If someone has read my blog postings and my comments on others’ blogs, it is not hard to figure out that I am conservative. True conservatives are often misunderstood, and the term “conservative” is most often erroneously viewed as interchangeable with the word “Republican.”
As a conservative, I believe that, as a general rule, less government interference is better. Also, I believe, as a general rule, that government agencies should exist only if they provide a service that directly benefits the entire population and that the private sector by its nature is incapable of providing. Examples of such agencies are the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), the military, and the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
The FDA is critical for the prosperity of this nation. For instance, I can be a lot more productive if I can concentrate on my business or job because I do not have to take a substantial part of my day every day to test my food to make sure it is not poison.
I read an article in today’s Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/03/AR2009030303661.html?hpid=moreheadlines) reporting that there is a bill making its way through Congress designed to allow the FDA to take over tobacco regulation. Such legislation is long overdue. However, there is one fatal problem with the bill. Existing products are grandfathered in, making the new rules essentially irrelevant. The new rules would apply only to new products.
Understandably, the tobacco company with the largest market share, Philip Morris, supports the legislation, while the companies that hope to take Philip Morris’ market share, namely everyone else, is against the legislation. New products that could conceivably take away Philip Morris’ market share would face the more daunting regulatory hurdles, while the existing products would not. Thus, the status-quo would be solidified.
Congressional politics are keeping the FDA from properly regulating tobacco, just as Congressional politics kept the FDA from properly regulating “dietary supplements” that (in most cases) do little more than produce very expensive urine.
In politics, they say that one needs to take what one can get. “Two steps forward, one step back.”
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4 comments:
Great title for this post and nice explanation for the difference between conservative and Republican -- Images from Upton Sinclair novels come to mind with the sausage reference As for the issue of 'government interference' is one that can certainly lead to lively discussions, as the devil is in the details -- as you may realize, it was the repeal of the Glass-Stegall Act (http://www.investopedia.com/articles/03/071603.asp) in 1999 under the Clinton administration, that has led to so many of the banking issues we're facing today. So, where to interfere and who decides are the difficult questions.
While I am not entirely in-the-loop concerning the fact that the FDA will now be regulating tobacco products, I completely agree with you that the regulation is entirely necessary and long over due. From a pharmacoeconomic point of view, it makes the most sense...I'm pretty sure that this move will eventually cut down on the health care expenses (for patients and taxpayers alike) due to the long-term effects of the different types of cancers associated with tobacco use.
Linda, I agree. Both the Democrats and Republicans are disingenuous when it comes to assigning blame for the mortgage meltdown. It is not simply due to lack of government involvement (as the Democrats contend), and it is not simply due to too much government involvement (as the Republicans contend). It is fair to say that removing the walls between banking, insurance and investments played a part in creating the meltdown. (It is understandable why the Democrats conveniently omit the fact that this was done during the Clinton administration, but it is a downright disgrace that the media has not called them on it. The media IS left-wing and in Obama's pocket. There is not doubt about it.) However, government involvement in the economy helped create the meltdown by keeping interest rates unnaturally low and insisting that loans be extended to all. The devil IS in the details, and he is usually hiding where people least expect him.
I also agree with Bill that this bill regulating tobacco is long overdue and necessary. This regulation, in the long run, may help prevent more deaths due to cancer associated with tobacco, and eliminate health care costs associated with diseases related to tobacco.
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