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: