Michelle Minton on Your Freedom to Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: Philosophy in Action Podcast

On Wednesday's Philosophy in Action Radio, I interviewed Competitive Enterprise Institute's consumer policy expert Michelle Minton about "Your Freedom to Eat, Drink, and Be Merry." The podcast of that episode is now available for streaming or downloading. You'll find it on the episode's archive page, as well as below.

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Podcast: Michelle Minton on "Your Freedom to Eat, Drink, and Be Merry"

The government heavily regulates food and drinks commonly regarded as dangerous or unhealthy. What motivates such regulations? Why are they so widespread? How can they be fought?

Michelle Minton is the Fellow in Consumer Policy Studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. The issues she manages include food policy, FDA regulation of non-pharmaceuticals, alcohol regulation, and the online gambling industry. Her work has been published and cited by nationally respected news outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and USA Today, prominent magazines, and scholarly journals.

Listen or Download:

• Duration: 58:26
• Download: Standard MP3 File (20.1 MB)

Topics:

• The most common regulations and laws pertaining to food and drinks
• Colorado's laws about grocery versus liquor stores
• Federal versus state versus local regulations
• The true purpose of these laws and regulations
• The goal of Michelle's advocacy
• Why we have more regulations today
• Conservative "solutions"
• Bad studies and sloppy journalism: the phony case against the egg
• The accusations against Four Loko
• Future trends, including appeals to children
• The three-tier system of alcohol distribution
• Bootleggers and Baptists
• Not being in the pocket of "big business"
• Advocating for freedom in this area
• Economic versus moral arguments for freedom
• Effective arguments
• Maintaining integrity in public policy work
• Whether to support or oppose mixed proposals
• How to support Michelle's work

Links:

• Michelle Minton's work at CEI
• The Wages of Sin Taxes by Christopher Snowdon and Michelle Minton (PDF)

Tags:

• Activism, Alcohol/Drugs, Free Society, Government, Health, Integrity, Law, Nutrition, Politics, Regulation, Rights, Science

About Philosophy in Action Radio

Philosophy in Action Radio applies rational principles to the challenges of real life in live internet radio shows on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. For information on upcoming shows, visit the Episodes on Tap. For podcasts of past shows, visit the Show Archives.