Some people hate caveat emptor, i.e., buyer beware, because they want protected from everything . I don’t quite feel that way. There is nothing wrong with the government protecting us from flat-out crooks, but we don’t need the government protecting us from our own stupidity.
Let me give you an example of legitimate “buyer beware:” You go to a second-hand store and you see a clock which you like. The clock has a sign on it: “$25.00 As Is.” You purchase the clock. If the clock doesn’t work when you get it home that’s just plain tough because you bought it “as is.”
Now, let me give you an example of theft: You go to a second-hand store and you see a clock which you like. The clock has a sign on it: “$25.00 As Is.” You purchase the clock. When you get home and unwrap your package, not only does the clock not work, it is a different clock than the one you agreed to buy. That isn’t caveat emptor, that is theft. The guy who sold you the clock is a crook.
The “News”
Now let’s use all of that really swell knowledge on one of my favorite subjects: television news. When you watch a TV show you are, essentially, buying a product because it increases the show’s ratings with the price being your time. Now, if you are “buying” a show such as “I Dream of Jeannie,” you know exactly what you are buying with your time: a pretty girl and a couple of laughs. But, and this is a big but (no pun intended), when the show is advertised as news and what you get is tripe, lies, and deception, the man selling the show is a liar and a crook because he has stolen your time and given you a false product in return.
One last point: I don’t want any government entity attempting to do anything about the “TV crooks” because I am a firm believer in the First Amendment. By the way, on that subject, I am a firm believer in the entire Bill Of Rights. Anyway, if you want the shows off the air, simply don’t watch them.
The moral of this bit of information is simple: You need to protect yourself from your own stupidity. Each time the government “protects” you from yourself, one more of your freedoms has been tossed out the window.
Agree or don’t, up to you.
