Stossel speaks about capitalism
Students who expected John Stossel to talk about why socialized medicine "stinks" on Wednesday were left disappointed.
The ABC News anchor came to Warriner Hall's Plachta Auditorium to speak on capitalism and its place in the economy rather than socialized medicine, which was the topic advertised with posters across campus.
"It is definitely regrettable that there was a mix-up with the speech topic," said Isaac Morehouse, director of Students for a Free Economy. "I'm sorry to any students who came to hear a speech specifically on problems with government health care and heard a more general speech on problems with government anything."
One student asked Stossel about socialized medicine during the question-and-answer session, wondering why he did not talk about the topic. Stossel said he did not know why the speech was advertised that way.
"As he got into his speech about socialism in general, there wasn't really a way to stop him and tell him to focus more on health care," Morehouse said. "I hope that his remarks will get students thinking about problems with government control in general and apply the lessons to health care."
Some students were left upset after the error.
"The event was great, I love the topic, but it is unacceptable it wasn't on the right subject." said Brighton senior Emily Parsons.
Campus Conservatives spokesman and Topinabee junior Dennis Lennox II said he was pleased with the event. According to Campus Conservatives, 900 people attended Stossel's speech.
"We had a conservative person on campus and people showed up," Lennox said. "It was great to see so many people coming to hear an alternative perspective."
Stossel said government restrictions on business stopped the people's creativity by putting too many barriers on entrepreneurship, especially in the medical community.
"Creative money and energy is lost (because of regulations)," Stossel said. "All of those rules suck energy out of the economy. Imagine if the FDA weren't a police agency, and compatible with what America is about - allowing free people to make their own choices. Patrick Henry didn't say, 'Give me safety or give me death.' Lawyers deprive us of innovation, which can save lives."
The free market, Stossel said, is much better at sorting these things out than a bureaucrat.
"Voluntary and force are the only two ways to do something," Stossel said in his arguments for capitalism. "Force is government, and litigation. Business is voluntary."
Stossel, according to his biography on abcnews.com, graduated from Princeton University in 1969. He began working for ABC in 1981 on 20/20, and his first one-hour primetime special, "Are We Scaring Ourselves to Death?" aired in 1994.
The event was sponsored by Students for a Free Economy and Central Michigan University Campus Conservatives.
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