Do you know about the Schechter fiasco during the Great Depression? It’s a classic case of overreaching by the federal government, one of the things that the separation of powers is meant to minimize or even prevent. It also shows the kind of thing that Uncle Sam was doing at that time to “fix” the economy. Subsequent history shows how well that worked. So first, you may want to read a bit about the Schechters. I was introduced to them in Amity Schlaes’ book The Forgotten Man. You can read about the Schechters online. Wikipedia has an entry, but you can also find primary source material.
Okay, now to see shades of Schechter, see the recent news about the USDA vs. evil rabbit-raising hobbyists. Makes me glad there’s someone to protect us from such people. They probably have big pointy teeth.
But seriously, I’m glad that there are elected officials who care enough to keep the USDA in check. Who would have thought that the Food and Drug Administration would tyrannize American citizens that way? Defense department, maybe. DHS, CIA, FBI, or NSA, perhaps. But the USDA? Thank God for representation in Washington! May it always work so well.
Updated 5/25: s/FDA/USDA/g That’s what happens when writing a post when I should already be asleep. The difference only makes the point stronger! The Department of Agriculture? Wow.