To anyone who disagrees: how do you square this with calls for censorship on "dangerous information"?
Essentially, it seems the "average American" can no longer be trusted with rope - they're liable to hang themselves. I don't remember this as a child. I don't know what's happened to us.
See: riots, obesity epidemic, texting while driving, et al
The world is the wealthiest it's ever been. The world is more peaceful now than it's ever been. People are healthier now then they have ever been.
This pervasive myth of decline is completely refuted by all available evidence.
In short, high fructose corn syrup leads to obesity.
What would such regulations look like?
>In short, high fructose corn syrup leads to obesity.
Is HFCS a worldwide phenomenon? US isn't the only country with obesity problems. eg. kuwait, egypt, UAE, jordan
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_body_mass...
HFCS may be a uniquely US problem, but foods with it are also exported, which explains why countries like Canada sit relatively high as well.
It was a life-changing experience for me to visit EU countries, where orange Fanta contains 11% orange juice (and vaguely looks like orange juice), compared to the dark orange nearly-pure-sugar soda we drink here. Even McDonald's food was leaner, less greasy, and closer to what you'd get at a quality restaurant.
https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2019/addiction-and-unhappin...
I am really surprised by the reactions you are receiving. I think this is a very important topic of discussion to try and approach without bias.
Nowadays we have an almost uncountable number of subcultures operating independently, and many of them despise each other. I do think that many of the new subcultures in the US praise personal hedonism over any kind of collective responsibility.
As long as we allow people to worship themselves without thinking about external costs, this will probably continue.
Another factor is that technology tends to centralize control. And the people running the technology want us to be like this. Medical costs skyrocket, they make money. Smartphone use skyrockets, they make money. etc.
From an outside perspective the US looks incredibly individualistic. Even from a UK perspective, which is individualistic on a European scale. Which is itself individualistic compared to some Asian cultures.
What's happened to the ability to say "that guy's an idiot and he can go to hell his own way, I don't have to follow him down"?
I'm into personal liberty. But I do think we need to figure out this problem of antisocial behavior.
doesn't work when we basically live in a hive-mind
So, for instance, as someone who uses substantial amounts of drugs, I support extensive prosecution of drug users - not because I don't think people should be able to use drugs but because I think there is a threshold of responsibility for drug use.
People are unable to accept that this threshold exists, but absent that threshold, many will fall into the thrall of the drug-induced haze. I have tested my own abilities here, having used drugs extensively, then abstained for half a decade as a test, and then used again. But most have not. They are not as capable as I am.
Given that, and given that people will not accept a test of their abilities, there is one surefire way to enforce the threshold: make it illegal and then permit use among those capable.
This is the status quo. Walk around any tech office and point in any direction. A ray projected from your finger will likely hit someone who has used cocaine, MDMA, LSD, Shrooms, or some other Schedule I substance that is not marijuana.
First and most obvious, sometimes there are reasons that person is not only hurting themselves, like secondhand smoke indoors.
Second, as much as we are indoctrinated to believe otherwise, consumption habits are not purely individual choice. We all take conscious and unconscious shortcuts every day, and they can be exploited by marketers to get us to make poor decisions. It’s impossible (or at least very exhausting) to be a perfectly rational consumer when you have corporations that do everything in their power to get you to consume irrationally.
I’m not saying you should trust the state to make these decisions for you, just that your libertarian view leaves out a lot of nuance.
I don't think it's more irresponsibility. I think it's a much greater number of ways that you can be irresponsible.
But a long time ago, drunk driving wasn't really known to be a bad thing. And nowadays it has a pretty bad social stigma.
Underage drinking: illegal because you can drunk drive into someone else.
Underage drinking with parents at home: totally legal because you can’t affect others.
Weed: (mostly) legal, small consequences otherwise, non-addictive
Heroin: totally illegal because addiction can bring someone to harm others to get their fix.
No, there's a great moral panic around many of these things just like rock and roll.