I hate big tobacco too, because they sold us out to protect themselves and their stockholders in the Master Settlement Agreement with our government.
You probably already know this, but I'm going to repeat what they did to us in that agreement. Every penny of that over $200 billion dollar penalty/settlement was passed on to smokers in an retail cost increase of about $.60 per pack, with our government's blessing. It was like a new federal tax without the benefit of any legislation. For betraying smokers, big tobacco bargained to protect themselves from many types of future prosecution and were guaranteed that new smaller tobacco companies would not be able to sell their products for less. With the gigantic tax increases imposed on cigarettes since, PM and the other major tobacco companies have been able to increase their profit margins by price increases hardly noticed by consumers.
Through the MSA, Big Tobacco has created a pact with our government and special interest groups, and couldn't care less about the people who purchase their products. They have every reason to sound just like their Anti partners. It's to their benefit. I am ecstatic about the Federal court decision in favor of the tobacco companies through the dismissal of racketeering conspiracy (RICO) charges, but only because it will ultimately save us money.
Phillip Morris negotiated the perfect example of "C.Y.A." Big Tobacco and our government are sounding more and more like "Animal Farm" in real life...remember, at the end of the book, when the farm animals noticed that they were having difficulty distinguishing between the farmers and the pigs, sitting inside at the table playing cards together?
Great job, Garnet. You've got the basic premises down pat - but some of the details are slightly off.
The MSA has nothing to do with the federal government, it is only with 46 of the 50 states, it was between 40 and 45 cents per pack, not 60 cents, and the new companies are still able to sell their products for less.....although PM is trying to change that. A carton of Marlboro goes for $24 in these parts, the brand I buy (when I buy them) goes for less than $13.
There has been a copy of the MSA under my desk ever since I was able to get my hands on it in 1999. I have never worked for a tobacco company, but have been fighting bans & taxes and associated crapola since 1986 or '87.