[net.politics.theory] Tim Maroney on Consumer Protection

ark@alice.UUCP (Andrew Koenig) (02/22/85)

Tim compares "consumer protection" laws and regulations to
laws against theft and murder.  He says:

	"There is no ethical difference between poking
	a gun in someone's ribs and taking their money,
	and deceiving them about the nature of their
	own actions, for personal profit."

Here we agree.  Fraud, in all its forms, should be illegal.
However, the term "consumer protection" today encompasses
a field much wider than mere fraud.  It includes a wide range
of laws and regulations that place limits on the sorts of
contracts that can be made between consenting adults.  Examples:

	It is now impossible to buy a lawn mower that is
	not gimmicked so that the blade stops turning as
	soon as you let go of the handle.  Thus you must
	either restart the thing every time you let go,
	or pay extra for a clutch.  I am not allowed to
	decide that I want to take the responsibility
	on my own shoulders.

	In New York State (this may be a Federal law; I don't
	know), if you buy something from a door-to-door
	salesman, it must be possible for you to cancel the
	deal within three days.  This, of course, adds to
	sellers' costs, which in turn adds to buyers' costs.
	The losers are the ones who are sure they know
	what they want, who must subsidize those who are not sure.

	And, of course, there are the continuing efforts of the
	Federal government to force air bags into all our cars,
	despite overwhelming evidence that the buyers don't
	want them!

"Consumer protection" is just a thinly disguised euphemism
for creeping fascism.