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The Truth Is What We Tell You It Is
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New York City paid for a big public service YouTube video campaign telling people that drinking soda every day can make you ten pounds fatter a year. It was part of the debate over slapping a tax on sugary drinks. One small problem: That ten-pounds-fatter claim wasn't exactly true. And the city Health Commissioner overruled three subordinates, including the chief nutritionist, to move forward with the video. The commissioner reasoned that it didn't matter whether it was true or not, because people needed a good scare to motivate them. That's how big government thinks: Science be damned, the truth is what we WANT it to be. (New York Times)
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