What's Wrong with the Anti-Smoking Nazis?

[admin]

One of our editorial staffers, Carter Lyles, is a is a junior at University of Central Florida and at the University of Florida with dual majors in psychology and journalism.
This gave me the idea to ask him to write an article about the antis.
Personally, I think they are all mentally ill.
I asked Carter to explore what is actually wrong with them.
This article is just the beginning of this exploration into the flawed minds of the antis.
I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did.
The Smug Alert

 

[unclearthur]

Excellent article !!

 

[papipeguy]

Nice article and intelligently written. This would be a good theme for a graduate paper.

One area always worth exploring is the money angle. Always follow the money. The double edged sword here is that there is a rabid faction bent on total smoke eradication and those who see an income stream from sin taxes to load the federal coffers. Who will win? Not the smokers; but in the long run we will survive only to pay higher taxes to retain our right to enjoy our hobby.

Its always about the money, folks.

 

[hilojohnny]

Yes...An excellent article...as an addendum, had you heard that this "faction" is tossing around the idea of adding statins to the public water supply because it will reduce the cost of health care by reducing the incidence of heart disease?....sure, there will be complications for a small segment of the population but minority be damned....it's what's best for the majority (in their opinion) that is important.... :evil:

 

[bubbadreier]

Great article!

 

[igloo]

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me? M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. We were sparked from coast to coast and far across the sea. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Mickey Mouse. Mickey Mouse. Forever let us hold our banner high. High. High. High. High. We play fair but we work hard and we're in harmony. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Hey there! Hi there! Ho there! You're as welcome as can be. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Mickey Mouse. Mickey Mouse. Forever let us hold our banner high. High. High. High. High. Boys and girls from far and near are welcome as can be. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Come along and sing a song you're welcome as can be. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Mickey Mouse... They could not join the club , that is why they are haters .

 

[romeowood]

It's hard for me not to see both sides of the argument, but personal liberty tends to win out every time with me. IMHO, the real culprits are the HMO / Insurance / Drug Manufacturers. The reason you need a scientific calculator in order to read a menu at McDonalds' (or Peter Luger, for that matter) is the whole notion of group-assigned risk being in the control of a corporation that, bottom line, DOES NOT WANT TO PAY OUT! The insurers don't care if you're *healthy*; the drug mfg's make more money when you're sick, and they get you coming and going. They can afford to lobby for legislation though. When's the last time you flew your congressmen out to your house for a weekend of coke and hookers to go over the new tobacco tax bill?
PApipeguy, and Hal Holbrook, are 100% correct--FOLLOW THE MONEY. Incidentally, the creation of the Medico-Industrical Complex is made possible by, you guessed it, petroleum. It's a vast web that's been woven, and our freedoms have become the flies trapped in it.

Could we afford healthcare for everyone in the country? Yes, 100 times over.

Will we? Only when it's profitable to someone.

 

[bhpdrew]

This article can stand not only with the anti-tobacco crowd but also with the vast majority of other "anti" people. If it isn't tobacco it is saturated fat, salt intake, the size of your personal garden, red meat, sex, firearms, alcohol,and so on and so on. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

 

[romeowood]

Too true, bhp.
Most days I don't care what the road's paved with, as long as there are pipes a-plenty (and other delights) when I get there!

 

[unclearthur]

I think the medical term for what they suffer from in "Anal Cranial Inversion "

 

[lfzebra]

North Carolina has a statewide smoking ban for (it seems) everywhere. If my taxes pay for a state park, why cant I enjoy a pipe while Im there? The Soviet Union collapsed so they could come here and take over. Good grief, you cant fix stupid.

 

[nativeson]

The thing to remember about antis is they are dead serious and SMART. Want to show the world that an individual isn't part of the group/tribe? Refuse to eat with them. Make them stand outside the group. Tell all who will listen that they are "unclean". Does any of that sound familiar to any of you from a "Clean Indore Air Act" State?? This is serious gut-level group dynamics and very hard-ball psychology. And do you want a model to fight them with? I think the NRA. How about it fellows? "They can have my pipe when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers"!

 

[expatpipe]

Tobacco enjoyers will always exist because cigs have become so expensive here that everyone (well, not everyone) is starting to roll their own! Suddenly guys that never knew anything about the tobacco they were smoking everyday are discussing the different qualities to different cig tobacco! Amazing really. The cigs lack all the chemicals, do not smell and the smoker developes a whole new relationship with what they are smoking. Rolling your own cigs in the past just meant that you didn't have the money.. now it's quite in vogue and stylish. So, with all the laws and rules that they think are going to drive everyone away from tobacco, they are actually creating a more tobacco knowledgeable tobacco loving population! I don't smoke cigarettes. When I have a guest over and they ask, "Mind if I smoke?" I answer, "not at all, if you roll your own."

 

[admin]

It would be great if some of you guys could comment on the article. :D

 

[bhpdrew]

I will once I organize my thoughts so I don't go off on a tangent. I get really worked up when I talk about anti's. Since so many of my hobbies center around what they so adamantly target, I get a little emotional sometimes.

 

[surfmac211]

Great article!

 

[admin]

@Briar Bully

Tobacco enjoyers will always exist because cigs have become so expensive here that everyone (well, not everyone) is starting to roll their own! Suddenly guys that never knew anything about the tobacco they were smoking everyday are discussing the different qualities to different cig tobacco! Amazing really. The cigs lack all the chemicals, do not smell and the smoker developes a whole new relationship with what they are smoking. Rolling your own cigs in the past just meant that you didn't have the money.. now it's quite in vogue and stylish. So, with all the laws and rules that they think are going to drive everyone away from tobacco, they are actually creating a more tobacco knowledgeable tobacco loving population! I don't smoke cigarettes. When I have a guest over and they ask, "Mind if I smoke?" I answer, "not at all, if you roll your own."

That's an astute observation.
I have also seen examples of people coming over to pipe smoking from the ryo world.
It seems you may have found a little silver lining here.

 

[fred]

Great article! There will never be a shortage of people who want

to point out the vices of others, as long as they don't have them.

It's much easier than having to look at yourself.

 

[krgulick]

Great article. Like many have said, they tried Prohibition and we got the mob for their trouble. Can't wait for tobacco prohibition to see who steps up.

 

[bubbadreier]

All I know is when it comes to the tobacco prohibition, all of us with cellars will because the new Tobacco Crime Bosses.... 8)