The newest U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary Guidelines for Americans turns the iconic food pyramid upside down. It recommends that Americans eat the right amount of food, prioritize protein at every meal, consume full-fat dairy with no added sugars, eat vegetables and fruits throughout the day, incorporate healthy fats, prioritize fiber-rich whole grains, and avoid highly processed packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat, or other foods that are salty or sweet.
But the guidelines don’t just recommend what Americans should and shouldn’t eat. They also weigh in on alcoholic beverages.
The first version of the dietary guidelines, released in 1980, advised Americans that “if you drink alcohol, do so in moderation.” The previous guidelines, adopted in 1990, suggested that Americans limit their alcohol consumption to one drink a day for women and two for men. The new guidelines make two recommendations:
Consume less alcohol for better overall health.
People who should completely avoid alcohol include pregnant women, people who are recovering from alcohol use disorder or are unable to control the amount they drink, and people taking medications or with medical conditions that can interact with alcohol. For those with a family history of alcoholism, be mindful of alcohol consumption and associated addictive behaviors.
Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said that “in the best-case scenario, I don’t think you should drink alcohol.” However, he also acknowledged that “alcohol is a social lubricant that brings people together,” and “there’s probably nothing healthier than having a good time with friends in a safe way.”
The government’s dietary guidelines are not the only guidelines it issues.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also issues adult and child immunization schedules. It recommends that everyone six months or older get an annual flu shot, take preventive actions to stop the spread of germs, and take antiviral drugs if you are sick with the flu.
During the COVID era, the CDC recommended limiting the number of attendees at holiday gatherings, holding holiday events outdoors, requiring guests to wear masks when not eating or drinking, using single-serve utensils, staying at least 6 feet apart from anyone not in your household at all times, and encouraging guests to avoid singing or shouting. (A few years later, Dr. Anthony Fauci admitted that COVID guidelines had no science behind them.)
The government also issues guidelines for travel, physical health, school meals, food safety, workplace safety, and preparing for winter storms, summer heat, and hurricanes.
Whenever the government makes changes to its guidelines, there is always pushback from politicians, physicians, scientists, industry groups, and researchers.
Especially polarizing were the new alcohol guidelines. Marion Nestle, a professor at New York University and a former nutrition policy adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), “underscored that increased drinking is associated with public health issues like drunk driving and violence.” She considers the change in the guidelines to be “a huge win for the alcohol industry,” and said that “public health and the alcohol industry have conflicting objectives.” Amanda Berger, senior vice president of science and research at the Distilled Spirits Council—a lobby group representing the alcohol industry—didn’t view the new guidelines as a major change.
People are asking many questions about the new guidelines, but there is one question that only libertarians ask whenever the federal government issues new or revised guidelines: Why is the government issuing guidelines in the first place?
Liberals and conservatives have no philosophical objection to any government-issued guidelines. They generally judge the value of such guidelines by how much they line up with their own ideology or preferences. For example, liberals generally support everything negative said by the government about the effects of climate change. Conservatives generally support everything negative said by the government about marijuana or other drugs because they are incorrigible drug warriors.
The reason that only libertarians ask such questions is because they have a completely different view of government and the free market than do liberals, conservatives, Democrats, Republicans, moderates, centrists, and progressives.
Libertarian theorist Doug Casey explains the libertarian view of government, “Since government is institutionalized coercion — a very dangerous thing — it should do nothing but protect people in its bailiwick from physical coercion. What does that imply? It implies a police force to protect you from coercion within its boundaries, an army to protect you from coercion from outsiders, and a court system to allow you to adjudicate disputes without resorting to coercion.”
Libertarians believe that all services can and should be provided by the free market — not just education, health care, and charity but even the issuing of guidelines regarding nutrition, alcohol, travel, health, safety, and adverse weather conditions.
Why is it that most Americans believe that government officials and agencies are impartial, can’t be bribed, and have their best interests at heart, but that private researchers, foundations, think tanks, research institutes, industry groups, consumer protection organizations, and physicians in the private sector can’t be trusted to issue accurate guidelines? Libertarians simply believe it should be up to you to follow whatever guidelines you want to. Just leave government out of it.
Reprinted with permission from Future of Freedom Foundation.
