In this piece, Sheldon Richman casts his eye over the Hobby Lobby decision and the furor it has occasioned in some quarters. He argues persuasively that the decision was the right one, but that it doesn’t touch upon the real problem at the root of the controversy — government power to coerce. If it weren’t for government meddling in insurance, there would be no dispute at all. The company could offer insurance if it wanted and employees could go elsewhere if they wanted insurance with more coverage.
I particularly like his point about the “slippery slope” fears of the dissenters. They’re terrified at the prospect of a society in which individuals escape from the clutches of the state, but that’s precisely what we need — Spencer’s “right to ignore the state.”
