03/14/2004
I suppose by the time you read this, Kaitlyn, that you will have already begun paying a steep tax on fattening foods. Thus I feel the need, in this year of our Lord, to explain how it all started.
It’s about using taxes to implement desired social behaviors and it’s not new. The government does everything possible to reward home owners, for instance, because citizens who own their own home are considered desirable citizens. Why? Homeowners are less likely to be criminals, more likely to work at productive jobs that mortgage payments be met, less likely to wander as nomads across the fruited plains, more likely to give their children a steady education at local schools, and help to form a network of local interest groups which contributes to the civic diversity that forms the political culture that keeps the country humming. So an American citizen who owns a house gets to claim interest payments on the mortgage, property taxes and any interest paid for home improvements, on their federal income taxes. There are many agencies all about to assist anyone wishing to purchase their own home. Home ownership, Kaitlyn, is the best thing an average citizen has going for them so aim toward that end as one of your top five goals in life. The government wants you to do it and will reward you for same.
If “good behavior” such as home ownership is rewarded via the tax code in America, well why shouldn’t “bad behavior” also be penalized via the same tax code?
Well if I were to present the argument against punishing bad behavior through the tax code I’d begin with the oldest liberal argument in the world. Taking a page from the liberal book I’d throw it right back at them. Rewarding good behavior is always more effective than punishing bad behavior.
There’s also a slew of other reasons that taxing “bad” behavior is just plain dangerous in a democracy. I shall begin with smoking.
Do not ever begin smoking cigarettes, Kaitlyn, and this wise grandmother will give you several VALID reasons why not. First, the things are very expensive (because of all the taxes on them but more on that later), they do your health no good at all, and it’s a dirty and nasty habit. There are plenty of folks alive and happy today that do not smoke so it’s not like one can’t be fulfilled and NOT smoke.
What I won’t say about cigarette smoking, Kaitlyn, is the lies foisted upon our country by the liberals in their frenzied effort to tax cigarettes to death for money in their coffers. Second hand smoke does NOT kill, Kaitlyn, no matter how much the history books will tell you this silly thing. Second hand smoke is not a pleasant thing my dear granddaughter, and non-smokers have every right to object to it. During the lead up to making cigarette smokers public enemy number one, the liberals would publish “statistics” such as “one million people died last year from second hand smoke”.
How do they know this, Kaitlyn? I have never seen a death certificate claiming cause of death by second hand smoke. It could be that this lie brings out the emotion in the innocent non-smokers that they may fear death by the evil smoker. I have, at least as of this writing, six cats, none who weigh more than twenty pounds, most are less than ten pounds. I have two dogs. One is a little dachshund, nasty little dog but still very small. There have been many other pets through the years, all buried in our lot and remembered in our hearts. They have all lived to a healthy old age though every one have lived with two fairly heavy smokers. Sure, it’s anecdotal evidence, Kaitlyn, but until I see a bevy of death certificates claiming death by second hand smoke, I’m sticking with it.
Another lie told to an end of demonizing smoking is the bit about smokers costing Americans millions in health care costs. Here’s a really unpleasant truth, Kaitlyn, but since I love you I’ll tell you. Smokers die way quicker than that dedicated jogger down the road. Smokers actually spend LESS time in the hospital than non-smokers and die quicker. I would accept an argument that smokers do tend to get sicker more often and more severe than non-smokers throughout their lives. A smoker gets a cold and it quickly becomes a big deal. I’ll buy that.
When the liberals scream that this burdens the American health care system I have to ask the obvious. Just who the hell do you think is paying for my health insurance? Two guesses. One is NOT the government. The other is MY OWN SELF! Through my JOB, Kaitlyn. The taxpayer does not pay a cent towards my health care. And other than those on the public dole, who shouldn’t be able to afford cigarettes anyway, the taxpayer does not pay for anyone’s health care. Could it be more liberal lies to get taxpaying non-smokers angry yet again at smokers, or so the politicians argue, so they may vote to get me more money from smokers so I may get elected to my beloved power yet again?
