Sweet Opportunity for Statists
I rarely drink sugared soda pop, and I always dilute fruit juice extensively before drinking. Nevertheless, I shake my head in wonder when I hear the social busy bodies pushing for a tax on sugary drinks to prevent obesity. These people are so predictable. Not only do they routinely come to the wrong conclusion when confronted with a problem, but they always think it can be solved by taxing someone!
The obesity "epidemic" is not the result of increasing caloric intake. Although data is sketchy, it is clear that if anything average daily caloric consumption decreased during the 20th century as our waist lines expanded. What actually changed was a dramatic nose dive in physical activity. That is the extremely efficient avoidance of strenuous exertions in every aspect of our lives. This is not surprising since we are programmed to take the easiest path available to accomplish any given task. We don't even realize what we are doing most of the time. We drive circles around the parking lot to find the closest spot, or plop down in the recliner the minute we return home from our 8 hour desk jobs, almost unconsciously. Periods of idleness may have been a survival benefit for our ancestors who needed to recover at every opportunity from their struggle to exist (hence the Command of the Sabbath), but it is wreaking havoc on our soft 21st century bodies. Indeed, it takes a purposeful and persistent effort to circumvent our natural inclinations.
So why do the political and "intellectual" classes bother themselves with food taxes? Because, that's what tyrants do. They are hard-wired to exploit any perceived or actual crisis and turn it into a power grab. Therefore, like our battle to avoid physical indolence we also need to maintain an eternal vigilance against creeping socialism that is relentlessly eroding our remaining liberties.
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