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Abnormal action -- Plan to slur tobacco pushers Orwellian in the extreme
Calgary Sun ^ | July 23, 2002 | Paul Jackson

Posted on 07/23/2002 5:05:10 AM PDT by Clive

I'm so glad to see hockey great Wayne Gretzky is unabashedly a cigar aficionado and movie star Russell Crowe refuses to be cowed from smoking his Marlboro cigarettes.

It's said fanatics are individuals who have forgotten their real aims but have redoubled their efforts. This has to apply to the frenzied anti-smoking brigade -- whose members have now become so fanatical about socially engineering society they would merit a chapter in George Orwell's frightening novel 1984.

Apparently, it's not enough Ottawa should try and tax the tobacco industry out of existence or put hypocritical messages on packages of cigarettes --for now it's considering portraying industry executives as "manipulative and scheming" and spreading "lies" to sell its products.

Yup, Health Canada is pondering a proposal to try and further undermine the tobacco industry and attack smokers with an campaign of "denormalization."

"Denormalization" -- now that's a heavy word.

Somewhat sinister and reminiscent of the "re-education" camps to which dissidents were sent in Communist countries to have their minds revamped.

The idea of "denormalization" campaigns comes from the U.S. where some anti-smoking zealots decided governments shouldn't simply warn people of the health dangers allegedly associated with smoking -- the thrust had to be to turn people off the cigarette companies themselves by portraying them as part of an "illegitimate" industry staffed by individuals using deceitful tactics to get people hooked on cigarettes.

Health Canada -- once the fiefdom of the sanctimonious Allan Rock, but now under the guidance of the more rational Anne McLellan -- is now studying a 78-page report prepared by University of Regina associate professor Anne Lavack which urges Ottawa to follow the lead of these zealots in the U.S. and start a "denormalization" campaign against the industry in Canada.

Suggests Lavack: "The objective of these tobacco denormalization campaigns is to point out negative traits of the tobacco industry, including the opportunistic, manipulative, mendacious and unethical activities in which the industry engages."

Please ponder those words: "Opportunistic. Manipulative. Mendacious. Unethical."

Remember that Lavack is aiming them at a perfectly legal industry run by business executives who have never been convicted of a criminal offence.

They also likely have families, are good neighbours, and probably likely community workers.

Just like the rest of us.

But under Lavack's "denormalization" campaign they would be portrayed as extremely unsavoury characters.

Now, we all know Rock and his Lib-Left adherents would like to socially engineer Canadians in many, many ways to produce a docile, grey society of government-controlled serfs.

Yet if I were on the board of directors of a tobacco company and were described -- even if somewhat indirectly -- of being manipulative and mendacious, I'd be taking legal advice with an aim to launch a million-dollar lawsuit.

Lavack actually talks about the campaign focusing on the "lies" put out by the tobacco industry's personnel -- and uses other words of that ilk such as "scheming."

Again, her words, and again heavy words.

Well, since the Jean Chretien's government has already earmarked almost $400 million of the taxpayers' money to be spent on anti-smoking campaigns if the "denormalization" approach gets the green light, we can expect a barrage of advertising designed to denigrate, dehumanize and demonize the industry and the people working in it.

The word from McLellan's office is while she and her officials are indeed looking at the idea of a "denormalization" campaign, McLellan -- being more cautious than her predecessor -- is somewhat worried about the legal ramifications of it all. Our libel laws are far tougher than those south of the border -- you can't go trashing people without solid evidence.

Yet even if you don't smoke -- and don't even feel particularly sympathetic to the tobacco industry -- what should frighten you is the very idea of a campaign of this kind, because, after these people have dealt with the tobacco executives, as well as their families and staff, who will be next on the list for a "denormalization" process?

It truly is Orwellian.

That's why we should all shudder.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: pufflist
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1 posted on 07/23/2002 5:05:10 AM PDT by Clive
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To: Great Dane; liliana; Alberta's Child; Entropy Squared; Rightwing Canuck; Loyalist; canuckwest; ...
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2 posted on 07/23/2002 5:05:58 AM PDT by Clive
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To: Clive
Coming to a fast food place near you...and soon, I fear...
3 posted on 07/23/2002 5:11:03 AM PDT by neutrino
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To: Clive
I wonder if they know how unhealthy the "gay lifestyle" is...
4 posted on 07/23/2002 5:13:03 AM PDT by 2banana
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To: 2banana
Worse'n tobacco.
5 posted on 07/23/2002 5:13:51 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck
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To: neutrino
Holy Moses! You mean cigarrette companies are run by people just looking to turn a buck? You mean I'm not...normal cause I smoke? I'll quit right now!

