Soda Sales Ban In City-Owned Buildings?
Health Related
City employees in Boston who like a sugary drink with their lunch, may
just want to have a six pack of soda stashed under their desk. The city
is considering a ban on the sale of soda and other sugar sweetened
drinks on public property.
Source: Boston Weather, Breaking News and Sports from WBZ-TV
Government mulls soda ban
Our freedoms are being chipped away bit by bit. Glenn goes over a few stories that you probably never would have imagined happening in America during our lifetime. Gone are the days you can build sandcastles on the beach in Florida, gone are the days you can grow as many vegetables as you want in your own yard, and soon to be gone are the days you can drink soda in a city building. In America? Yup. Glenn has more on radio today. Ref. Source 8
I have been watching the governments slowly take away our rights as the vast majority of the people just back and watch it all happen. Usually the government says to the people that you have to give this small freedom up in the bane of security. The people have bought into that for that past few years and it is just getting worse. I do not like it. I think it was B. Franklin who said that those who give away freedoms in name of security will have neither.
So, and I might just be being a classical liberal. But I'm actually amazed that the government is restricting so much that it's society, based on a culture of consumerism, can consume. Though I cannot argue with the state doing what the state wants. But when it affects the people, it is no longer what the state wants.
What is truly amazing is that the liberals of old who were always so vigilantly pointing out the intrusions of "the man" into our daily lives are now the ones that want government to supply you with and deny you of everything that "the new man" believes is proper. Just wait...to get your sugary drinks back, you will have to pay a sugar tax to the man for this priveledge.
There is a reason that there is a tea party forming and they arent a direct off-shoot of the republican party. There are many within this group that mistakenly voted for our current president and are shocked (why I actually don't know) of the way that we are pushing our democracy further towards a more European Socialist style of government.
So now the government officials of Boston know what you should be "allowed" to purchase as a employee of the Boston government.
So what is the goal of this effort? Does the Boston government really care about your health as a employee? What about the person that owns the machine and paid for the rental space to pedal his goods? Shouldnt they be allowed to provide the non-alcoholic beverages that his customers want? Who is looking out for this guy or has he made ENOUGH money as our president has said. Does someone within the government have a buddy or relative that sells bottled water? Does the government own the machines and make more profit if you buy bottled water which is really tap water in a nice dress? Which one of the svelt government officials is smart enough to know when I have consumed enough Snapple?
Perhaps the government should be more focused on a balanced checkbooks as opposed to how much delicious carbonated beverages we consume...
Where does it stop? Ask a longtime smoker if they knew that when they didn't stand up for their rights to smoke that they would be reduced to smoking in the closet of their homes with the lights off...bet they just thought it would go as far as smoking areas. SURPRISE!
But as I degress yet again, isnt it interesting how the hip of old are now the very ones that are trying to get government into every facet of your life to take away the burdens of that age old question...MT DEW or Avian.
A quick disagreement I might point out. I don't believe "Classical Liberalism" became either party. The party's ideas have changes so much over the years, too much to say one party is formed from this one idea of enlightenment several hundred years back.
No Republicans display very decentralized government, but also focus on traditions to be law. Such as no gay marriage.
Democrats try to form a more centralized government, but also try to give more 'civil rights'.
This isn't always the case, but it's a general rule about the two parties.
Me personally, as one who promotes every American being called "American" and not with any racial tags, and as one who supports 2nd wave feminists as much as one can without actually being a women to understand truly what it feels like to be treated like a women, I tend to favor Democrats more. But it's also what lenses you look through. Obviously I look through the eyes of someone who wants more equality amongst the treatment of different people, so I would tend to follow Democrats.
Still though I cannot condone a lot of what Obama has done, but listening to McCain in the senate, I don't know if he'd be much better. Different yes, but to how much more different my life would be, I don't know.
Edited: Rhieland on 23rd Sep, 2010 - 4:32am
What I am saying is that the teenage and early 20's Obama and Bill Ayers were all against government involvement in your life. The government was "the man" and he was evil. Now these very people who despised the government are actually now "the man" and they want to be ever more a part of your daily life.
Like...should you be allowed a Mt Dew at work?
The hip kids of the 60's and 70's would never have wanted the government to be involved in healthcare. But here we are now...and they are the chief proponents.
I think that your view of republicans is tainted by the coup of the religious right part of the party over the last 20 years that has just basically come to a halt in the last 2 years. That was the religious right ruling the republicans, but that wasnt historically wasnt the republican base. Also, they arent trying to write tradition into law with gay marriage...they are trying to uphold the current law. Otherwise, gay marriage would have always been legal.
I actually believe that the republican party will either change color and actually adopt the tea party's agenda or there will be no republican party very soon. The people of what is called fly over country want the books balanced. They want government smaller. They want less taxes. If they get more of what GWB gave them in office from the flip that will happen over the next set of elections in the house and maybe senate, then you are going to see a total separation from the republican party of the Tea Party and the Conservative base. Neocon is a bad name in the media, but that is what you are seeing is a birth of the new Neocons.
But until then...does the Boston government really know what beverage is best for you and are you willing to let them choose it for you? If I were a employee of the Boston government, I would be a bit pissed that I will not be able to just run down to the vending machine to get my cola. However, I might be more inclined to follow to the letter of the law the amount of breaks I am allowed during a 8hr work day so I can go get my cola from a nearby convience store.
Oh..and I am sure that this will make those ladies down at the DMV so much more pleasant to deal with since we will be cutting off some of their supply.
Edited: Vincenzo on 23rd Sep, 2010 - 5:59am
Now that I think of it I haven't actually heard anything about the religious rule in the Republican side for a while now. Interesting, if this holds true and they become more socially liberal then I will probably be switching sides. I feel ignorant now for not actually seeing that though. I actually think the last issue I heard with Republicans being socially conservative was actually last winter when I was in school, and heard about Republicans being against any equal pay bill for the genders and many actually denied that the women are treated 'unfairly' but admitted they are treated 'differently'. But that was almost a year ago, and with no more socially conservative ideas. Maybe they seriously are changing socially?