Sunday, February 17, 2008
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Tobacco products kill 1,200 people a day in the US, but it rarely makes the evening news. How come?
The same reason that our politicians are beholden to large special interest groups. The same reason Ron Paul is ignored by the media. The same reason that so much of our food, even the produce, is frankenfood, processed, and bioengineered. The same reason that, even though it requires a gallon of fuel to make a gallon of ethanol from corn, the government is still pushing to make it a main alternative to fossil fuels.
Because big business, merchant bankers, the trilateral commission, and foreign governments have more influence than the populace in the U.S.
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Comments (4)
Its more complex than that. The tobacco industry is not just some evil fat men with bulging wallets and $1B medical insurance, its also the people that pick the tobacco, that man the factories etc. etc. Also, although a lot of people get sick from smoking, probably they pay more in taxes from their habit than they take out in Medicaid. America is a capitalist society and everything is market-driven, humanitarianism has to fit into that ethos somewhere.
DON'T believe what is said about how many people are killed by tobacco use in the USA...let alone the world! That would mean that 438,000 people die a year for using tobacco and that is borderline ludicrous.
Also, I hate the term "Tobacco Kills" because it removes accountability and/or culpability. There is enough warning about that stinking stuff and it is by our own choice that we remain smoke free...or not. No one breaks arms to get another to smoke...it's all about choice...to smoke or not to.
SavonDuJour has made brownie points to.
I am sort of glad that Ron Paul isn't getting any new coverage... but that is a different story. I am mad as hell that John Edwards didn't get equal billing in the news.
I am slowly rethinking my need to stay in this country much longer. I agree fully with what you've said...and I personally don't think humanitarianism has anything to do with capitalism. There's no profit in helping people that are disadvantaged. Any CEO could tell you that.