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Originally Posted by analog
Was it "the government making a choice for us" when they forced all asbestos to be removed and replaced in buildings, when it was found out to be so harmful? I guess business owners should have been given the right to choose to replace it or not- after all, we all can choose to go there or not, right?
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Absolutely right. I'm serious. I liken it to something I remember another poster saying a while back about the FDA: "If someone tries to sell snake oil, the FDA's only role should be to make sure it's 100% snake oil." What argument can you make against "we can choose to go there or not" anyway? Seems pretty airtight to me.
And on the other hand, I'm fine with the government mandating HUGE can't-miss-em signs indicating the prescence of asbestos/smoke/trans fat. People should certainly have the opportunity to understand fully the cost of setting foot in a particular building. You let those allergic to peanut butter know that "this may contain peanuts", you don't mandate the removal of the peanuts.
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Oh, certainly it's the government pushing us around by requiring frequent and thorough inspections of airplanes! After all, we can choose the airlines whose planes we wish to board- why should the government step in and demand things are safe and not endangering the health and lives of its citizens? Those assholes.
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Bit different there. 9/11 pretty clearly demonstrated an external cost to poor airport security.
Go ahead.
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If I breathe in your smoke, I am being forced to sacrifice my personal health because of your personal decisions.
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The hell you are. There's no force. You can leave. You don't have a right to occupy someone else's private property and you don't have a right to modify an invitation to your liking.
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This is honestly a truly asinine conversation. I can't believe people are actually trying to tell us that it's their right to fuck up other people's lungs because of their personal addiction. Un-freakin'-believable.
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Un-freakin'-believable that you keep misstating the situation. It's the smoker's right to smoke in places where the owner approves. It's the non-smoker's right to leave places where the owner approves of smoking. No one is arguing for the right "to fuck up other people's lungs".