Honestly: if we don’t begin a serious pushback against these federal agencies — that is, get them back to focusing on their mandates at a macro level — then pretty soon, and by bureaucratic momentum alone, there will be nothing left that is unregulated, and few individual pleasures freely chosen that are legally permitted outside of some sort of vague social consensus that agrees to them.
For the time being.
Heh, RedEye ran a piece last night depicting a smoker cast member journeying to Southern Manhattan to use a new roll-your-own coffinnail business, set up to sell the public time and supplies — tobacco and papers — on its in-house cigarette rolling machines. Price of a standard pack of smokes in Manhattan just around $13.00, they say (fuck, I had no idea they’d gone up that far). Price of a pack of roll-your-owns in the shop? First time around: $4.99, each subsequent visit $3.99.
The little shop in Manhattan is an outgrowth from a shop on Staten Island, and now has plans to expand into every Borough. They’re overwhelmed with takers, business going gangbusters.
Bloomberg’s administration has already issued a cease and desist order to the business.
Everything is toxic enough to kill a human in a large enough dose. Including water – excuse me, “dihydrogen monoxide.” Coming soon to a banned-substances list near you…
The government doesn’t want to stop people from smoking and dipping. The windfall from tobacco taxes is too big for them to do anything that would significantly reduce the revenue. The goal is to demonize tobacco use and anything related to it and use that as a handy excuse for restrictive laws, not to eliminate it. Once that’s understood, then the long lists of worthless and near-worthless restrictions make more sense.
Part of their problem with e-cigarettes, I think, is that since they’re not traditional tobacco cigarettes, they can’t tax them like traditional cigarettes. Yet.
It’s time to start seriously organizing an underground economy. Setting up labor exchanges (I’ll trade you a home network setup for two times shoveling my driveway) and bartering stations (I’ll turn your 100 lbs of potatoes into vodka if you let me keep half). Hell, maybe even local hard currencies.
People need to stop playing the statist’s games. I’m really thinking going Galt a la Ann Barnhardt may be the only way to get the fascists out of power: cut off their source of funds and refuse to play along.
Prohibition doesn’t work. Cigarette taxes have risen exponentially here in the Sooner state in the ten years that I have lived here. However, Missouri, home of the nation’s lowest tobacco taxes is a short and rather pleasant drive from my homestead. Not only that, they have fireworks available year round, another item that is prohibited in many of these united states.
People like Michael Bloomberg do a lot to drive underground economies that deal in stolen goods such as cartons of cigarettes that don’t have tax stamps.
I find it hypocritical of legislators to promote sin taxes to fund medical programs. Simple logic would tell a casual observer that eradicating all smokers, et al, would dry up a lucrative revenue stream for Little Timmy’s kidney transplant.
Speaking of Ann Barnhardt…
Folks like Hezbollah approve.
I remember that case. We have had several internal state scandals with the Indian Nation who have their own cigarette factories doing esentially the same thing.
But it’s for your own good, young man.
the FDA is a fascist organization
simple as that
“When you break the big laws, you do not get liberty; you do not even get anarchy. You get the small laws.” G. K. Chesterton.
FDA and EPA is populated with zealots and fanatics who can’t get enough of the ego rush that comes from stopping people from doing things they want to do.
Without having to lift a pinkie.
The day is coming soon when people will just tell the regulatory agencies to pound sand and do what they want anyway. As if a fine could stand up against a bunch of factory workers standing side by side, slapping sledgehammers rhythmically into their palms.
Prohibition doesn’t work.
Depends on your definition of “work” and what it is you’re prohibiting. Where’s the black market for strike-anywhere matches? Lawn darts?
Though I’ll admit to purchasing a box of trisodium phosphate for my dishwasher.
Simple logic would tell a casual observer that eradicating all smokers, et al, would dry up a lucrative revenue stream.
a) Well, there’s your problem right there: you invoked logic.
b) Eradicating all smoking is long-term, and legislators only do middle-term things that crash after they’ve left office.
c) One revenue stream dries up, they’ll always find another.
You can still get matches and lawn darts. The lawn darts are crappy and light-weight, the matches are wooden and sold in boxes: both available at Walmart.
California recently enacted a stealthily passed law to curtail the production and sale of fois gras. Now, most people don’t have fois on there weekly shopping list, granted. However, there are many self proclaimed foodies and show-offs who like to serve fois gras to their friends and to order it in restaurants.
I was discussing this ban with some friends who are private chefs (they are skirting restaurant laws also by running fine dining out of their homes) and their plans are to stock up on fois gras in their newly acquired chest freezers in preparation for the ban. They plan to cash in with their contraband by charging extra for the forbidden fois gras.
This all goes to your point that people are getting fed up with regulation and are about ready to turn on the traffic cops of the FDA EPA and other alphabets.
Link
los angeles also succeeded in stealthily banning plastic bags
I thought that had been stopped but the union thug cashier at Ralph’s was absolutely giddy the other day when she was telling this guy that nope the state ban failed but in los angeles the ban will take effect next year
I don’t go to that hoochie’s line anymore. I’d rather go to the slow-as-Christmas Indian dude’s line even.