Slate’s William Saletan vs. the Food Cops

Slate’s William Saletan has had it with the growing overreach of the food police, a reaction which he acknowledges puts him in unusual company.

For a long time, the only discernible libertarian around here was Jack Shafer, a man unable to wean himself from speech, guns, and other annoying constitutional amendments. But lately, other folks seem to be getting a bit Ayn Randy. On Saturday, Jacob Weisberg blew the whistle on New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for trying to ban outdoor smoking in public parks (“First They Came for the Marlboros“). Yesterday, Daniel Engber went after the hypocrisy and overreaching of soda-tax advocates. And I’ve become such a knee-jerk defender of burgers and fries that I’m tempted to seek funding from the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

What’s going on here? Most of us used to be good liberals. Are we getting conservative in our old age?

I’d say it’s the opposite. We’re what we were five or 10 years ago: skeptics and fact-mongers with a bias for personal freedom. It’s the left that’s turning conservative. Well, not conservative, but pushy

Of course, we appreciate the cite. However, while we don’t expect everyone who supports one — or  some — of our positions to agree with us on all matters, the sentiment behind Saletan’s reaction is well placed.

Reason’s Katherine Mangu-Ward comments on Saletan’s article here.

For more on nanny state regulation, see here.