4 ms·

Politicians don't use facts to make laws, they use irrational fear. If they used facts, we would all have healthcare, no guns, prostitution and marijuana would

Politicians don't use facts to make laws, they use irrational fear. If they used facts, we would all have healthcare, no guns, prostitution and marijuana would be legal, but high fructose corn syrup, and diet soda would be illegal. And we certainly wouldn't have to take off our shoes to board and airplane.

ahallock 14y ago
Sarcasm? All you've done with your example is trade one set of authoritarian, capricious rules with another. How about we just stop dictating people's lives?
- derefr 14y ago
  > How about we just stop dictating people's lives? But then what would politicians do all day? Seriously, "making laws that dictate people's lives" are the things they can point to to say they're doing any job at all. They have a strong incentive to make those kinds of laws. What is needed more than anything is to remove that incentive.
  - ahallock 14y ago
    They have a huge incentive to sell their political power; it's their 'product'. I really don't have much hope for reforming the current system. It's too entrenched and has too much momentum.
- mistercow 14y ago
  Even if you don't think the government should be prohibiting dangerous substances, you must surely concede that prohibiting actually dangerous substances* is still better than prohibiting safe substances. * Leaving aside that the most common artificial sweeteners aren't actually dangerous substances
mistercow 14y ago
>but high fructose corn syrup, and diet soda would be illegal Might want to check those facts. There's very little evidence that sucralose and aspartame are in any way harmful, despite a considerable search effort spanning decades. Sugar alcohols and sweeteners like acesulfame potassium have a clean record too, excepting some digestive discomfort until you build a tolerance to them. Xylitol is actually good for you. As for HFCS, research suggests that it's only a problem because of how much of it is used. There's no good evidence that it's actually more harmful than any other simple sugar. HFCS is a problem because it's about the cheapest way to make food tastier, and eating loads of sugar is bad for you.
- darkchasma 14y ago
  Agreed, I inserted my own bias from correlative studies and imposed anecdotal observations from my friends and family. I have read some convincing rat studies, but it's absolutely too soon to say that these are facts. My apologies.

ahallock 14y ago

Sarcasm? All you've done with your example is trade one set of authoritarian, capricious rules with another. How about we just stop dictating people's lives?

derefr 14y ago
> How about we just stop dictating people's lives? But then what would politicians do all day? Seriously, "making laws that dictate people's lives" are the things they can point to to say they're doing any job at all. They have a strong incentive to make those kinds of laws. What is needed more than anything is to remove that incentive.
- ahallock 14y ago
  They have a huge incentive to sell their political power; it's their 'product'. I really don't have much hope for reforming the current system. It's too entrenched and has too much momentum.
mistercow 14y ago
Even if you don't think the government should be prohibiting dangerous substances, you must surely concede that prohibiting actually dangerous substances* is still better than prohibiting safe substances. * Leaving aside that the most common artificial sweeteners aren't actually dangerous substances

mistercow 14y ago

>but high fructose corn syrup, and diet soda would be illegal Might want to check those facts. There's very little evidence that sucralose and aspartame are in any way harmful, despite a considerable search effort spanning decades. Sugar alcohols and sweeteners like acesulfame potassium have a clean record too, excepting some digestive discomfort until you build a tolerance to them. Xylitol is actually good for you. As for HFCS, research suggests that it's only a problem because of how much of it is used. There's no good evidence that it's actually more harmful than any other simple sugar. HFCS is a problem because it's about the cheapest way to make food tastier, and eating loads of sugar is bad for you.

darkchasma 14y ago
Agreed, I inserted my own bias from correlative studies and imposed anecdotal observations from my friends and family. I have read some convincing rat studies, but it's absolutely too soon to say that these are facts. My apologies.