New at Reason

Julian Sanchez | February 11, 2005

Jacob Sullum wonders how he became a racketeer just by writing about secondhand smoke.

Comments

|2.11.05 @ 9:45AM|#

[anchorman] In other news today, the Justice Department announced it is filing a civil RICO case against Jacob Sullum, the entire staff of Reason magazine, the Reason Foundation, and the Ultimate Fitness Program... [/anchorman]

Larry A|2.11.05 @ 10:05AM|#

Reminds me of the time I was touring Romania with a cultural exchange college men's chorus. It was back in the 70s, before the Iron Curtain rusted.

We were going down a country road in our tour bus when we passed yet another camera-with-a-slash-through-it sign that meant "No Photographs." Behind the sign was an open field.

We had seen many such signs, as they were on every police station, most other government buildings, public utilities, etc. But we hadn't seen one on an empty field before.

So we asked our 20-something Communist Party guide why we couldn't take a picture of an empty field.

His answer, which he obviously considered sufficient, was, "Because the government doesn't want you to."

digamma|2.11.05 @ 10:49AM|#

Jacob writes: Given the logic of the Justice Department's case, oil companies that question global warming projections, automakers that defend the safety of their SUVs, fast food chains that say they're not responsible for increases in obesity, pharmaceutical companies that criticize research indicating possible side effects from their drugs, and any other business that stands up for itself in the face of attack could be the target of a future RICO lawsuit.

I know a lot of people who would drool over that possibility.

|2.11.05 @ 12:12PM|#

Mr. Sullum,

Step away from the computer!
Place your hands on your head!
Do not turn around!
We know who are you are, where you like and what you stand for.

You will receive instructions when and were to report for retraining.

|2.11.05 @ 1:29PM|#

Will the feds also subpoena the e-mail addresses of people who post on hit and run?

|2.11.05 @ 1:50PM|#

I knew that dastardly Sullum was up to no good.

- Josh, second-hand smoke connoisseur