A Square Circle
22 June 2009
Editor, Los Angeles Times
Dear Editor:
You want to "Keep the politics out of UC" (Editorial, June 22). Impossible, as the UC system is a government entity. And a government entity free of politics is, as my colleague Russ Roberts says, quite as unthinkable as is a ham sandwich free of pork.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Unfair
19 June 2009
Editor, Los Angeles Times
Dear Editor:
Seth Hill writes that "Every time I'm surfing channels and I happen by mistake to land there [on the Fox News channel], I have to watch a commentary by [Newt] Gingrich or former Vice President Dick Cheney. That channel makes me long for the days of the Fairness Doctrine" (Letters, June 19).
Mr. Hill's attitude is the seed of totalitarianism: unable to distinguish what he does voluntarily from what he is coerced into doing, he wants to use force to save himself from the annoyance of fleetingly encountering disagreeable ideas as he flips his channel changer - and to use force to hamper other persons' access to those ideas.
There's nothing fair about that.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
The Curse of Busybodies
Editor, New Orleans Times-Picayune
Dear Editor:
Befuddled that many Louisianans don't wish to force motorcyclists to wear helmets, Nicholette Shannon suggests that safety is always more important than what she dismisses as "convenience" (Letters, June 19).
Safety, however, clearly does not always trump convenience. If it did, no one would ever ride a motorcycle to begin with. Indeed, no one would ride in automobiles, jaywalk, or eat fast food. Each of us routinely trades-off some safety to get more convenience. And no one, including Ms. Shannon, should presume that her preferred balance between safety and convenience is or ought to be the preferred balance for other persons.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Freedom Is a Reason
18 June 2009
Editor, The New York Times
620 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10018
To the Editor:
It's heartening that so many of your readers support drug legalization (Letters, June 18). As they, and columnist Nicholas Kristof, point out, there are indeed many practical reasons to end the cruel and futile 'war on drugs.' But there's also an ethical reason to do so: each adult owns his or her life and only his or her life. It's none of my business what you ingest. Nor is it the business of my neighbor or of my co-workers. This fact does not change if my neighbor, co-workers, and I form a coalition and vote to govern your ingestion.
A society truly free tolerates all peaceful actions, from the sublime through the self-destructive.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
Health Care and the Value of Life
17 June 2009
News Editor, WWL Radio
New Orleans, LA
Dear Sir or Madam:
A listener called in today during the one o'clock hour to assert that "health care isn't like other services" - and so it can't be supplied reliably on the market because people are willing to "incur any cost to save their lives."
First, if this assertion is true, it's unclear how matters would be improved by socializing the payment of medical expenses. Second, everyday experience shows that this assertion, in fact, is false. If people really are desperate to save their lives at all costs, then everyone would exercise regularly, eat only healthy foods, and completely avoid rock climbing, horseback riding, snow skiing, and tanning booths. No one would smoke, drink to excess, or have unsafe sex. Women would never get pregnant, as there's still some positive chance of dying while giving birth.
Unless and until people stop behaving in ways that reduce their life-expectancies, it's mistaken to believe that each of us is committed to living longer at all costs.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
The Oprahization of America
17 June 2009
Editor, The New York Times
620 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10018
To the Editor:
Maureen Dowd wants President Obama to display his healthy, low-fat eating habits more publicly ("Hold the Fries," June 17). The idea is that Our Leader's ostentatious display of his preferred diet will inspire ordinary Americans to eat better.
What has become of Americans? How different are we now from Louis XIV's French subjects who gazed in awe upon him at his table? And are we so childish that our dietary choices are directed by political celebrities?
If we Americans are indeed such mindless lemmings as Ms. Dowd assumes, I'd prefer that Pres. Obama spend lots of time being filmed gobbling Big Macs while, between bites, he puffs on his cigarette and insists that each of us take control of our own individual lives.
We would do well to reject the stupid cult of celebrity that now surrounds high government officials.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
