Sonic Youth Gossip - View Single Post - attn. libertarians-- answer this one

nature scene · 04.23.2007, 05:09 PM

I'm more moderate in my libertarianism than the nutcases, but i'll give this one a go:

The very existence of the Food and Drug Administration has the unintended consequence of lulling people into a false sense of security about the safety of the food they eat and the drugs they take. Government failure is just as, if not more, widespread than market failure, so why should we trust the FDA?

The FDA claims to be underfunded and unable to carry out it's mission. Yet recent years' examples of the FDA in action include regulating a laser light show in Las Vegas (laser count as medical devices, even when used for entertainment), attempting to block home drug testing by parents for fears that it would cause "family discord," and most importantly it holds back medications that may be able to save people's lives now.

The incentive structure is wrong for the FDA, if they approve something and one person dies they get the blame, but if they don't approve a drug and hundreds of people die because that drug could have saved their lives, no one notices.

Instead of relying of the FDAs regulatory power, why can't the FDA act as an "information clearinghouse" of public information concerning the effects and possible concerns associated with the food and drugs people ingest. Better yet, why not leave information distribution totally to private watchdog organizations?

Do I totally agree with this? NO. I see where the hardcore libertarian argument is coming from, but that's the thing -- it's the extreme view. Now I suppose some people see libertarianism itself as extreme, but I think that there are degrees of it just as there are degrees of conservatism or liberalism. Very few people's political views fit the mold perfectly.

I do think that the FDA could be improved. If it was unable to do its job because of funding problems that's one thing, but the FDAs track record indicates that it could use some help in the accountability department. In fact, accountability is key. People might not despise the government so much if they could actually hold it responsible for the things it does.

04.23.2007, 05:09 PM	#5
nature scene 100% Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: da souf Posts: 671	I'm more moderate in my libertarianism than the nutcases, but i'll give this one a go: The very existence of the Food and Drug Administration has the unintended consequence of lulling people into a false sense of security about the safety of the food they eat and the drugs they take. Government failure is just as, if not more, widespread than market failure, so why should we trust the FDA? The FDA claims to be underfunded and unable to carry out it's mission. Yet recent years' examples of the FDA in action include regulating a laser light show in Las Vegas (laser count as medical devices, even when used for entertainment), attempting to block home drug testing by parents for fears that it would cause "family discord," and most importantly it holds back medications that may be able to save people's lives now. The incentive structure is wrong for the FDA, if they approve something and one person dies they get the blame, but if they don't approve a drug and hundreds of people die because that drug could have saved their lives, no one notices. Instead of relying of the FDAs regulatory power, why can't the FDA act as an "information clearinghouse" of public information concerning the effects and possible concerns associated with the food and drugs people ingest. Better yet, why not leave information distribution totally to private watchdog organizations? Do I totally agree with this? NO. I see where the hardcore libertarian argument is coming from, but that's the thing -- it's the extreme view. Now I suppose some people see libertarianism itself as extreme, but I think that there are degrees of it just as there are degrees of conservatism or liberalism. Very few people's political views fit the mold perfectly. I do think that the FDA could be improved. If it was unable to do its job because of funding problems that's one thing, but the FDAs track record indicates that it could use some help in the accountability department. In fact, accountability is key. People might not despise the government so much if they could actually hold it responsible for the things it does.
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