Big Anti-Tobacco thinks you're too stupid to figure out on your own that you shouldn't smoke. You probably make all your important life decisions based on the strong rhetoric of Big This or Big That. Big Anti-Tobacco thinks it is wrong to try and sway your opinion through large expensive media campaigns aimed at young people. Big Anti-Tobacco would never do that sort of thing. . .
Big Anti-Tobacco wants you to think Big Tobacco is evilly watching you through a giant golden telescope (paid for with the deaths of unborn babies somehow) while they bide their time before hatching complicated schemes. Imagine the Legion of Doom dressed in business suits. "Big Tobacco is targeting you." Doing market research is evil now? Not like every other company ever would do such a thing? Not like Taco Hell or Schmucker's Jelly or Walmarx. Not like Big Anti-Tobacco? I don't know who thinks you're more the dupe, Big Tobacco or Big Anti-Tobacco. You should listen to Big Jonathan.
But Big Tobacco targets babies! Babies I (by which I mean Big Anti-Tobacco) say!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to tell if you're being serious or satirical, but judging by your track record I'll assume this is one of your high horse serious arguments about equity.
ReplyDeleteIf there was no group or groups stopping the tobacco industry from advertising falsehoods we'd still have the smoking culture of the 50's. I should clarify, the culture of the 50's (smoking while pregnant, to feel better while sick, to get an extra pep, etc.) would never have changed. It all started with one article in Reader's Digest and went from there.
I think you should take a second look at the not-for-profit anti-smoking organizations and see all the good they're doing now, and have done for the last 50 years. It's because of their work that I can go into a restaurant in California and breath fresh air.
1) I am so serious. They should make a movie about how serious I am and call it the "the Very Serious Man."
ReplyDelete2) I think smoking is gross and figured it out for myself as a small child. It seemed pretty obvious then.
3) Thank you Reader's Digest. They do good work.
4) I don't like the many Anti-Tobacco’s whatever it takes to destroy this business we hate mentality. They shouldn’t throw out logic and ethics for their cause. A righteous end does not justify any means.
5) I hate their hypocrisy and the arguments they use are ridiculous.
6) They insult my intelligence.
7) They insult everyone's intelligence.
8) I saw Mad Men. Don Draper knew what he was getting himself into.
9) It's good to know smoking is bad. Now everyone knows. They do. I can't imagine anyone not knowing in this country.
10) People have the right to smoke as long as it is legal and there will always be people who do it. Just like drinking, which is also disgusting and dangerous. But I guess I am just very libertarian on this issue.
The world discovered smoking was bad and ever since then the Surgeon General has issued a warning on every package. That is all the warning we need. Everything else is a little silly, no?
ReplyDeleteI'm Libertarian on the issue as well, which is why I'm glad the Federal Government hasn't passed any laws regarding public smoking. That's a State and local right.
ReplyDeleteEach State and city has the right to pass laws regarding their public spaces. People should have the right to do what they want, except when it affects other people, which is what happens with smoking. California is such a better place without having to deal with cigarette smoke indoors. I love it, and only ever realize that the world isn't like that when I got to Vegas and everywhere you go there's a faint whiff of smoke.
As well, you never really mentioned how they insulted your and every one else's intellgence. Which is why it leads me to think that your horse is high.
Laws are not even what I am talking about. The government (the people?) can make all the laws they want. But it is still currently legal.
ReplyDeleteNot smoking in public is already a law regardless of whether or not these annoying commercials persist in telling me how dumb smoking is. They deserve no credit for that. That is not even their goal. They are trying to smarten people up so they will give it up.
Maybe they only insulted my intelligence then. I thought it was clear that I didn't need them to tell me every five seconds smoking is bad because I figured that out when I was 5.
My horse is midlevel at best. Non-smokers are the high horse riders, with all their judging of smokers. But then again that would include me because I think it is a terrible decision. Like I think drinking alcohol is a terrible decision or riding a bike without a helmet or eating Carl's Jr. for every meal. The difference is that I don't think it is necessary to spend all this money from all these different organizations just to convince smokers and non-smokers how dumb it is. Plus I say if people want to smoke, quit hassling them: let them exercise their law abiding agency without condemnation.
Rachel made some good points but was afarid you would hate her if she mentioned them.
ReplyDelete"They insult our intelligence when 3/4 of their ads are logical fallacies. Mostly it's ad hominem attacks against anybody who works for a tobacco company. There is very little description of what smoking does to you or why it is not smart. Sometimes they say it will mean you have no friends and are weak."
We love you Nicky. Don't hate Rachel.
Not to get involved in the brotherly debate or justify smoking, but the ads are a little ridiculous at times. One suggests that nobody should ever die because of a company's product and asks "Do you have what it takes to work for Big Tobacco?" However, this means medicine, swimming pools, and electricity are also out. Cars especially are out, as about the same number of people die in car crashes each year as in tobacco-related deaths. (1 billion worldwide)
ReplyDeleteI hate the "x is found in cigarettes and in [obviously toxic substance]." The problem with these is that most chemicals have many, many uses. The following were taken from thetruth.com, but have my own additions to them.
ReplyDeleteAcetic Acid is found in cigarettes. Acetic Acid is also found in floor wipes.
Acetic acid is vinegar. It is also found in salad dressing.
Acetanisole is found in cigarettes. Acetanisole is also an ingredient in some perfumes.
Acetanisole is an approved food additive. It is also found in boiled sweets.
Toluene is found in cigarette smoke. Toluene is also found in dynamite.
Toluene is dangerous and you probably don't want to inhale it. It is not what makes dynamite explode and is commonly used as a solvent.
Formaldehyde is found in cigarette smoke. Formaldehyde preserves the dead.
Formaldehyde is also used in small quantities to form the cases of pills that are internally taken.
Geraniol is found in cigarettes. Geraniol is also found in pesticides.
Geraniol is also used in artificial flavorings, especially citrusy fruits.
Acetone is found in cigarette smoke. Acetone also removes nail polish.
Acetone is also naturally produced in the body as part of the metabolic process. It is useful in treating epileptic attacks.
Hydrazine is found in cigarettes. Hydrazine is also found in rocket fuel.
Hydrazine is highly toxic and unstable, and you don't want to inhale it.
Cadmium is found in cigarettes. Cadmium is also found in batteries.
Cadmium is toxic and carcinogenic.
Cinnemaldyhyde is found in cigarettes. Cinnemaldehyde is also found in pet repellant.
1. They misspelled this. It is actually cinnamaldehyde.
2. It is the chemical that gives cinnamon its flavor. It is also used to flavor foods and as an anti-cancer agent.
Methanol is found in cigarettes. Methanol is also found in antifreeze.
Methanol should not be ingested. It is most commonly used as a solvent.
Urea is found in cigarettes. Urea is also found in Pee.
Urea is also found naturally in the body throughout the bloodstream and in your sweat.
Yes Rachel forget all that sense you are trying to make and remember that cigarettes are bad so it doesn't matter what faulty rhetoric they say to support ant-smoking.
ReplyDeleteAnti- not ant smoking. I don't care if ants die.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand...what are we arguing about again?
ReplyDeleteRachel and I were annoyed and semi-entertained by the unethical and hilarious fallacies and hypocrisy of the Anti-Tobacco groups. I was also annoyed by their high saddled animals.
ReplyDelete