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The Price of Insanity

http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB121012081570272357.html

created by Darkseid on May 16, 2008 at 06:42:48 am     Comments: 14

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Comments ... #

Ah, those pesky unintended consequences!

When a product with significant demand becomes illegal, or becomes prohibitively expensive due to high taxes, entrepreneurs (illegal or otherwise) will step in to meet the demand. We saw that during the failed efforts to eradicate alcohol from 1920-1933 under the 18th Amendment, and we have witnessed this phenomenon since the 1980s with the ridiculous War on Drugs.

It is evident that cigarette taxes are far too high, and the declining American segment of taxpayers who smoke get stuck with ever larger tax burdens as the cash-strapped federal and state governments try to fleece this group. Now we get to house even more criminals (cigarette smugglers) in state penitentiaries and drive up prison expenditures.

Yippee.

posted by historymike on May 16, 2008 at 09:37:03 am     #



I was gonna post this, but it's a plant by the nicotine addict lobby. There's a better article about nic withdrawal being the equivalent of starvation.

Or you can smoke pure tobacco for what the equivalent of $8 a carton or so, but most people gotta have PhilMo add their toxies to get their flav on. Because you know cancer without flavor is just so stupid. OMg.

War Buff had it right:
"I'll tell you why I like the cigarette business," he explained to Salomon-Chairman John Gutfreund in 1987, according to the book "Barbarians at the Gate." "It costs a penny to make. Sell it for a dollar. It's addictive. And there's fantastic brand loyalty."

posted by charlatan on May 17, 2008 at 09:20:26 am     #



The black market? Didn't the Liberals get rid of that? It must be just like when the Conservatives enacted their War on Drugs ... and then drugs were eradicated, of course.

Who said that 'the lesson of history is that we don't learn from history'?

posted by GuestZero on May 17, 2008 at 11:22:57 am     #



I've slowly talked everyone I personally know who snokes to roll their own, investing in a decent machine , paper tubes w/ filters, and bulk tobacco. Takes everyone a while to settle on the right brands/blends/mixtures, but eventually, they're only spending aboyr 8 bucks per carton. Fuck the major tobacco companies,who bent over,smiled, and took it up the ass on the MSA,(passing the cost to the consumer, of course, as business always does)who have literally said "Fuck you" to their customers, and mostly side with the government now on issues. Fuck the government, whose greed knows no bounds. Fuck those additives. Smoke what the Indians smoke. And save a ton of money doing it.

posted by Darkseid on May 17, 2008 at 06:34:24 pm     #



snokes=smokes. Damn it!

posted by Darkseid on May 17, 2008 at 06:35:33 pm     #



Dark, the better thing about bulk tobacco is that you can grow it yourself and can smuggle it easier ... for when the Liberals finally ban it entirely (or tax it out of existence, which is the same thing).

The people who smoke marijuana should have gone to the microwave and gel-caps long ago. Those with a desire to consume drugs and other banned compounds must adapt to a future of even more invasive law enforcement.

Believe me, if the government banned sugar or tea tomorrow, I'd be one of the smugglers. I'd be the legendary smuggler "Mr Grey" for NWO, and the government would have no idea who I was, yet there would be plenty of tea in the area.

posted by GuestZero on May 17, 2008 at 06:51:09 pm     #



Or you can smoke pure tobacco for what the equivalent of $8 a carton or so, but most people gotta have PhilMo add their toxies to get their flav on. Because you know cancer without flavor is just so stupid. OMg.

Now the government is regulating how good cigarettes can taste.

posted by mike2005 on May 18, 2008 at 02:53:50 am     #



I hope it is regulating the purtity of crack cocain and herion as well.

posted by mike2005 on May 18, 2008 at 02:56:45 am     #



I was gonna post this, but it's a plant by the nicotine addict lobby.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wow, even the Wall Street Journal is a tool of the tobacco companies now. Thanks for the revelation /sarc

posted by Darkseid on May 18, 2008 at 05:36:38 am     #



It's a controlled substance that causes a lot of physical ailments. You know what else is a controlled substance in some way shape or form? Everything but the weather. Pick a scapegoat.

Smokers are a bunch of goofballs anyway. Paying, what, $70 a pound for a plant.

A sucker is born every minute and 400,000 of them die yearly. There is a fine line between tragedy and comedy.

posted by charlatan on May 19, 2008 at 01:05:54 am     #



There is a fine line between tragedy and comedy
-----------------------

As is proven every time you post.

posted by Darkseid on May 19, 2008 at 06:42:56 am     #



There is a bill somewhere in the State legislature to raise the tax high enough on bulk tobacco so that there will parity in the retail price between manufactured cigarettes and "roll your own" tobacco.

posted by holland on May 19, 2008 at 10:54:43 am     #



They will never be able to make it as high as pre-made, though, even if they do raise it a lot. If they try, the black market will take over, as the article said. It always does. The very fact they're trying to wipe out the savings shows me the number of folks who roll their own have finally swelled to the point they're no longer beneath the radar.

posted by Darkseid on May 19, 2008 at 08:43:07 pm     #



The percentage has grown from less than 1% to 13% in the last four years.

posted by holland on May 20, 2008 at 02:23:01 pm     #