4 Comments
User's avatar
Alex C.'s avatar

> Normal people are smarter than you think

You can find evidence on both sides of this issue. Seat belts save lives, but most people didn't wear them until mandatory seatbelt laws were passed. And the opioid epidemic involved many people using prescription drugs without medical justification (though I understand that the pharmaceutical & medical establishment bears much of the blame).

Expand full comment
Richard Sprague's avatar

I guess that's my point. If you assume people have no agency, then it's easy to think of laws that would save lives (ban chocolate cake!) But if people have agency to make their own informed decisions, then we should be more humble about mandates. I would like to be the type of person who is able to make up my own mind, regardless of Big Pharma ads or whatever the CDC or RJKjr or whoever says.

Expand full comment
Eric Jain's avatar

I'd like to make my own informed decision about how fast I can drive on the highway 😜

Expand full comment
Richard Sprague's avatar

Your agency is then competing with my agency so I guess we need

government to intervene

Expand full comment