John Stossel Tonight on Interesting Points "You Can't Even Talk About"

While I've always been amused by the self-reflexive paradox of speaking about the unspeakable on major media, tonight's John Stossel special on ABC hits some very interesting points.

From pregnancy discrimination laws to doing less for senior citizens, from farming endangered animals to letting athletes do steroids, John Stossel brings us his take on tough subjects in an hour-long report, "You Can't Even Talk About It," airing on "20/20," FRIDAY, MAY 8 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. Reports include:

America Needs to Do Less for Its Senior Citizens: Stossel reports when Medicare was created, senior citizens did not live as long, and medicine offered fewer wonderful but expensive treatments. Now Medicare is headed towards bankruptcy. Government has promised seniors $34 trillion dollars more than it has funded. It amounts to generational theft…today the average Medicare beneficiary collects two to three times more than they paid in. Why do even wealthy seniors feel entitled to have taxpayer-subsidized access to state of the art medical care?…..

The Best Way to Save Many Endangered Species Is to Eat Them: International bans on the trade of rare animal parts….have been about as successful as the international war on drugs. Wild tigers and many of the world's most prized species are disappearing. Why? Because wherever there is a demand strong enough, market forces overwhelm law enforcement….Allowing private owners to sell animals for food or tourism saved the Rhino and the elephant in Africa, and the bison in America. Stossel says it could work for other endangered species too, if environmental groups would drop their resistance.

Rescuing Risk Takers: Thrill-seekers hoping to surf the most difficult ocean wave, to bushwhack through treacherous back-country terrain or to catch the biggest ice-water fish sometimes take unnecessary risks, disregarding weather forecasts or warning signs. If they need to be rescued, let's bill them for the cost of the rescue, says Stossel. New Hampshire does that. Stossel confronts the rescued, who say "no," tax dollars should pay.

Sounds like Friday night fun at ABC for curmudgeons and the counterintuitive.

John Stossel sometimes writes for Reason magazine. Reason.tv interviewed Stossel recently:

Comments

[Nick]

If no one wants to eat apex predators like polar bears and tigers, does that mean they should be allowed to go extinct? I'm not saying yes or no, just asking, because rhinos, elephants, and buffalo are the type of animals people eat, so...

[High Every Body]

Allowing private owners to sell animals for food or tourism saved the Rhino and the elephant in Africa, and the bison in America.

I had no idea that when we went on those bison shootin' train tours that we were saving them, but I am glad to do my part!

[High Every Body]

If no one wants to eat apex predators like polar bears and tigers, does that mean they should be allowed to go extinct?

Everybody is not as picky an eater as you.

[Episiarch]

I want to eat apex predators. I love the idea of eating something that would eat me if it could. Take that, Simba, you fuck.

[jj]

The ability to eat an animal is not the only thing that gives it value. If I was wealthier I'd own and care for rare animals the way I currently own exotic plants.

[High Every Body]

I want to eat apex predators. I love the idea of eating something that would eat me if it could.

Same way I feel about hunting. Deer? BAH! I want Polar Bear.

Almost missed the extra win on that one. Good thing I use preview sometines.

Extra win: I am hunting Polar Bears with my anti-green large carbon footprint lifestyle!

[Warty]

Toki Wartooth: [the band is watching the yard wolves devour Twinkletits] Look. The wol-ev-es eat him.
Skwisgaar Skwigelf: Yes, Toki. And his body will nourish the wolves.
Toki Wartooth: I believe the cycle of learning... is complete.
Skwisgaar Skwigelf: Indeeds. Alls of us should learns a lesson.
Pickles the Drummer: Yeah. And what lesson might that be?
Skwisgaar Skwigelf: [short pause] I has no idea. But it's pretty metal that he's being eaten. Look at that right there.

[Xanthippas]

The Best Way to Save Many Endangered Species Is to Eat Them: International bans on the trade of rare animal parts....have been about as successful as the international war on drugs. Wild tigers and many of the world's most prized species are disappearing. Why? Because wherever there is a demand strong enough, market forces overwhelm law enforcement....Allowing private owners to sell animals for food or tourism saved the Rhino and the elephant in Africa, and the bison in America. Stossel says it could work for other endangered species too, if environmental groups would drop their resistance.

This is a fine argument if you're only concern is whether or not the animals actually exist, and you have no qualms about how they are treated, or that their only purpose is to give Chinese men something to huff to make their penises longer or American men something else to shoot.

