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France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

bbc.com

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Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#71

Post by nkrisc »

Jdam wrote: post #14

Is it just me who's thinking that individuals in modern societies are not capable anymore of making meaningful decisions, including how much to drink? We're sacrificing freedom here because we became incapable. That scares me.

It's not that people are incapable, it's that they're being given ever increasing and complex decisions to make in their daily life without being given the education to support it. Some people do receive such an education or are aware enough of the knowledge to seek it themselves but that's not the case for everyone.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#72

Post by drdaeman »

krastanov wrote: post #12
andrewclunn wrote: post #3

Free refills? How dare you! That stomach doesn't belong to the consumer, it's merely being rented from the state!

You are making an argument based on taking this to an extreme. But take it to the other extreme: is it governmental overreach that heroin is banned or is it a good public health policy? The merits of this new French law can be argued, but it is not an obvious overreach.

I believe your comparison isn't correct. Or, at least, is a bad example.

Certain substances are banned not (just) because they're harmful but because its addicts way too frequently tend to exhibit certain behaviors that are harmful to others.

Don't think it's any common to hear about a soda, coffee or chocolate addict incurring violence on drug-fueled rampage, or stealing to get another dose.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#75

Post by MarcusBrutus »

realusername wrote: post #55
MarcusBrutus wrote: post #54

The depths of socialist / collectivist depravity that the French are willing to descend to are mind-staggering. And to think that, from time to time, one sees in HN some random joke of a post portraying France as a plausible startup location. Quelle décadence!

socialist = banning unlimited soda refills ? seriously ?

If a business is willing to offer me free soda refills and I freely choose to patronize thar business, then it takes a hardcore Stalinist to dare stand between us two and prevent by the force of guns this peacefull, voluntary exchange. Does one really need to explain that in the 21st century?

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#76

Post by zeroer »

canadian_voter wrote: post #24

I'd rather live in a country that provides comprehensive free health care and limits soda consumption, than one that allows me the "freedom" to consume as much sugar as possible and makes me pay for the consequences. I must be a radical hippie leftist: I think we should tax the sh-t out of refined sugar and subsidize organic vegetable farms.

I suppose I have to agree with you. You apparently want a nanny state and to tax me to pay for it.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#77

Post by gdulli »

Jdam wrote: post #14

Is it just me who's thinking that individuals in modern societies are not capable anymore of making meaningful decisions, including how much to drink? We're sacrificing freedom here because we became incapable. That scares me.

Why are you scared about an idea that our society has been based on throughout modern history? We live better collectively than we do alone, and living collectively requires compromises.

In a system where everyone pays for everyone else's health care, they have to act to keep that affordable and avoid widespread obesity and heart disease. This is a light touch. They're not going to make Coca Cola illegal altogether next year.

We've never had total freedom. Different countries draw the line in different places. The line gets nudged back and forth over time. I accept it because I could live on a plot of land with total freedom and the quality of my life would be significantly worse than a life without rules and without benefits.

Even though my government (the US) is currently undergoing a body horror I'd seek out another country like France with some other set of rules before I'd live in total freedom and anarchy.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#78

Post by userbinator »

canadian_voter wrote: post #24

I'd rather live in a country that provides comprehensive free health care and limits soda consumption, than one that allows me the "freedom" to consume as much sugar as possible and makes me pay for the consequences. I must be a radical hippie leftist: I think we should tax the sh-t out of refined sugar and subsidize organic vegetable farms.

I don't want to live the way the government wants me to.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#80

Post by meanduck »

> man has been proven by several dozens of studies

If so Trump can back his actions by "several dozens of studies", then its ok right ?

> If your definition of "freedom" is "doing whatever the fuck I want without any limitations no matter the consequences", then I fail to see how this is a value worth pursuing.

Individual never do right. Collective never do wrong. Hmmm.

Leave us alone. Please.

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