Farther From Free

Every so often, two seemingly unrelated news stories have a very ironic connection. Today is one of those examples. This morning's news brought the story of the city of Belmont, California, banning all smoking except in detached, private dwellings. I have never smoked a cigarette in my life and have no intentions to ever do so. I am also well aware of the dangers to which smokers expose themselves as well as those who must inhale secondhand smoke. Having said all that, I still oppose such laws.

There are places, namely government buildings and other "monopoly" places, that non-smokers have no ability to avoid. In those cases, anti-smoking laws are fair and make sense. There should also be restrictions on people subjecting those who cannot decide for themselves, like children, to the dangers of smoke. On the other hand, property owners should have the right to decide whether to allow smoking in their property and then let the people decide whether to frequent such establishments.

Imagine two restaurants next door to each other. They are very similar except for one thing. One allows smoking and the other does not. People can choose at which restaurant to dine. If enough people frequent the "smoking" restaurant and are willing to assume the risk, so be it. It's not the government's place to be the people's nanny.

That story contrasts sharply with this morning's passing of Milton Friedman in San Francisco, which is only around twenty miles from Belmont. Friedman won the Nobel Prize in economics. He was a longtime and outspoken champion of the free market. He professed that the more limits on government interventions on society, within reason, the more that society would thrive. Below is a video in which Friedman, using a number 2 pencil as his only prop, explains in a simple and entertaining yet powerful way how important is the free market to our everyday lives.