Ratchman
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Posted - 2009.04.03 11:10:00 -
[1]
 Originally by: Tallaran Kouros
Quote:
I also love how they call the tax a sin tax and charge 10 USD a box for a personal choice. Wonder how long until the health nuts get this sort of power and get the government to put "sin taxes" and things with "excess sugar and fat".
And what's so wrong with that?
I'm guessing since you are quoting prices in US Dollars that there is a high probability that you live in a country where there is no public health system and where most people believe that it's okay for people to suffer and be in pain if they cannot afford a doctor.
I'm from a country that has a free health care system that's funded from taxes. Nobody has to go without and nobody has to suffer simply because they cannot afford a doctor.
However, if people make a lifestyle choice to smoke, eat lots of high-fat foods or consume excess alcohol then I don't consider it fair that everyone else's taxes need to be used to pay for their self-inflicted illnesses.
FWIW I am an ex smoker and drink moderately - I practice what I preach.
I always love this argument, and this is why:
You can say that people do damange themselves willingly, and this is a peculiar behaviour from any kind of animal. However, this is no different to those people who chose to risk their lives indulging in extreme sport. You can say that they are managing the risks, but people are quite likely to hurt, maybe even kill themselves, when they throw themselves off the side of a mountain. The risk of death rockets, no matter how good your training and equipment.
If we start treating people on the basis of what they do, this can open a can of worms. Refusing to treat smokers, but treating people who've thrown themselves off the side of a cliff, is hypocritical.
But also, where does it end? Why not refuse to treat ex-smokers, as they still did the damage themselves, and repentence after the fact does not excuse it? Why not refuse to treat football players who damage their knees? It happens all the time, and people know it's a definite risk when they start playing. Why not refuse to treat a car crash victim who fell asleep at the wheel? It was their own damn fault, so why treat them?
The argument of refusing to treat people, for whatever reason, is a compassion failure.
If you don't understand why people do self-destructive things, then you don't really understand humanity very well. Ask yourself why you used to smoke, and don't say it was because of peer pressure. You still chose to do it.
Humanity has a self-destructive streak, and it always will do. To treat people harshly because of this will only rebound on that person, as soon as someone finds their weakness.
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