Sun-Fried Ban

We missed the NY Sun editorial this morning on the proposed Trans fat ban. In particular, we appreciated the way in which the paper came to the defense of local ethnic eateries and, "the so-called ethnic foods that make the city the culinary capitol of America." We also would agree with the Sun's description of the "out-of-control" Board of Health.

Kudos to the Sun for actually caring about the preservation of a health business climate and not just an intrusive public health agenda. As the paper strongly points out, "It is foolish to think that by bankrupting small eateries and depriving customers of choice in the name of banning a single substance, the government can improve the American diet. The only result is going to be a dearth of local restaurants..."

And while we're at it will someone tell us by what right some of these advocacy groups get to call themselves "public interest" organizations. This is what the social scientist might call a reified concept: a notion that there is a public interest set apart from the interplay of actual interests-and that there are a few "wise" ones who are better able than us mortals to discern just where this public interest lies.

By the way, in thirty years of observing public interest groups we've yet to see any of them actually support a policy that benefited a business. Which is strange considering the fact that it is precisely the incredible achievements of American business that provides us most of the benefits that we enjoy today. The public interest solons, however, are virulently anti-business and, if left to their own devices, would cripple the private sector with disastrous results.