I really thought Europe was better at consumer protection than this.
It does highlight why government (impartial!) inspection of some things like food and drugs is needed. Also building construction, medical devices, etc. Yes, government is expensive. I think a levy on everything that is sold, calculated to cover the expense of testing, would be fair. The Conservative ideal of "buyer beware" is just not practical - who has the resources to test everything they consume? And self policing of industry is also not something that should be accepted without verification.
Speaking of that, there is very little difference between self policing by an industry and a government operated inspection program. They would both be doing essentially the same thing, and therefore cost about the same. |
