I don’t know about you, but I don’t want the Henry Waxmans of the world telling me what to do. Mika Brzezinski does. The Morning Joe co-anchor climbed up on her Big Mommy Government soapbox again this morning. The subject was sin taxes on things like cigarettes and soda. When Dylan Ratigan proposed reducing income taxes and replacing them with sin taxes, Willie Geist made a pitch for individual freedom and responsibility. Mika shot him down, managing to insult her fellow Americans in the bargain.
DYLAN RATIGAN: How about if we just cut income tax and allow — stop taxing things I want more of, businesses and jobs, and start taxing things I want less of, soda pop, smoking and all the rest of it.
WILLIE GEIST: Or, we could let adults determine their own behavior. If they want to drink soda pop, they pay [Ed.: presumably not with taxes, but in the long run with poorer health].
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: No. We’re a bunch of pigs. We need some guidelines.
I sincerely wonder, as a matter of fundamental American philosophy, how Mika justifies her call for maternalistic government. I read “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” as leaving it up to each of us to pursue happiness as we define it–not to have politicians take our money and our freedom until we have, quite literally, eaten our vegetables.
7 Comments
Mika just needs to speak for herself. I have no problem with her calling herself a pig.
Ouch!
Honestly, I really wonder whether Mika has a theory of government that justifies this kind of government intervention in our lives?
Mark
PS: nice to see you hear, CB!
As a libertarian, I strenuously object to social engineering of any kind, and particularly when said manipulation (and that is exactly what this is) is carried our by government.
The main role of government should be to see that my rights are protected, not to use tax policy, or some other means, to either prevent me from doing what I wish (as long as it does not interfere with the life, liberty or property of others) or trying to coerce me into doing that which I might not chose to do myself.
Last time I checked, I own me, not the government.
-Dave
LOL-And no, I cannot seem to spell today.
-Dave
I’m off to work very early each day, so I never watch these insidious, morning faux, news shows. Their not even subtle about it anymore. Any perceived societal problem is ripe for a governmental solution, in their minds. Tax ‘em till the stop smoking, or drinking soda, or eating twinkies.. where’s it going to stop?
They are only for it if they get to be excluded. More of “do as I say not as I do”.
WILLIE GEIST: Or, we could let adults determine their own behavior.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: No.
Good grief: these people insult there listeners/viewers all day long. Who would sit in front of a tv and listen to some jerk tell them they cant be trusted.
Just because they act like children and have no self control, why do they think that would qualify them to tell anyone else what is best?
Mika really needs to speak for herself when she says “WE” are a bunch of pigs.
This whole segment was infuriating to even listen to.
For someone to say “we need more guidelines” isn’t capable of taking care of themselves, let alone other family members without the aide of the government.
Leftist nut-cases like Milka do not even see the forest for the trees, well, wait a second some do, this is their very agenda, more govt. control over our very freedoms….and we are sliding there fast.
Past maddening.
Willie Geist is the only one on the set that has sanity.