CNN 'Conservative' David Frum Hails Bloomberg's 'Visionary' Soda-Pop Restrictions
It’s amazing that CNN put out a press release last October touting “Democratic strategist Maria Cardona and conservative columnist David Frum have joined the network for the 2012 election season.” (Italics mine.) David Frum is not a conservative. Look no further than his latest CNN opinion piece, “Bloomberg’s Visionary Plan Against Obesity.”
“Some object that the mayor's proposal to restrict serving sizes will restrict liberty. But the liberty restricted is not the liberty of the soda-drinker. If they wish, soda drinkers can buy a 2-liter bottle of soda at the grocery for about $1.70 and pour as much of it down their throats as they wish,” he snobbishly wrote.”The liberty that is being restricted is the liberty of the soda seller to manipulate known human weaknesses to the seller's advantage and the buyer's detriment.” (Italics his.)
Would a conservative write something like this?
Human beings are not reasoning machines. We are animals who have inherited certain propensities not always well-adapted to modern urban life. We evolved in conditions of food scarcity. Our bodies have adapted to store food energy against famine; our subrational minds crave sweetness. The sugary beverage industry has invested massively to understand better how to use our very human natures against us.
Coca-Cola is closer to cocaine than people realize. Human beings are childish animals who need to be restrained by bureaucrats like Michael Bloomberg.
Maybe this will fail, Frum concluded, but “when we do at least [sic] succeed in this difficult struggle for public health, we will all owe New York's visionary mayor our thanks for leading the way.”
Or, if you think maybe Frum’s conservative on the air, this was his Bill Moyers-ish comments after the John Edwards mistrial was declared on The Situation Room last Thursday:
FRUM: Supposing John Edwards had been elected president and supposing this story had been kept secret, as you say, we don't know very much about these campaigns anymore and we know a lot less than we used to these days. Wouldn't he have owed a colossal favor to Fred Baron? Wouldn't he have been in a position where he could not have refused anything Fred Baron ask?...
We are in a situation where vast, undisclosed amounts of money can be raised outside the campaign finance system, for a presidential candidate, to use for any purpose, including buying the silence of people with damaging information about them. That is a very scary outcome.
I think with this and combined with Citizens United, we have a lot of annoying paperwork requirements, but there's no campaign finance system in the United States at all anymore. We have gone back, essentially, of a system of unlimited, secret donations for any purpose.
After Edwards spoke to reporters, Frum was asked to comment, and just repeated: "I think we will rue this day. If this is a legal precedent, we have just ripped off the last limits on what people who might be president can do with the money they ask for from powerful friends."
- Tim Graham's blog
- Login to post comments
Comments
So we evolved
Submitted by misterbee241 on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 1:23pm.
Into human beings too stupid too make rational decisions so we need the government to make those decisions for us. Ok. But isn't the government made up with the same stupidly evolved people that we are?
An John you don't know about campaigns because you don't want to know. A few hours with google and twitter and you can find just about anything.
SPAM ALERT!!!!!
Submitted by Grumpy in Arizona on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 2:14pm.
WARNER ALVIN – Member for 2 hours 55 min!!!!
Go away.
- Grump
Really?
Submitted by CobraMan on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 1:53pm.
"Human beings are not reasoning machines."
So, I guess that Einstein was just one of those infinite numbers of monkeys banging away on an infinite number of typewriters and he just happened to get it right.
"We are animals who have inherited certain propensities not always well-adapted to modern urban life. "
Humm, I always thought that we, the supposedly unreasoning animals, are the ones who CREATED that modern urban life! Who knew we "inherited" the cities, the roads, the houses, the lights, the phones, the internet, the soda, the very things that are a part of "modern urban life" from some former super-smart species that is apparently no longer around. And I was beginning to think that we actually accomplished something. I guess we're the Eloy after all. Which makes me wonder, just who are the Morlocks?
By the way, David, since it is your contention that we're not reasoning creatures, why should I listen to anything Bloomberg has to say, or you, for that matter? He, and you, are just dumb animals, just like the rest of us. He's no more "adapted' to live in a "modern urban" setting than anyone else is, just like yourself. So, as any reasoning creature could point out to you, you just defeated your own arguments. You need to go back and start banging on that typewriter again. You may even get it right someday.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Escape clause
Submitted by Franksam on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 2:09pm.
Absolutely right. Logic is hard to beat if you're a dumb animal. I have gone with animal instincts more than once and been very happy with the outcome, however. Bloomberg is right out of Planet of The Apes. A monkey that is somehow embarrassed to be an animal.
And let's face it, if this is about survival, the fat people will be easy to catch. Mr. Bloomberg, tear down this soda pop ban!
"visionary"? You mean like visual hallucinations?
Submitted by drsamherman on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 1:36pm.
There is nothing "visionary" about limiting the size of soft drinks. The nanny states of the European Union have been doing it since the mid-90s and they still have emerging problems with obesity. The EU states have also limited packaging sizes on different types of baked goods (mostly pastries, cookies, etc.), chocolate bars and other candy and snack foods. Apparently it is not working that well.
The other problem is Bloomberg is a massive hypocrite about salt. He apparently is like the salt-loving creature in "Star Trek".
Eliminating salt and limiting drink sizes are not moves that will automatically cut obesity. If anything, it will have people either buying a second unit of something or resorting to bringing their own salt to restaurants. In an otherwise healthy person, too much salt is simply eliminated in urine if proper water intake and kidney function are maintained. For sugar, the best thing to do is to switch to water. Bloomberg wants to keep high-sugar containing fruit juices at their unlimited portion sizes, even though they contain more sugar than other types of drinks. He also wants to include milk on the list. Milk is a food, not a beverage. Milk is an emulsion containing lipids, proteins, electrolytes and vitamins. Same for products made from milk as they would also be excluded from the ban.
Bloomberg's nanny-state hypocrisy is just too much. He needs to go as Mayor.
Call him....
Submitted by jon_torlin on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 1:56pm.
I heard about how he is about salt, you ain't kidding about the salt creature from Star Trek.
I'm going to start calling Bloomberg "Simon Cocteau" from Demolition Man, but that requires people actually having seen the movie. Just that he's a dead ringer for that kind of character so much that it's actually a bit frightening to see truth coming to reality from fiction. Makes me wonder what other things in that movie will become reality.
Then I wonder how long before this kind of nonsense spreads to other cities and states.
-Jon
And that movie has one of the
Submitted by Scuba Dude on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 3:41pm.
And that movie has one of the best quotes against the nanny state.
Edgar Friendly: You see, according to Cocteau's plan, I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy who likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, okay? I want to smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener".
Think I'll watch it tonight
Submitted by jon_torlin on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 4:00pm.
I think I'll watch that movie tonight again after all. That was pretty good that the guy took that line like he did, can't imagine how many takes it was to get that right.
Speaking of plans, it's like we're seeing Obambi's plan in action via New York City, all the stuff he's doing is something DuhUdderOne pushed for the longest time...and is still pushing.
-Jon
And Nanny Bloomberg has
Submitted by motherbelt on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 2:07pm.
And Nanny Bloomberg has apparently not noticed that with ever-increasing quantities of low-fat and no-fat foods available, obesity in the US continues to increase (no pun intended).
Next Bloomie will require a "ration card" for soda purchases, to make sure that people don't buy more than one in a day.
“The Visionary
Submitted by Grumpy in Arizona on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 1:37pm.
“The Visionary Bloomberg?”
Well… Only in Mr. Frum's dreams.
Personally I have a (probably mistaken) vision of New Years Eve in Times Square…
Everybody drinking Big Gulps and lighting-up Luck Strikes…
- Grump :o)
And yet liberals claim that
Submitted by motherbelt on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 2:05pm.
And yet liberals claim that not giving women birth control pills for free is the same as "denying" it to them.
Frum is getting close to
Submitted by d1carter on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 2:10pm.
Frum is getting close to coming out as a Prog...do it David, stop the charade!
So, it's all about "manipulating human weaknesses?"
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 2:24pm.
.”The liberty that is being restricted is the liberty of the soda seller to manipulate known human weaknesses to the seller's advantage and the buyer's detriment.” (Italics his.)
OK, Frum. Then how about endorsing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution to forestall the tendancy of elected officials to buy goods and services in the name of the public good without having the funds to pay for them?
So merchandising and advertising are outlawed too?
Submitted by drsamherman on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 2:27pm.
Guess merchants are expected to put out merchandise they know will not sell.
Hey, it worked for Solyndra
Submitted by Galvanic on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 2:32pm.
In Pelosi-nomics, even unemployment is a good thing.
doc,
Submitted by Agnostic on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 2:33pm.
what would the media do without all those advertising dollars?
Advertising money allows them to marginally produce a lower quality product. Without the almost automatic money coming from WallStreet via advertising budgets the media might actually have to put out a product people want.
He keeps insulting us.
Submitted by CobraMan on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 2:58pm.
Frum keeps insulting us. He thinks were just too stupid to know what's in our own interest. Of course, if we're really that stupid, why should we even listen to him? He no different that those other people who "manipulate" our weaknesses. In his case, he's manipulating our guilt, not our pleasure, and he's doing it for the same reason, in an attempt to control our "unreasonable" behavior.
