Support for nationalized nutrition.

[steve.foote]

Sooooo, in other words, are you saying we should tolerate some failure in a system as long as it benefits the majority of the population?

 

Absolutely. There is no system (in government or business) that does not have an occasional failure. I think that the founders of this country believed that any "system" should benefit the majority, not an elite minority.

 

Sorry, Rich, that was a shameless trap I set there.

 

But, it does go the core of my hyperbolic points that there will never be a perfect system and that our focus must always be on providing as much benefit as possible for the most people possible. Individual anecdotal examples being used as reasons for change are one of the biggest impedements to progress that we face as we evaluate the best way to deal with very large and difficult problems.

 

Simply put, there never will be a perfect system where everyone is treated equally and nobody falls through the cracks. The sooner we accept that reality, the sooner we will start moving towards effective reform.

[DavidEBSmith]

Here's your nationalized nutrition.

 

A rising rate of corpulence has so alarmed the government that starting next month everyone over age 40 will have to be tested for metabolic syndrome, an obesity-linked condition that increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

. . .

Companies will be required to cut the number of overweight workers and dependents by 10 percent as of 2012 and 25 percent by 2015. Failing to do so will result in a surcharge of as much as 10 percent on contributions to a fund for elderly care.

 

Those darn socialist . . . Japanese.