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John Stossel Gives Up His Golf Cart for More Serf-Like Ball and Chain

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by Frances Martel | 4:57 pm, February 10th, 2010

» 11 comments

John Stossel has really embraced the Fox culture since moving from ABC News onto Fox Business. So far, we’ve seen him join Bill O’Reilly‘s War on Christmas bandwagon, adopt a Glenn Beck-esque “green phone” (for Al Gore, of course), and drive around the News Corp building in a government-subsidized golf cart, visiting his buddies’ programs on Fox News when he’s not on Fox Business to tell them all the immoral free stuff they can get from the government, and why they shouldn’t. The golf cart made another appearance last night on The O’Reilly Factor, but rather than being a simple goofy representation of the perils of over-sized government, it represented something much more sinister.

“We will all be working for the government. We’ll all have some form of chain around us,” Stossel told O’Reilly. He then proceeded to wrap a complete ball and chain set around himself and declare that America is “on the road to serfdom” (which is also the name of a special on his Fox Business program airing this Thursday). While this shocking declaration hit a road bump as O’Reilly began daydreaming of his new role as knight in shining armor, Stossel insisted that the threat of a complete government takeover of American lives is very real – he’d explain later. And Stossel delivered with a Town Hall piece that touches on everything from his initial serfdom accusation to “Harrison Bergeron” to why the government doesn’t want students to have Amazon Kindles.

It even appeared on the (other) birthday boy’s Twitter feed. Here’s part of Stossel’s column:

So far, the Handicapper General is just fantasy. But Vice President Joe Biden did shout at the Democratic National Convention: “Everyone is your equal, and everyone is equal to you.” If he meant that we’re all equal in rights and before the law, fine. If he meant government shouldn’t put barriers in the way of opportunity, great. But statists like Biden usually have more in mind: They want government to make results more equal.

[...]

When colleges innovated by having students use Kindle e-book readers instead of expensive textbooks, the Justice Department sued them, complaining that the Kindle discriminates against blind students.

Stossel had a point there: the Obama administration tends towards obsessive micromanagement and unnecessary spending on things that the private sector could probably take care of itself. But throwing the gimmicky kitchen sink at Americans in the hope that one of these outrageous comparisons sticks dilutes the entire argument. It’s hard to imagine how Stossel will top his chain ensemble on The Factor, but chances are he’s saving the best for Beck (or the FBN special).

Yesterday’s O’Reilly Factor segment below:

Al Gore, barack obama, Bill O'Reilly, chains, Democrats, Fox Business, fox news, Glenn Beck, government spending, Joe Biden, John Stossel, Kindle, libertarians, medieval times, metaphors, serfdom, The O'Reilly Factor, town hall, twitter

The Real Royal King

Lord help me, the man has always given me the creeps.
JamesA1102

Stossel has a point???? Really nice unbiased reporting there Ms. Martel. We let the private sector take care of itself for years and it drove the economy off a cliff. Remember the good old days when journalists reported the facts instead of their opinions.
timzank

JamesA1102 says:
February 10, 2010 at 7:17 pm

Uhhh…The private sector doesn’t write the ridiculous tax codes….Are we to assume from your comments you think this is a good idea? Criticize Stossels delivery if you like, but whether you are a liberal or a conservative you have to think this is a stupid use of government resources and taxpayer dollars don’t you?
JamesA1102

timzank says:
“The private sector doesn’t write the ridiculous tax codes”

Actually they do via the politicians that they contribute to and lobby. Right now taxes in this country are at a 70 years low. People like Stossel are just fearmongering. And instead of reporting the facts Ms. Martel decided to report her opinion.
The Real Royal King

You are absolutely correct JamesA1102. The private sector through lobbyists, accountants and lawyers effectively writes our tax codes. Loopholes must be effectively masked, and Congress, Republican or Democratic, is not effective at much.
ImNotBlue

JamesA1102 says:
February 11, 2010 at 12:44 am

So, to sum up your point… business buy politicians, and that’s why it’s the businesses fault, not the corrupt government’s? Wait… what?
JamesA1102

Actually my original point was that (a) Ms. Martel was biased in her reporting and (b) that letting the private sector take care of things themselves was how we got into the economic mess that we are currently in.
ImNotBlue

JamesA1102 says:
February 11, 2010 at 4:20 pm

Sure sure… but when confronted, you also said: “Actually they [private businesses] do [write tax code] via the politicians that they contribute to and lobby.”

So… does it really matter if we “let the private sector take care of things themselves?” If, according to you, they’re only going to buy off the government and politicians? Seems like you believe they’re in charge either way. Am I wrong?
Jim R

“unnecessary spending on things that the private sector could probably take care of itself.”

Please provide any evidence that the private ever does things more efficiently than the much hated government. From Walter Reed to the wars to any formerly government function, the private sector continually under-performs government at many multiples of the cost.

This fallacy that the private sector is so efficient is belied by all statistical evidence, from Walter Reed to the battle field, or the Medicare Advantage corporate giveaway with 14% overhead compared with Medicare’s less than 3%, or privatizing and diminishing FEMA with no-bid “Disaster Capitalism” contracts after Katrina; this nonsense must be put to rest once and for all as the dangerous and self-destructive force that it is.

The same way that torture produces NO actionable intelligence, privatizing government services by doling out lucrative contracts to cronies only pleases the rich elites that have been busy dismantling our society for their own personal gain for two generations – enough is enough, finally produce the evidence of all these benign corporations serving the interests of the American People efficiently and honestly.

Where’s my Pecora Commission or Truman’s war profiteering investigations?
Jim R

private sector, crap.
JamesA1102

ImNotBlue says:
“So… does it really matter if we “let the private sector take care of things themselves?” If, according to you, they’re only going to buy off the government and politicians? Seems like you believe they’re in charge either way. Am I wrong?”

Please don’t put words in my mouth. That is just intellectualy dishonest. Do I believe that the private sector has too much influence in government? Yes. Do I believe that government needs to more strictly regulate the private sector? Also, yes. Do I think that by unregulating the private sector to let them “take care of care of things themselves” has lead to the financial meltdown? Yes again.