|
U-Know! Forum » Just heard on the radio... |
Log In to post a reply
|
|
|
|
| Topic View: Flat | Threaded | |
sanshee 1080 posts |
Sep 29, 2009, 10:32
|
||
|
handofdave wrote: We don't question luxury taxes, in most cases, do we? What is a luxury? Something that people can live without. Same as with 'sin' products... Let's hike up car taxes even further to compensate for those too lazy too walk to the shops then (from what I see there's tons of it about).Laziness really is a 'sin', right?. We can even blame that one on obesity levels and other health problems. Even if you use your car sensibly, if you really need it for work etc, let's blame everyone and lump em all in together in the name of 'taxation'. x
|
|||
|
sanshee 1080 posts |
Sep 29, 2009, 10:37
|
||
|
Yes,,on our news last night. I also heard it's never ever been carried out anywhere in Europe, minimum pricing. So it's based on nothing 'cept some dubious number crunching. Anyway, I've been subject to 'University findings' as a student. Your sitting eating your sarnies, someone hovers over with a clipboard and asks you questions about your lifestyle, usually through a 'multiple choice' route, and that's the science of it. Sorry, this whole idea is hair brained, punitive, and ever so condescending. Grrrr! x
|
|||
|
duckbreath 254 posts |
Sep 29, 2009, 21:34
|
||
|
Not sure about 'dubious number crunching.' It's simple economics isn't it? You increase the price you reduce demand.... You can see it as condescending and punitive if you choose too but I guess there is an argument that preventing alcohol related deaths and illness saves a lot of NHS cash. It just depends on your idea of the government motives. I think they are more interested in saving cash than telling people how to live. I'm no SNP supporter but there's not many examples of them trying to be Nanny State in the new labour style - they oppose ID cards, they've ended ring-fenced funding for local authorities, they've toned down the rhetoric on zero tolerance policing, they're trying to bring down the number of people in prison and expand summary justice. I like the Brew Dog beer though.
|
|||
|
sanshee 1080 posts |
Edited Sep 29, 2009, 22:12
Sep 29, 2009, 21:55
|
||
|
As I said, it will affect the less well off more than the better off, who won't have to give a flying feck and continue regardless. We're talking old guys sitting with their friends in pubs here, enjoying a modest dram before tea time paying the same levy as Lord fwarfwar on his triple malt or whatever. Those things still rankle with me. Socialsim in action it ain't. Then again what to expect from this lot? EDIT: As for saving money/improving our health they just squandered 2m on the 'Active Nation Scottish Cup'. http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/New-39healthy39-Scottish-Cup-.5666431.jp *THE REBRANDING of Scottish football's premier cup competition to promote healthy living was last night dismissed as "ridiculous" because major alcohol companies remain prominent sponsors of the game.* Priceless! x
|
|||
handofdave 3515 posts |
Sep 29, 2009, 22:13
|
||
|
I hate to put it this way, but it's obvious to me that much of our mutual anglo society isn't very bright. It tends towards pseudo-science. It tends towards the idea that it can abuse itself thru unhealthy living and someone else will rescue them later. It gravitates towards whatever source that's pumping out feel-good-ism instead of good advice. Some people NEED a nanny state to keep them from destroying themselves. Not pretty, but true.
|
|||
|
duckbreath 254 posts |
Edited Sep 29, 2009, 22:35
Sep 29, 2009, 22:32
|
||
|
What is the socialist response to the highest rate of alcohol related deaths in Europe anyway? The alcohol-related death rate is 574% of the national average in Shettleston, Glasgow. The evidence says the policy is going to save a significant number of lives. It's a no-brainer for government. No one has an automatic right to cheap booze.
|
|||
Ziggypop 300 posts |
Sep 30, 2009, 00:29
|
||
|
duckbreath wrote: What is the socialist response to the highest rate of alcohol related deaths in Europe anyway? The alcohol-related death rate is 574% of the national average in Shettleston, Glasgow. The evidence says the policy is going to save a significant number of lives. It's a no-brainer for government. No one has an automatic right to cheap booze. No One has an automatic right to cheap booze...Except the people who make the laws it seems..What I object to more is the bars in parliament are excempt from tax and excempt from the laws regarding smoking in the workplace..Which means their booze and fags are the cheapest in the UK. Out of interest what is the average cost of Alchohol in Shettleston? and evidence, what is the evidence that raising the price will reduce deaths?
|
|||
|
handofdave 3515 posts |
Edited Sep 30, 2009, 01:15
Sep 30, 2009, 01:11
|
||
|
Raising prices, along with a dedicated effort to change public perceptions via the media, can have an effect. Smoking rates have plummeted in the USA as a result of these steps. You can't fight binge drinking by chiding it in TV commercials alone... you have to make it unworkable at the cash register. Some here seem to think that alcoholics should be a protected demographic. I'm totally unable to understand that rationale. There's nothing noble about protecting the 'right' of anyone to sink into a protracted dependency, no matter what their economic status. Are we suggesting that the poor need to be fought for so that they can have the same freedom to become piss drunk junkies as their wealthier cousins? That's a weird application of civil rights, to be sure.
|
|||
Squid Tempest 8761 posts |
Sep 30, 2009, 10:49
|
||
|
handofdave wrote: I hate to put it this way, but it's obvious to me that much of our mutual anglo society isn't very bright. It tends towards pseudo-science. It tends towards the idea that it can abuse itself thru unhealthy living and someone else will rescue them later. It gravitates towards whatever source that's pumping out feel-good-ism instead of good advice. Some people NEED a nanny state to keep them from destroying themselves. Not pretty, but true. Some people might need nannying, but the vast majority don't. Yet they still have to suffer being told what they should and shouldn't do. In my book the state is far too controlling, at the expense of general freedoms. As for pseudo-science, it is often that and the misuse of statistics (a similar evil) that are used by governments in their twisted reasoning to justify these removals of freedom.
|
|||
|
Ziggypop 300 posts |
Sep 30, 2009, 12:53
|
||
|
I'm not saying there isn't a problem and alchohol is the worst drug I have ever taken by far but for the vast majority of people that drink it is a social thing and not a problem and raising prices is not going to help the people with problems it's just going to hit the pockets of the poorest people who do use alchohol as their only means of socialising. Sorry about the tone of my other posts I was just out my face on cheap booze ;-P
|
| Pages: 6 – [ Previous | 1 2 3 4 5 6 | Next ] | Add a reply to this topic |
|
|
|
| U-Know! Forum Index | |
