May I Push In Your Stool?

New at Reason: I always thought "liquid candy" was code for Rob Roys you sneak during lunch break. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, it's the true name of sodapop. In our July cover story, Jacob Sullum explores how the food cops use daffy definitions, calorie hysteria and the primal terror of "loose stools" to promote a 21st century hairshirt mentality.

Comments

[T. Hartin]

A "hair shirt" is an undershirt, worn against the skin, made of horsehair. Extremely unpleasant to wear, especially if, as a good ascetic, you pass on regular bathing, which allows your hairshirt to become a regular petting zoo of microfauna. They were traditionally worn by super-hardcore ascetics as a way of affirming the evilness of the flesh and of pleasure.

[Russ D]

Other Russ:

From now on I'll use my last initial (when I remember) to avoid stepping on you. I hate when I see something and go "Did I write that?"

[Eric Hanneken]

Those interested in a (short) book-length treatment of CSPI and other food-ascetics may want to check out The Food & Drink Police, by James T. Bennett and Thomas J. Dilorenzo. It's been a while since I've read it, but I remember it was amusing.

[albo]

Either my mind has been warped by the Internet or that's some naughty headline you chose...

[Tim Stich]

Yeah, Tim. Had you just watched "Training Day" when you wrote that headline?

[Croesus]

Sir Thomas More wore a hairshirt; and he wasn't all that bad of guy. 🙂

[Ralph]

The ultimate goal of the CSPI, the other Ralph Nader organizations, other anti-technology luddites, and the anti-globalization people, is pretty simple to understand. They want to "devolve" western civilization to a "more natural" state, which does not include a lot of activities that most people in western society have become accustomed to. They are trying to level the living standard of the entire world, by cutting off the "top", and bringing everyone down to the level of the third-world, which is, according to them, "better" for the environment, as well as for _all_ of the people in the world.

They are not going to stop, or go away, until they make an impact that causes most of the people in western society to recognize what they are doing, and react - probably quite harshly. Unfortunately, the impact will likely take the form of having a very large number of people die, in a very unpleasant way. Until then, life will just get harder, and more unpleasant, and more expensive. We will continue to pander to the sensitivites of worriers with high soap-boxes, by (1) studying issues to death (the precautionary principle), (2) stifling the ability of western society to produce energy and technology, and (3) using litigation of every perceived fear/injury/bad personal choice to tie the society in knots.

I know this sounds like a "sky-is-falling" argument, but when you look at how these organizations share info, and coordinate their efforts, it seems clear that their ultimate goal is nothing less that the destruction of western civilization. They are very good at putting out their message, and they ARE having an effect.

[Tom]

Ralph,

Makes you wonder who's more dangerous in the long-term, Islamist terrorists or CSPI.

We could nip these fuckers on the vine if only the news media would quite giving any credibility to their claims via print and broadcast reports. The whole Olestra situation would probably never have happened had not every media outlet carried stories about the potential for leaking assholes.

I want to see a new bumper sticker; "You can have my cheese fries with ranch dressing when you pry then from my cold, dead, blue-because-I-had-a-stroke fingertips and lips".

These people are the most valid argument for retrograde abortion I've ever encountered.

[Jeff Smith]

OK ... what's a "Rob Roy"?

Feeling very old ...

Jeff

[Russ]

I always like hairshirt references. And Thomas More was the basis of my confirmation name. And now I learn something else about him. This place is great!

[Eric Hanneken]

A Rob Roy is an alcoholic beverage.

[The Other Russ]

OK... what's a "hairshirt"?

Feeling very young...

Russ