Forum Post: Quick question about individual rights and freedoms-
Posted 11 years ago on Nov. 30, 2012, 3:20 p.m. EST by billybelch
(10)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Should the government try to do anything to prevent individuals from smoking, eating too much, or being sexually promiscuous? If so, why?
Thanks.
You are a little late - they already are and you can't do a damm thing about it.
No. The government should not have the right to tell us what we can and cannot eat, drink, smoke, injest, etc.
But should they try to convince us to modify these behaviors? If so, why?
No. Because freedom of thought, and practice thereof, should be based on individual choice not government involvement. Take GMOs for example:
Say the government stated that you needed to injest 6 toxic tomatoes a day for a healthy mind. Sounds good on paper. However, in reality the tomatoes are genetically altered to cause dermatitis. The facts don't come out until after the fact and more propaganda campaigns subvert the entire truth. So these tomatoes become mainstream use and there suddenly is a breakout of dermatitis globally. The government finally addresses the issue and states that the tomato contimantion was an oversight and to eat their new GMOS product that is "much safer."
In conclusion the government has no place at our dinner table, nor in our bodies.
No - that is individual personal choice. What they can do is set standards for manufactured food products and regulate tobacco. So they have got tobacco regulation happening..........................................
Cool. So you would say you're against Bloomberg's ban on large sodas?
Personal choice - What is used to make a soda? not so much.
What? And you're against higher taxes on cigarettes too?
Didn't say that - you just did.
Okay, I thought that's what you meant when you said "they have got tobacco regulation happening" my bad.
So, if you do think it's acceptable to charge people higher taxes on tobacco, how come?
And when you said "what is used to make a soda", did you mean the person making it should have to disclose what's in it, or the government should tell them what they can put in it?
I think the society should decide together that corps should not sell us products that kill or hurt us.
cigs? s/b illegal. excessive sugar/high fructose MUST be controlled. It is killing us! Alcohol, We tried & failed but we are correct in making it illegal for kids (that should probably be 18 yrs)
Does that help you understand.?
Kind of... but I still think we should do what lowers health care costs for EVERYONE, and let people have the freedom to do what makes them happy. I do not understand how corporations are forcing people to buy cigarettes or tricking them into thinking they are healthy.
Your inability to understand how corps do it does not exclude the factthat they do.
It happens. Some people are weak. Others just misinformed, Still others not so bright, And finally some that do not care.
Whatever, the people (society) through our govt shoulddecide these issues. Can't just leave it corps, they care only for profit. not the health of people, or the cost to healthcare.
Tobacco is a personal choice item - a personal choice item that is unhealthy - it is in the nature of the material - tobacco - so yeah tax the hell out of it and pump that tax money into health care. BTW - I smoke tobacco - wish I had never tried it - but there ya go - I did - and now from time to time I will still try to quit.
Soda is also a personal choice item - but where tobacco is harmful in it's nature - soft drinks do not have to be harmful - as in containing cancer causing dye or sweeteners etc. The contents of soda can be controlled - and should be.
But that is in cold-hearted disregard to the desires of the individual.
A person will not be able to afford as much of the things they want if you "tax the ** out of them"
Why not do what is best for the greater good, and lowers health care costs the most? People are going to make bad decisions, so let's just lessen the impact on everyone else by lowering health care costs.
Health care cost in this country is insane - and it is because it is run - FOR PROFIT and no one has looked into regulating limiting that profit. Another victim of Greed = Health - and that is not just in the health care system.
Well, I wasn't really talking about the health care system in general.
I am asking why we should raise health care costs on everyone by preventing people from smoking.
How is preventing people from smoking to much raising health care cost on everyone? If cost is a limiting factor to use - good. If the lions share of sales of cigarettes/tobacco is funneled into health care - how is that raising the cost of health care for everyone else?
No - the more items that are sold to the public that contain health hazards that cause cancers or other illnesses - that is where health care costs increase for everyone because everyone is getting sick and so needing to put their money into the health care process for their treatment. This also is effected by how much money actually goes to caring for people and how much money goes to profiting off of the ill.
Ah, I'm afraid your predetermined conclusions have gotten in the way. :(
The lifetime health care cost total for a smoker is lower than a non-smoker. Same goes for an obese person.
If public health care expenditures are the deciding factor, then it would follow that the government should lower health care expenditures by encouraging people to smoke.
You work for Phillip Morris ?
Nope, I just like pwning people in debates. :)
For the record, I do not want the government to try and convince people to smoke. That is just as absurd as making other people pay for the poor choices of others, banning cigarettes, or illogically collecting higher taxes on them.
In some states they already are.
Good question.
Another question I have about individual rights and freedoms for the posters here is why OWS was all about Egypt and how revolution was the answer to Egypts problems and how they encouraged and supported the people of Egypt a year ago, and SILENT NOW while the people of Egypt pour into the streets again because the NEW regime is the same as, or worse than, the OLD regime???
http://rt.com/news/egypt-morsi-no-revolution-847/
http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/11/25/251598.html
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=7&ved=0CEwQqQIoADAG&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.albawaba.com%2Fnews%2Finnocence-of-muslims-453236&ei=Zh25UJuaLKroiwK_3oGIDA&usg=AFQjCNGv3wdyC--cEWJUAbJYsUKJpFxfsw
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/world/middleeast/panel-drafting-egypts-constitution-prepares-quick-vote.html
Why are the individual rights and freedoms of the Egyptian people JUST as important today as they were a year ago?
Why is it that so many people were ignored when they warned EVERYONE that the Muslim Brotherhood's goal WAS to take power and create a dictatorship operating under sharia law?
Why aren't people apologizing to those who were right?
And why aren't those who were so passionate about Egypt's "revolution" saying ANYTHING today?
Well because I think that was the outcome they had hoped for.
You may be right.
Because they ad their head up their ass and were unable to accept anything outside of their narrow minds.