[Fascitis Necrotizante]

My plan for body disposal after I peace out is to have my body fed to a tiger (if it'll have me) or a great white shark (fuckers'll eat anything chummed up).

Then when the tiger dies, my heirs'll have to give it a jazz funeral and build it a mausoleum if they want any dough.

[Fascitis Necrotizante]

Jonathan Adler at Volokh has written a number of articles about how the Endangered Species Act helps create perverse incentives to kill endangered animals and destroy their habitat.

[Morgan]

I don't know how the risk-takers get away with taxes for their rescue at all. They shouldn't even be able to do what they do if I have to pay for their healthcare, much less their rescue.

I get a thrill out of driving with no seatbelt, and nobody seems to care about my traffic tickets.

[catMoses]

You don't eat the predators, you hunt them. Pay the fartmer thousands of dollar and he will drive a tiger past your tree stand for you to shoot.

[Episiarch]

You don't eat the predators, you hunt them.

You can do both. Ever had bear? Tastes like pork. Yummy.

[John]

Lifting the ban on the trade of animal parts will only work if you also get the countries where these animals live to let people own them for profit. If you don't let people own the elefants, but also allow the trade in ivory, you end up with poachers killing everything. You need both things to save the animal.

[John]

"You can do both. Ever had bear? Tastes like pork. Yummy."

I just can't bring myself to eat a protean eater much less one that eats carion. Eating a bear is like eating a vulture or a crow.

[Solanum]

Ever had bear? Tastes like pork. Yummy.

NutraSweet, where are you? Hellllooo? You can't possibly let this one slide.

[Xeones]

Eating a bear is like eating a vulture or a crow.

Not necessarily. They eat a lot of fruit and berries, too -- primarily, in some cases.

I'd imagine that polar bears would taste kind of fishy, though.

[John]

Hillbillies who can only afford small caliber weapons eat coon and opossum. Hillbillies that can afford large caliber weapons eat bear. I guess Episarch is one of those rich hillbillies who can afford a fancy pickup, four wheeler and .306 rifle.

[swillfredo pareto]

Why do even wealthy seniors feel entitled to have taxpayer-subsidized access to state of the art medical care?.....

Because they've had a whole bunch of money taken from them against their will and they want some of it back. Enough already with the trope about people collecting more than they put in. When somebody has my money for 45 years I expect a little interest. In the case of the Federal Government I expect a little interest.

[SugarFree]

I've never had bear. I would but I've never had the chance. Bears are omnivores, so it makes sense they would taste like pork, the only other omnivore we eat regularly.

[Episiarch]

I'd imagine that polar bears would taste kind of fishy, though.

If you eat polar bear liver it will literally kill you because of Vitamin A toxicity.

I guess Episarch is one of those rich hillbillies who can afford a fancy pickup, four wheeler and .306 rifle.

I only kill bears on exclusive hunting preserves, John. Illegal hunting preserves. And it's not actually bear, it's that other omnivore that tastes like pig. You know, the most dangerous game. Yummy.

[ChiSailor]

mmmm.....Longpig. Recommend cooking on a spit over hickory.

[Pro Libertate]

I've been silently watching this thread, waiting for Episiarch to climb to the top of the predator chain and confess his taste for long pork.

Lots of wilderness around Seattle. Lots of isolated people. Coincidence?

[Episiarch]

Lots of homeless people in Seattle, ProL, and gunshots are not uncommon. Why drive? There might be traffic.

[Pro Libertate]

True.

Remind me not to visit Seattle.

[Nick]

Seattle has ManBearPig? It explains so much.

[Pro Libertate]

So, Episiarch, are you a dietary cannibal, or do you just do it as a domination ritual over your enemies?

Anthropologists want to know, because there are many who deny that there has ever been a culture with dietary cannibalism. Not that one guy makes a culture, of course.

[JB]

Good thing I use preview sometines.

hehe

We should farm whales for eating. They taste real good. It's like steak, but even better!

Almost had bear once, but I went for the elk instead. Puffin is pretty good...I had that as an appetizer before the whale.

[Brendan Perez]

And it's not actually bear, it's that other omnivore that tastes like pig. You know, the most dangerous game. Yummy.

Fava beans, nice chianti. We get the picture.

[MayorOmalleySuxs]

I just can't bring myself to eat a protean eater much less one that eats carion. Eating a bear is like eating a vulture or a crow.

But I'll bet you'll eat fish.

[sage]

Pay the fartmer thousands of dollar and he will drive a tiger past your tree stand for you to shoot.

Hell, I could be a fartmer. I just didn't know you could harvest them.

