The Tough-Love Dictator of My Dreams

I'm all for liberty, but I'd sacrifice some rights for a tough-love leader and a law against Big Gulps

Illustration by John Ueland for TIME

I have voted for two libertarian candidates for President, believe in drug legalization and have done many things that would have gotten me caned in Singapore, a Catholic school or anyplace someone happened to be near a cane. I've fought the left's paternalism of the body and the right's paternalism of the soul. But recently I've been wondering if my political assumptions are wrong, if America might not be better off under a dictatorship. I've also been wondering if somewhere deep inside, I secretly want to be caned.

My opinion shifted after New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg banned...

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