Mustang Rambles

Recently the FDA has gained immense control over the tobacco industry. This control allows the FDA to rule on listing of ingredients, advertising, sales, and taxes and will probably bring the whole tobacco industry down. The impetus behind all this is the costs of medical care for smokers that far exceeds the cost of care for non-smokers. Actually, as a reformed smoker who quit twenty-four years ago, it wouldn’t bother me a bit to see the industry shut down. It is the next step that bothers me.

Logic dictates moral superiority is gained by shutting down an industry because of health concerns and health costs. Lives are being saved, and medical costs and facilities are released for other medical procedures for diseases that are not self-induced. If we follow this logic, then we must proceed to the next possible disease and combat it.

Today’s poster child for society whippings, disdain, and disregard of humanity and human dignity is
OBESITY. Airlines are starting to sell second seats to the really obese. Food establishments are having to list calories for certain foods. It won’t be long before the FDA is called in to control the amount of calories, cholesterol, vitamins, and minerals you will be required to eat. In order to do this, it may be necessary to close down certain unhealthy venues of food, such as all fast-food restaurants, Italian restaurants, Pizzarias, and Sushi Bars. Country-style restaurants would have to go too if they failed to curtailed their fried food, biscuits and gravy, and their great cobblers and pies.

Citizens will be obliged by street weighers to weight and to pay fines if overweight. Overweight will not be allowed on public transportation without paying a “weight levy”. They may not be allowed in public theaters because they may “overflow” their allotted seating. Along with the “You Must Be This Tall” sign at amusement parks, there will be a scale stating “You Must Not Weigh More Than..”.

Once this is accomplished, logic would dictate there will be other things that need control. People who stutter won’t be granted public speaking venues and will be kept from the performing arts. Other handicaps will be denied access because of dangers of accidents and lawsuits. Breweries and distilleries will be shut down like the tobacco plants because of the wholesale slaughter of brain cells they cause.

The list of liberties denied just goes on and on as Big Brother cares for all its’ citizens in the most benevolent way.