[Mr. Silverback]

Thank you, at least I’m serving as a good example for somebody. I’m sure my grandfather would be proud, had he not died of emphysema in 1993. Of course, now I’m sure I’ll hear a rousing chorus about how I’m letting persoanl feelings get in the way, blah, blah blah. Sorry, not buying today. And I’m sure you’re going to declare victory and tell me that I’m admitting you’re correct when I don’t engage in a long debate with you over your interpretations of study data, but the real reason I’m not going to is that it’s like debating the length of the boat Washington crossed the Delaware in when the question at hand is “Does the United States exist?” In other words, it would be a waste of my time.

Eric, you dilute the argument when you encourage this “smoking is healthy” crapola whether it’s real or not. Who gives a crap if smoking is healthy or not? The state has no right to interfere with its use if it is or if it isn’t.

[Hank Kerchief]

Well, I agree with you that the debate about the virtue (or lack thereof) of tobacco is not important, because my only issue is that it is pseudoscience that is being used to condemn the use of tobacco, and it is the same junk science being use to promote the global warming scam and that any government’s use of such outright lies needs to be exposed. Though ultimately, the populace has been so dumbed-down, that probably does not matter either.

Your response to Eric, is absolutely correct, “The state has no right to interfere with its use if it is or if it isn’t [healthy]”.

It is the state’s use of outright lies to impose their unjust and immoral oppression that is my point.

Hank

[Eric Blair 2084]

Eric, you dilute the argument when you encourage this “smoking is healthy” crapola whether it’s real or not. Who gives a crap if smoking is healthy or not? The state has no right to interfere with its use if it is or if it isn’t.

I think you have me confused with somebody else Mr. S. I never claimed that lighting a leaf on fire and ingesting thousands of chemicals into your lungs was the equivalent of health food. It's not. I'm not exactly coming down off the mountain with the tablets with that little tidbit. I don't think we needed a Gubmint department and billions of dollars in grants to "researchers" to tell us that.

My only contention is that the risks are very much overblown as we all know people who have smoked and lived into their 80's and beyond, they are prima facie evidence that tobacco is not cyanide.

Coercing people to change their legal behavior is not a legitimate government function.