic versus moral arguments for freedom
- Effective arguments
- Maintaining integrity in public policy work
- Whether to support or oppose mixed proposals
- How to support Michelle's work
Links
- Michelle Minton's work at CEI
- The Wages of Sin Taxes by Christopher Snowdon and Michelle Minton (PDF)
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About Philosophy in Action Radio
I'm Dr. Diana Hsieh. I'm a philosopher specializing the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My dissertation defended moral responsibility and moral judgment against the doubts raised by Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."
My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Wednesday evenings, I interview an expert guest about a topic of practical importance.
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