Hay, Frum, stop trying to manipulate us, you elitist moron! You're so stupid that you don't even recognize the inherent contradictions that are contained in your own arguments!
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
I think this soda thing is
Submitted by balboa on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 2:56pm.
I think this soda thing is stupid. So all that will happen is people buy two sodas instead of one, and the next thing you know, there will be too many plastic cups in the world, and then we'll have a cup ban, until it's Chris Rock saying, "F(*& the cup, just pour it in my hands."
Portion control, it doesn't work.
Submitted by CobraMan on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 3:17pm.
Bloomberg, and the rest of the idiots, think that portion control will alleviate obesity, even though it's never worked in the history of mankind, not when there's an almost infinite supply of food available to anyone at any time..
The Army tried this in the 80's as a means to control obesity. It failed miserably. You can't control the portion size for everyone, everywhere, every time. Sure, we were limited at the chow hall as to how much we could eat at any given time, but that "control" disappeared the moment people walked into the post exchange and bought themselves a candy bar, or a bag of Doritos, or a dozen donuts, or when the "roach coach" showed up and people stood in line for those two burritos we chowed down a few hours after breakfast, and after lunch. Never mind the pizzas that would be delivered to you any time you wanted them.
If this keeps happening, if more and more municipalities keep adopting this type of control, we all know where it will eventually lead: direct, government controlled, individual food rationing, for "our own good," of course, for that is the only way this type of approch will EVER work.
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
And yet....
Submitted by c5then on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 3:06pm.
The same person who is incapable of making a sound and reasoned decision about a 16oz drink or a 32oz drink to have wih their Big Mac and fries, can walk next door and by a carton of cigarettes to give themselves and the people sitting next to them cancer.
Isn't that just SPECIAL!
Bloomburg and Frum et al are such hypocrits! It is positively breath taking
Madison and Jefferson and Franklin built a Republic - Roberts killed it!
worse
Submitted by LionKing on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 4:15pm.
Worse than that ... many of these people VOTE!
Logic 101
Submitted by Model850 on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 3:07pm.
Proposition: Human beings are childish animals who need to be restrained by bureaucrats like Michael Bloomberg.
Q. E. D.
...do it David, stop the charade!
Submitted by sherlock1 on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 3:09pm.
Are you kidding me? There is no sweeter gig these days than being a tame conservative for the liberal media. All you have to do is claim that the best form of conservatism is liberalism - and you get lots of attention and invitations, with no worry about your ideas having to make senese or being able to articulate them well. You are welcomed into the MSM cone of loving silence where all you will ever get thrown are softballs, and all you will ever hear is praise and applause every time you roll your eyes and say "Sarah Palin".
What An Idiot ...
Submitted by Travalot on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 3:38pm.
... Bloomberg is. Has he never heard of free refills?
Here's a question for Blooming Idiot: What's the difference between Communism and Fascism?
Here's the answer since he'll never figure it out: Under Communism, you can't own a business (or any property for that matter); under Fascism, you can own a business but the government runs it.
The people of NY are smart enough to figure that out. So get rid of Bloomers and elect someone who respects and trusts you enough to make your own decisions.
The government (at any level) should NEVER be in the business of protecting us from ourselves.
Wait 'til you check this out
Submitted by CO2Maker on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 3:41pm.
So, while Bloomnanny is making you buy two 16-oz plastic cups instead of one 32-oz plastic cup of SuperDuper Cola (same sugar content, now with more plastic!), across the Hudson in New Jersey, they're doing this:
http://snipurl.com/23szooa
Did Chris Christie just miss this? Or is he gonna come down hard on this stupid new regulation?
So he's saying
Submitted by CO2Maker on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 5:18pm.
Bloomnanny took a visionary position vis-à-vis a Big Wet Slurp?
The more time goes on.....
Submitted by djwolf12 on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 6:43pm.
David Frum is starting to resemble Edward G. Robinson from Little Caesar.
Before or after he was shot to...
Submitted by jawebster1 on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 7:27pm.
death?
David Frum or Edward G. Robinson
Submitted by djwolf12 on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 7:41pm.
I'd say when he was drinking the booze "he didn't drink" in the flophouse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gY04-588yZY
David Frum is no Conservative. All you have to do is...
Submitted by jawebster1 on Mon, 06/04/2012 - 7:26pm.
look at him. He looks like a typical Liberal.
Once you look at him and think that he looks like a typical Liberal, he opens his mouth and removes all doubt.