iTunes Labeled A 'Sin' (For Tax Purposes, Of Course)
Americans are on a slippery slope. Across the nation, self-appointed "experts" are lobbying to regulate the food we eat, the clothes we wear, and the goods we buy, assuming that Americans are too stupid to choose for ourselves. The fact is that paternalistic politicians are constantly overreaching. For instance, California legislators are currently battling to tax six-packs, grocery bags, and music downloads, on top of the state's already sky-high taxes. Alluding to the "here we go again" nature of these "sin" taxes, the Los Angeles Times remarks: The idea of taxing comforts and conveniences evokes the budget crisis of 1991, when then-Gov. Pete Wilson agreed to impose a "snack tax" on Californians, raising the cost of junk food and bottled water. The constantly growing umbrella of "sinful" activities which bureaucrats self-righteously attack is evidence of a much bigger pattern: increasing government intervention in our personal choices. This happens so often, we can boil it down to a science. First, lawmakers and activist groups vilify an "undesirable" activity (like eating, drinking, even enjoying a hot dog) with wide-spread public relations campaigns. Then, they leverage the public's resulting fear or disapproval of said activity to pass increasingly draconian regulations. Food cops have already targeted fois gras, margarine, and birthday cakes at schools. Before they add any more of our favorites to their dietary blacklist, we must remind legislators that it's our choice -- not theirs.
Holy Veal!
Preachy animal activists would love to see the day when no one eats Grandma's veal parmigiana. The day when talk of veal osso bucco draws the sort of sneers reserved for filterless cigarettes and morning martinis. Fortunately for the rest of us, they'll probably never see it. No matter how loudly animal activists shout about how supposedly "cruel" and "unethical" it is to eat veal, most Americans understand that humanely raised cows are meant to be eaten. And some of the most ethically devout among us find it perfectly acceptable to eat veal. Among them are two of the most compassionate and kindly individuals on the planet: His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. They eat veal! So while the anti-veal crowd sets out on its annual Mother's Day Guilt Parade this weekend (for a creepy example, click here), we're pushing back with a little dose of reality via a brand new website: HolyVeal.com. The Pope and the Dalai Lama are leading by example. Being vegetarian is a fine choice, but so is eating veal. Why sit back while a few animal "rights" activists hijack the culinary world's moral high ground? The choice is yours: Take it from two of the holiest holy men alive.
Breaking News
Here's a sampling of other stories that have caught our interest today. To see a one-week archive of these items, click here.
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