[Episiarch]

So, Episiarch, are you a dietary cannibal, or do you just do it as a domination ritual over your enemies?

Why can't it be both?

[MNG]

Two very sensible things posted upthread:

"This is a fine argument if you're only concern is whether or not the animals actually exist, and you have no qualms about how they are treated, or that their only purpose is to give Chinese men something to huff to make their penises longer or American men something else to shoot."

"Because they've had a whole bunch of money taken from them against their will and they want some of it back. Enough already with the trope about people collecting more than they put in. When somebody has my money for 45 years I expect a little interest."

[bongburner]

I was aboard a charter flight over the Andes once, when the plane crashed. We (well some of us) survived on the long pig for weeks until rescued.

[Marc]

Here are some other things posted upthread:

"Lots of wilderness around Seattle."
"coon and opossum"
"they've"
"my"

For other things posted upthread, scroll upwards.

[Marc]

I just can't bring myself to eat a protean eater

Who'd want to eat an amoeba on purpose?

[Justen]

"Because they've had a whole bunch of money taken from them against their will and they want some of it back. Enough already with the trope about people collecting more than they put in. When somebody has my money for 45 years I expect a little interest."

Fuck 'em. They had the right and responsibility to recognize this scheme for what it was their whole lives and they didn't do anything to stop it. Their intellectual laziness and disinterest in the future they were plunging their children into got us here. There is no money because they elected officials who squandered it, and now they want to steal from us to compensate for their mistakes. Fuck 'em. Get children, get savings, or get a headstone.

[Fluffy]

Because they've had a whole bunch of money taken from them against their will and they want some of it back. Enough already with the trope about people collecting more than they put in. When somebody has my money for 45 years I expect a little interest.

This is a morally corrupt argument.

Basically you're saying that it's OK for a millionaire to support the continued taxation of people making minimum wage in order to pay for his health care because he had to pay the same unjust taxes in the past.

As far as I am concerned, as offensive as the Ponzi scheme nature of Social Security is, and as offensive as the generational transfer is, and as offensive as the moral collectivism that supports this type of program in the first place is, all of those are trumped 1000 times over by the offensiveness of the fact that in many cases the recipients are wealthy and the people being taxed are the working poor. If welfare from the rich to the poor is bad, how much worse is the reverse

And I'm not surprised that MNG is standing up for it. Leftists tend to cynically support this type of argument, but when they talk amongst themselves they admit that the reason they want rich people to get Social Security and Medicare is because a "universal" program is less likely to be cut in the future. So in other words, they quite literally support welfare payments to millionaires now, in order to gain tactical advantage in a political debate we may have later. Disgusting.

[Justen]

Hear hear Fluffy.

Also, I appreciate that Stossel is doing this libertarian stuff in the mainstream media, and that because it's tuned to the 9-year-old mind it actually might get through to some people, but the fact that his big goofy mustache obscures his upper lip somehow makes him hard to take seriously. It actually muffles his voice a tiny bit, adds that odd mustachioed lispy gravel that is normally reserved for slightly drunk old men.

Seriously dude, trim that thing a bit, eh? The last show I kept losing attention to your voice in favor of watching that caterpillar-like creature ripple below your nose. 🙂

[Dee]

Justen and Fluffy hit the old people issue right on the head. That whole we paid in arguement isn't going to mean shit when I go to make it in 25 years from now when there is no pot left to piss in.

What the old people don't get is that they also paid less overall in taxes then we are forced to now which allowed many of them to get the large retirements saved up they enjoy now. Meanwhile we are left less and less and told we really need to save for our future. Well guess the fuck what old people we have no future as we are paying for YOUR PRESENT existence.

I used to blame the old people for the same thing thinking logically that they allowed all this to happen and now want their freebies they have been promised for their votes all these years. They should have seen it for what it was but I think they were mislead as we are being mislead today. It is easy to blame the old folks for who they elected but then when I think about it by the time it comes to the voting booth I only have 2 choices as well and neither one is worth a fuck. So I imagine they had the same issues voting before I voted as well.

[Old Bull Lee]

As far as that whole "paid in" thing, if I can cancel my payments and future obligations to SS and Medicare right now and maybe get a small refund check, I'll gladly waive my future benefits. Even without a refund, I could conservatively invest what I would be paying from now on and still and come out ahead.

I'm not saying current elderly parasites had that option, just that the "we paid in" argument doesn't hold up.

[Spotted Toad]

Elderly people should be frog-prepped.