I would accept a debate that smokers should pay MORE for health care than non-smokers but this is an argument for the HMOs and private insurance and has nothing to do with taxpayer funds.
See, Kaitlyn, in order to punish bad behavior through the tax code, it becomes necessary to make enemies of citizen factionss and how could this ever be a good thing?
They’ve already taxed cigarettes to death in this day of our Lord, Kaitlyn, so the liberals must look to other citizens to make enemies for even more money. They will, as they have done with cigarette smokers, guise it under the cover of the better good of the entire citizenry.
I speak specifically, Kaitlyn, of drivers of SUV’s and fat people.
Currently the liberals are screaming about SUV’s though many liberals drive them their own selves. Frankly, Kaitlyn, I myself am not that fond of SUV’s on the public roadways. Husband and myself drive modestly sized cars and suffer often due to the huge SUV’s that so get on my nerves. They block the roadway should they be in front. They are a real nuisance when my little car is parked next to one blocking my view when I try to pull out. Often, since I’m on an anti-SUV binge, they are driven by spacy soccer moms who shouldn’t even be driving a bicycle much less those huge things. Hell, being a demonized smoker, why stop when I’m on a roll? I’ll sign onto the liberal mantra. The SUV’s gobble up the precious resources of the earth for no good reason and they pollute the air I breathe worse than my own second hand smoke.
All that being said, Kaitlyn, I really don’t have anything against SUV’s. At least I didn’t until the liberals convinced me SUV’s are the enemy. True they block my view too often but so do delivery vans and tractor trailers. I really don’t care how much gas they use because hey, I’m not paying for it. Though soon the liberals will try to recruit me to their side with some lie about how non-SUV-driving-taxpayers pay the gas for SUV drivers. As for pollution, the air is cleaner in this day and age, Kaitlyn, than it has ever been in the history of our country.
But as the charter member of my new group, “Smokers Against SUV’s” I’m willing to gang up on SUV drivers just as the liberals got them to gang up on smokers. It just feels so good to beat up on someone else for a change. The liberals count on that, Kaitlyn.
Now about fat people, Kaitlyn.
Our family is chock full of “full-figured” females. Beautiful women, Kaitlyn, but all with chubby cheeks, child-bearing hips and thunderous thighs. It’s possible that you too will have to fight the fat as we all have. Some of us, ahem, have lost that battle.
Obesity, the liberals now are screaming, is the number one health problem in America. Well, damn they are just confusing me all to hell. I thought second hand smoke was the number one problem. Then I thought it was pollution from SUV’s.
It’s all the fault of the fast food industry and you don’t suppose, Kaitlyn Mae, that the liberals would love to get their hands on some of that cash flowing in McDonald’s coffers? Because McDonald’s, Kaitlyn, serves fat-laden food and are killing our citizens in droves.
I’m assuming that there will still be the likes of McDonalds, Burger King and other greasy fast food spots in your future, Kaitlyn. That is if the liberals don’t tax them out of existence before your time.
People do not stuff greasy hamburgers and fries into their mouths, Kaitlyn. The fast food industry FORCES them to eat the stuff. The fast food industry thus must pay the government, via taxes, for the increased health care costs taxpayers must pay for fat people. So far the liberals haven’t found a way to blame second hand fat for millions of deaths each year, but give them time. Maybe fat people will be banned from school books lest the children get the idea that fat people exist. Perhaps the movie makers and TV shows will respond to government pressure to ban images of fat people from the air waves. They want that money, Kaitlyn, give the liberals time and they’ll figure out a way to make me believe that the fat guy across the room somehow will cause me harm.
Which is the problem with using the tax code to control undesirable behavior. It requires lies and deceptions. It requires an orchestrated campaign to make citizens enemies of citizens. It requires the government interfering with our right to free choice, even if the choice is a stupid one.
First they came for the Jews, Kaitlyn, and I looked the other way. Then they came for the Christians, and I looked the other way. Then they came for ME and there was no one left to look the other way.
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