Seriously thoughtful Contemplating the Onuissance

[Lady Blue]

Originally Posted by tompe

Why use loaded terms like punishment. Why not saying that you try to steer peoples behavior instead which is the intention?

I'm not sure I understand your post here. I don't know if you misunderstood me, or if I'm misunderstanding you.

I was responding to HarryT's post below about punishing smokers, who was responding to pilotbob's post about tripling the cost of cigarettes to discourage their use.

I too, think "punishment" is a loaded term for doing something that is legal. My disagreement with that term is what my post was trying to convey.

Originally Posted by pilotbob

[snipped] . . . A higher tax on incandescent lights that makes the price at the register closer to, or more than the "green" lights, a progressive tax on gasoline so the more you buy the higher the tax rate gets, triple the price of cigarettes to discourage their use. [snipped]

BOb

Originally Posted by HarryT

But, nonetheless, it's one which many countries have adopted, with considerable success. It both gives people an incentive to give up smoking and simultaneously punishes those who choose to continue, despite knowing the issues involved in doing so.

[wodin]

Originally Posted by Lady Blue

I'm not sure I understand your post here. I don't know if you misunderstood me, or if I'm misunderstanding you.

I was responding to HarryT's post below about punishing smokers, who was responding to pilotbob's post about tripling the cost of cigarettes to discourage their use.

I too, think "punishment" is a loaded term for doing something that is legal. My disagreement with that term is what my post was trying to convey.

If it is in fact punishment, or encouragement to modify a destructive behavior, but it's obviously neither of those; its pure and simple greed.

It is a well known fact that an addict will pay whatever price is necessary to obtain his/her drug of choice. And if the drug of choice happens to be legal, like tobacco or alcohol; Why what a cash cow that turns out to be! Also quite convenient to lie about!