THE BROCCOLI EFFECT:

About a couple of months ago during deliberations on the Obama healthcare plan; Justice Scalia, one of the most intellectual conservative judges of the Supreme Court espoused the "broccoli " analogy. Justice Scalia argued that if government can force people to buy health insurance, then there is nothing to stop the government later forcing people to buy broccoli because of its health benefit. This is called the slippery slope argument-once ca c ause cof action is taken, there is no turning back. At the time I disagreed with the logic of Scalia's argument, but the new law being proposed in New York to ban soda (food) because of its health risks makes me want to take a fresh look at Scalia's argument ....