Yes, Warren you did hit on the rub of the thing. Everybody supports some state impositions on other people’s liberties. Libertarians and anarchists tolerate the fewest. Totalitarians tolerate the most. As I’ve argued a kazillion times, we all favor censorship. We just don’t call the censorship we like, “censorship.” (Those who believe hardcore porn or mock snuff films should be allowed on Saturday morning broadcast TV are exempt from this charge. The rest of you believe in censorship).

But the important distinction is to not simply surrender to this fact. Arbitrary authority is what vexed Edmund Burke most, and it has vexed conservatives ever since.

As for Kathryn’s point, I think she’s got the cart way out in front of the horse. The government is driving the smoking bans, not the free market. Indeed, the government makes precisely the sort of market forces we both favor impossible. But when conservatives claim they like the result and that the bans don’t bother them too much, it makes the likelihood ever letting the market solve these sorts of things that much harder.

I really, truly, believe we should be allowed to bring our dogs into eateries, bars, hotels and the like, so long as they behave and owners are respobsible. But I would never dream of saying that establishments should be forced to permit dogs against their wishes. Similarly, I don’t think it’s fair that the state should take that decision out of the hands of business owners.