PrintJune 20, 2012
The New York Times' Broccoli Obsession
Last week, the New York Times ran a sarcastic 2,300-word front-page article denouncing the use of broccoli to illustrate why the ObamaCare individual mandate is unconstitutional. As the reasoning goes, if the government can force individuals to buy health insurance against their will, it can force them to buy broccoli.
Because, in a sense, the broccoli example is a reductio ad absurdum ridiculing ObamaCare's overreach, the Times disingenuously attempts to ridicule this legitimate ridicule. In so doing, the Times employs standard leftist tactics.
First, it seeks to marginalize those who oppose ObamaCare with pejorative references to major protagonists in liberal demonology. Forget that there has been substantial broad-based opposition from day one. Instead, focus on extremist "libertarian and ultraconservative" advocates of an "unorthodox theory." Lest anyone miss the point, stress contributions by the David H. Koch and Sarah Scaife...(Read Full Article)
