You may know John Stossel - thought provoking former 20/20 co-host, now a member of the Fox Business Channel. For those of you that know me, you will know me as someone not too keen on television as a medium for news, or entertainment - but a recent home addition has caused me to add some video entertainment, and that has brought with it the inclusion of satelite (Dish)TV (gasp!).
So, I'm flipping through a myriad of nothing when I get home last night and I catch a glimpse of Stossel. I didn't catch the entire piece, but in typical form, what I caught made sense. John was making a point on national television that I listened to and thought - duh - "and WHY is it that in this nation, we don't all see this perspective?" You know - the land of the free, the home of the brave...
John was explaining in a piece on 'prohibition', our governments' influence in our lives to control us (right down to our literal self) in ways that, in a free country, seem completely inexplicable. He used some very hot button issues to make his point (which, I must say, from an argument perspective, may be less than effective, but from an intellectually honest point of view, I certainly commend him).
I'll refrain from making his argument, but will link to one of his pieces here. If you are looking for someone to challenge your established way of thinking, I would highly recommend giving John a listen. He's not as incendiary as Beck, or the showman we see in the likes of Limbaugh - but for a wake up call for liberty, he's a breath of fresh air.
Have a great day!
http://www.creators.com/opinion/john-stossel/whose-body-is-it-2010-02-24.html
Interesting food for thought. I didn't see the TV show, but I have mixed feelings on the issues he raises in this article. Yeah, my knee jerk reaction is that I don't want people telling me what I can and can't do with my own body (!). But then again, I believe that, as a whole, society is better off because we have the FDA standing between the us (the non-experts) and the drug/medical supply companies. I don't like the idea of having to go to foreign countries to get treatment that I can't get here, and I don't like the idea of not being able to try a last ditch effort...but currently, that's a price that I am willing to pay for having a feeling of "safety" when I somewhat blindly accept a Rx from my doctor, knowing that there have been tests, and the drug has been scrutinized. It's generally not practical for me to evaluate the medication on my own - I just don't have the necessary expertise. A I am fully aware that my doctor's understanding of the drug is highly influenced by the pharmaceuticals salesperson that just gave him the pitch which was paid for and written by the manufacturer. Perhaps the answer on the FDA issue is to have some sort of an overide option, where I would understand, for example, that the cancer treatment or optical implant is not "approved" but that my doctor and I could decide to use the drug or device after going through opt-out procedures, but something more than just a "sign this waiver" type procedure. I guess I want my government to protect me, but only to a point. And yes, I am sure that I have a higher tolerance (and desire) for governmental "protection" than your average reader.
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