When I make a statement that some government program or agency should be abolished, I am often asked how certain values will be provided by the private sector. Recently, one of the most common topics of such conversations is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). How, I am asked, would we ensure that our food and pharmaceuticals are safe without the FDA?
Those asking the question typically want a detailed explanation. They want to know who will inspect food, who will test drugs, who will protect the public from tainted food and dangerous drugs. As much as I would like to provide such details, I can’t. I am neither omniscient nor prescient. But I can provide a compelling answer to those who are willing to listen.
My answer is not about details, but rather, about principles. And the guiding principle is: Free individuals, and only free individuals, create the values that humans want and need to sustain our lives. If we want to learn the details of what life would be like without the FDA, then we must free the innovators who will create those values.
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