Man Made Global Warming

[MD_Titus]

Originally Posted by MadBlaster

It's bad because people that choose to smoke already know of the risk by now. They have been very aware for a very long time. Common sense tells you when you stand in a smoky room and you start coughing and your eyes water, not good. Don't need a researcher to tell me that. And yes, lung cancer comes in many forms from many causes. So, special tax on the painters? The coal miners? The wind? This is California doing the double dip because the state is pro liberal/socialist and by nature they are completely fiscally irresponsible and they saw this as an easy way to steal some more money and pander to the dimwits that live here, to make up for declines in the other cigs tax revenue streams. The part you didn't post.

per wiki
"Approximately $75 million annually would have maintained existing tobacco tax revenue streams. The objective here was to avoid negatively impacting other revenue streams from other cigarette taxes such as from Proposition 99 (1988 ) and Proposition 10 (1998 ). "

See, already taxed many times over. So, how much of the part you posted would have gone to fund the wild BBQs parties and pretty interns on short term contracts I wonder?




hum dee dum. Go back and google the marlboro man. that was a long time ago. they have been stretching this thing all that time. get a clue. The antacid thing, just another $50 light-bulb scheme.

Research is fine, but it should be subject to rules of cost/benefit. Not guise for money grab to fix irresponsible state spending. wait, what???

it's not about finding out that smoking is dangerous, it's about TREATING THE DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH IT. palliative care, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, lost working hours, hospital care... these things are all a massive drain on the health system so paying for the increased cost through taxation of the people who cause the increased expenditure is, basically, pretty fair. non-smokers are not contributing to the care of those who put themselves at risk. that some non-smokers also contract these diseases through no fault of their own and will benefit from advances in treatment or prevention is not a bad thing. how can you fail to make this simple connection? the state also explicitly lays out how they will spend this increased revenue, and that it will almost entirely go towards research for smoking - and in a small part non-smoking - related diseases and smoking cessation. put a burden on the health system by your activity, be it driving without a seatbelt and paralysing yourself or engaging in a demonstrably risky habit, and it seems fair that you contribute to the cost through taxation. as less people smoke the income from lower taxes is reduced, but the costs do not appreciably decrease in providing cancer care units.

Originally Posted by =CfC= Father Ted

So who should make these rules? Obviously not governments, because they just use the results to make policy which robs the man in the street, so who else?


The only way to really arrive at the "truth" in the scientific arena is to fund blue sky (sorry Titus) research, where it's the idea that's important, not who's right or wrong, or who stands to gain/lose from the findings.

house!

Originally Posted by MadBlaster

I would say it boils down to the capitalists way verses the socialists way. I tend to think blue sky is fallacy because even the researchers have a self interest...(e.g., reputations, egos, salaries,...etc). The politics enter into it no matter what. Take example, NASA. Funded by tax dollars, contracts out to private sector, enages in space exploration and outreach to muslims. One president say we are going to the moon again, the other says we are going to mars or whatever

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/s...feel-good.html

In reality, it's a muddling through to get the real answers. Just look at "physics", aristotle to present day. Even back in aristotle days there was politics in getting to the truth on gravity.

I would also say this w/cost benefit...the timing of when and what to do w/ research matters a lot. Needs/economies of the people are constantly changing. In the good times, it makes sense to pursue the less urgent risks. So, in usa, we do this by voting every few years to fine tune the agenda of the research, changes in public funding. Also, people are certainly free to fund whatever they want whenever they want with private dollars.

please don't use the telegraph as a source for anything, it's up there with the daily heil as being biased to the point of irrelevant. to paraphrase, put that paper down and never open it again.

"physics", interesting use of quotation marks there. is physics a scam? do you get the scientific methodology at all, or are you just bringing a load of pre-conceived notions about "science" to the party and refusing to actually learn anything?

nasa is a highly politicised agency and always has been, in that it was originally conceived for the dick waving contest the USA and USSR were engaging in. it continues to be a tool for politicians, ala bush and obama saying they are going to do big and exciting things with it.