Tuesday, May 31, 2011
You smoke? You pay, by Richard Martineau
Richard Martineau
16/01/2011 05h20
My column on Monday about smoking got me a great deal of correspondence. Several readers have written to tell me that I was too compassionate to addicted to nicotine.
My taxes and fees
"If smokers want to be sick, I do not want to take my tax they seek care," wrote me Denis Côté.
Even thought the side of Georges Riquier:
"Smokers know they may die of cancer, but before dying, they will be treated in the health care system that supports me financially with my taxes," he writes.
"In addition, they will use perhaps up to the hospital as me and my family could not use it because the hospital is full ..."
Quick question, like this ...
How many of these players are regular exercise, eat no salt, avoid red meat and processed meats, are not overweight and drink alcohol moderately, as recommended by doctors?
I'm curious to know ...
Big Brother
What you want, exactly?
The government kept a file listing the lifestyle of every Quebecer to know who among us deserves to receive free health care?
You want the government starts to monitor what you eat, if you're running, how many glasses of wine you drink a day if you walk to work or if you use your car?
With a 1-800 number that would allow you to denounce your neighbors? ("My brother-in-law says he does not smoke, but I saw him the other day trying to smoke a cigarette in his court, and it seemed to be in his third beer ...")
That is the Quebec of your dreams?
Cancer dunce
Why not expand this approach to the education system, for that matter?
"You never read at home and you do not look as stupid quiz shows or reality shows? Then you'll pay your education, there is no question that takes my taxes and fees to try to teach a twit who refuses to make the intellectual effort required for its development!"
Citizens should also pass the tests of political culture to see if they are able to exercise their voting rights or not.
After all, I do not want my taxes and fees to allow the ignorant to elect the person who will guide me!
Final stage
I remind you that smokers already pay many, many taxes, and that each poff to take part in the coffers of the state.
If the taxes levied on cigarette packages were used to pay for a stadium than a billion dollars rather than fund our health system, it is not their fault, but our smart bureaucrats mismanage our money.
Moreover, if governments were also concerned that by smoking it, they would crack down against those Indians who brazenly break the law by selling cigarettes at low prices (and to minors), instead of watching them go idly by ...
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An unhealthy climate, by Richard Martineau
Richard Martineau
11/01/2011 06h36
We would think that with the election of Barack Obama, U.S. Republicans have learned their lesson and changed the disk.
They have stopped supplying the paranoid ravings of the extremists that plague their ranks to provide a more intelligent discourse, speaking more to reason than emotion.
But no.
If anything, it's even worse than before.
An irresponsible speech
As I write these lines, it is not known yet whether the shooting that left six dead in Arizona on Saturday (and which nearly cost the life of the Parliamentary Democratic Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head) was a political gesture.
But one thing is certain: the aggressive and provocative speeches of some figures of the Republican Party has certainly not helped to calm the weak and impressionable.
On the contrary.
Publish, as did Sarah Palin last year, a map of the United States "targeting" twenty Democrats who had the misfortune to support reform of the health system (showing the politicians as they were in the line of fire of a killer) is not only unworthy of a woman who sought the presidency, but it is totally irresponsible.
It's fine, use war metaphors to talk about politics (everyone has done since Sun Tzu and Machiavelli, so that it is quite a cliché), but past a certain point it becomes dangerous.
Piss vinegar
The Republicans have they nothing but rage and anger about the American people?
We can think what you want about the current president. Find it fails to deliver the goods or believe that its economic program is "anti-American" because too interventionist. But like it or not, we must recognize a high quality to Obama: the man is intelligent.
When he speaks to citizens, it does not attempt to exploit fears, their fears and frustrations, it is aimed at their head, he invited them to participate in a debate of ideas, discuss, share.
What do the Republicans, themselves?
They pour vinegar on the wounds of the left-pourcompte system hoping that it will raise the curtains.
It is the degree zero of political discourse.
We adopt this kind of strategy when it no longer has any new idea to propose, when you find yourself short of arguments to convince anyone.
Lessons learned
After decades of "constitutionality" acute, we are witnessing the return of the debate "left-right" in Quebec.
Good. It was time.
But I hope the level of discussion will never fall as low as one must endure our neighbors to the south for twenty years.
A vigorous debate, yes. Discussions tough, I hope so. After all, a good spat has never hurt anyone. But I do not see what would benefit our society to see our politicians, our commentators and our activists are rolling in the mud, hurling insults.
And feed the frustration of the people by carrying conspiracy theories and unsubstantiated rumors.
A wish
When is a Republican candidate who will raise the level of debate and revive the glorious history of the party of Abraham Lincoln?
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