I think this represents an honest take, but it illustrates why there is such a chasm between the people applauding this kind of thing and those that are horrified.
You must understand that not everybody believes that this is the role of society. Are we living in a free country or a glorified HOA?
A progressive might applaud this - seems very smart, actuarial, fair, etc. And might put down a conservative that keeps harping on intangibles like freedom as being crude or simple minded or worse evil or in concert with evil things (as decided by the progressive) like Big Tobacco. Of course cancer sticks are bad.
But don't assume - it could be that some people see the problem not about tobacco, but have thought about three moves ahead about several ways this can go very, very wrong. This kind of relationship with the government, well meaning at the beginning or not, will end up going only one way.
some people see the problem not about tobacco, but have thought about three moves ahead about several ways this can go very, very wrong. This kind of relationship with the government, well meaning at the beginning or not, will end up going only one way.
This was my first thought. I hate cigarettes with a passion, but allowing the government to encroach on small freedoms like this is a slippery slope. I think it is better to disincentivize things like cigarettes through taxation.
- who gets to judge what is or is not a social ill? For example cigarettes bad, marijuana good? these are merely the whims of a fickle mob mentality. witch trials and mass paranoia are now canonized
- bureaucratic inertial. governments are big. big and really inefficient. when you put so much of your existence in the hands of a government, you'll then demand so much more from it too. when it gets so big to be ungovernable, even if everyone agrees on what's right to do it becomes impossible. US VA administration and the tar pits of ancient la brea.
- the above two issues presume a vast majority involved are honest brokers. but that historically appears to be not at all the case. with such centralized power, the thirst of the dark personalities is inescapable. so the facade may be painted legitimate, but very quickly the actual power will become very, very dark.
Comments
I think this represents an honest take, but it illustrates why there is such a chasm between the people applauding this kind of thing and those that are horrified.
You must understand that not everybody believes that this is the role of society. Are we living in a free country or a glorified HOA?
A progressive might applaud this - seems very smart, actuarial, fair, etc. And might put down a conservative that keeps harping on intangibles like freedom as being crude or simple minded or worse evil or in concert with evil things (as decided by the progressive) like Big Tobacco. Of course cancer sticks are bad.
But don't assume - it could be that some people see the problem not about tobacco, but have thought about three moves ahead about several ways this can go very, very wrong. This kind of relationship with the government, well meaning at the beginning or not, will end up going only one way.
This was my first thought. I hate cigarettes with a passion, but allowing the government to encroach on small freedoms like this is a slippery slope. I think it is better to disincentivize things like cigarettes through taxation.
to me, the issues come from a couple places:
- who gets to judge what is or is not a social ill? For example cigarettes bad, marijuana good? these are merely the whims of a fickle mob mentality. witch trials and mass paranoia are now canonized
- bureaucratic inertial. governments are big. big and really inefficient. when you put so much of your existence in the hands of a government, you'll then demand so much more from it too. when it gets so big to be ungovernable, even if everyone agrees on what's right to do it becomes impossible. US VA administration and the tar pits of ancient la brea.
- the above two issues presume a vast majority involved are honest brokers. but that historically appears to be not at all the case. with such centralized power, the thirst of the dark personalities is inescapable. so the facade may be painted legitimate, but very quickly the actual power will become very, very dark.