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. Morons.
6 posted on 07/23/2002 5:16:09 AM PDT by Lizard_King
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To: HiTech RedNeck
Yep - by every measure - quality of life, decrease in life expectancy, related violence, suicide rate - you name the category, the gay lifestyle is one of the most unhealthy ways of living. I am surprised no government agency has cracked down on it - after all it is for the health of the children.
7 posted on 07/23/2002 5:17:44 AM PDT by 2banana
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To: 2banana
Look on it as evolution in action.
8 posted on 07/23/2002 5:21:36 AM PDT by Clive
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To: Clive
Yep, to make smoking as dangerous as the gay lifestyle, one would first have to jam that cigarette in the, er, 'cornhole' of a few dozen complete strangers...THEN smoke it.
9 posted on 07/23/2002 5:25:36 AM PDT by Petronski
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To: 2banana
Its not quite as unhealthy as the abortion industry.
10 posted on 07/23/2002 5:27:59 AM PDT by Khepera
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To: Clive; Max McGarrity; SheLion
I love the smell of coffee and cigarette smoke in the mornings!
11 posted on 07/23/2002 5:30:04 AM PDT by Fred Mertz
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To: Clive
Let's see - in Canuckland, if you enjoy a nice Ashton now and then, you
are some kind of mentally imbalanced, unsavory deviant, yet
this same nation of bacon munchers is welcoming U.S. marajuana smokers as oppressed political refugees?
12 posted on 07/23/2002 6:12:20 AM PDT by Wm Bach
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To: Wm Bach
"Let's see - in Canuckland, if you enjoy a nice Ashton now and then, you are some kind of mentally imbalanced, unsavory deviant, yet this same nation of bacon munchers is welcoming U.S. marajuana smokers as oppressed political refugees?"

You've got it.

Which is why I keep thinking that I have fallen down a rabbit hole.

Or to put it another way: This sure as hell isn't Kansas.

13 posted on 07/23/2002 6:17:04 AM PDT by Clive
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To: Clive; Just another Joe; Gabz; Great Dane; Max McGarrity; Tumbleweed_Connection; red-dawg; ...
Yet even if you don't smoke -- and don't even feel particularly sympathetic to the tobacco industry -- what should frighten you is the very idea of a campaign of this kind, because, after these people have dealt with the tobacco executives, as well as their families and staff, who will be next on the list for a "denormalization" process?

Frightening

14 posted on 07/23/2002 6:47:50 AM PDT by SheLion
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To: SheLion
who will be next on the list for a "denormalization" process?

How about conservatives, or Christians, in general? Actually, I think we have been on that list for some time.

15 posted on 07/23/2002 6:54:26 AM PDT by dinasour
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To: dinasour
The list of tax sources and paydays for lawyers is endless. Saw the guy who started the tobacco scam ranting the nerits of his fast food scam last nite.

Whats scary is the neocons will go along with the left wing idiots on much of this, they like the money and power.
16 posted on 07/23/2002 7:09:53 AM PDT by steve50
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To: Clive
Yes, it's almost surreal.
17 posted on 07/23/2002 7:18:14 AM PDT by Zon
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To: Clive
"Denormalization" -- now that's a heavy word. Heavy word yes, but what she really means is DEMONIZATION,
18 posted on 07/23/2002 7:20:53 AM PDT by Great Dane
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To: Clive
"Or to put it another way: This sure as hell isn't Kansas."

Nope, not even close ......... yet. :`)

19 posted on 07/23/2002 7:23:31 AM PDT by KS Flyover
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To: dinasour
How about conservatives, or Christians, in general? Actually, I think we have been on that list for some time.

I'm really fed-up with this! And they wonder why we get nasty streaks. heh!

20 posted on 07/23/2002 7:31:31 AM PDT by SheLion
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