One of the stories I have been remiss in not covering is the controversy concerning JetBlue and the way it handled its passengers who were stuck 10 hours on a plane in clear view of the airport due to snow conditions.
The airline promised to treat its passengers better, but some want Congress to pass a "Passenger Bill of Rights" in order to guarantee better treatment.
At root, this is a question concerning the proper relationship between freedom (in this case the ability of airlines and passengers to conduct their own affairs as they see fit) and coercion (government stepping in and mandating certain behaviors that are unlikely to happen voluntarily). Can the free market correct itself or does government have to step in?
Here's a link to an open thread on the Washington Post where readers discuss this question.
It's worth pondering because it is the central question in the American governing system--how are the unalienable rights best secured? Did JetBlue (with federal governing authority behind it) violate liberty? Or might the PBoR violate JetBlue's?
