They call it progress?

"Politicians have killed more people in the last 100 years than a million years of smoking ever  will."  Broughton New Zealand is the IPod version of Paradise Lost.  It needs updated software and a political recharge. Two years ago today the New Zealand Government introduced legislation banning smoking in bars, restaurants and work places.  Allegedly seeking advice from the four million population, they received 400 submissions for or against the idea.  That's means only 0.01% of the public bothered offering suggestions.  This is understandable considering public submissions are inevitably ignored by politicians, so why bother?  Advertising for submissions is simply a glossy public relations exercise of going through the motions of pretending to be a democracy.  This is normal practice with politicians: especially socialist regimes like NZ.  The dubious legislation was enacted citing public health as the major excuse.  The suggestion was that smoking killed thousand of tax payers and the country couldn't afford to lose their contributions, despite evidence that smokers paid over a billion dollars in extra taxes annually.  In reality the smoking rate was reducing because of long term education.  Is there anything wrong with the softly softly....catchee monkey approach?  It was working well. The fact that smokers (25%) and non smokers have a 100% death rate and that nothing tangible would ever be achieved, was ignored in the rush to dictate policy.  Evidence that inherited genes caused most cancers was suppressed, as was the fact that most smokers live normal life spans.  Other contrary medical evidence was also overshadowed.  Support groups such as the Smokefree Coalition were set up with public funding to support the political machine.  The carefully organised propaganda swung into action with endless information from sources paid to provide favourable intelligence.  Adolf Hitler used the same technique in the 1930's.  Like the ill-fated Germans, the average Kiwi was conned into believing the politician's ambiguous assertions. Two years later it has become obvious that the smoking ban has been disastrous for the citizens of the Long White Cloud.  Not a shred of truthful evidence has emerged proving that lives have been saved by the ban.  Cigarette sales and taxes have increased, new bars and restaurants survive a maximum of 19 months in big cities and long established outlets have experienced loss of patronage and the inevitable bankruptcies.  Social centre country pubs are almost a thing of the past.  Long term bar owning tycoons have quietly sold up and moved their millions offshore.  Many local councils have jumped on the bandwagon of arrogance and banned smoking in publically owned parks and sports grounds.  The legitimate use of these facilities is declining as teenagers rarely take up recreational sport. Smokers have always been the majority of patrons in NZ drinking establishments and bars and clubs have spent multi millions building backyard facilities to try and retain their custom.  Human nature is miscreant and non smokers have joined the few remaining smokers in the outside lean-tos.  The propaganda scenario that second hand smoke kills is clearly disregarded by most patrons.  Footpaths are littered with cigarette butts where smokers congregate outside bars.  In Upper Hutt recently, two males had a violent sidewalk confrontation resulting in one dying.  Had the disagreement occurred inside the bar, responsible management would have stepped in and cooled things down.  It's obvious that obeying the smoking laws contributed to the untimely death but this fact will be ignored by the "experts" living in their world of smokefree fantasy. Initially, many speakeasies opened and sold liquor illegally.  Not one has been prosecuted by the police.  Most have since closed.  Once the novelty of speakeasies wore off, the smokers sagaciously realised that buying booze in supermarkets and drinking at home with their friends was one hell of a lot cheaper.  There's no risk of prosecution for drinking and smoking in their own backyard. Naturally there's always a price to pay for oppressive legislation.  With none of the social controls provided by experienced bar management available, excessive home drinking has caused domestic violence to increase.  The traditional home garage party now requires a security guard to keep control and dispel roaming teenage gate crashers.  Binge drinking is increasing in popularity and causing social problems with various age groups. NZ teenagers are the worst effected.  They are the most down trodden generation NZ has sired.  With their lack of worldly experience, perceived sterile employment and nothing thought provoking to do, they roam the nations streets causing mayhem.  One feels sorry for the police, they do their best but are under funded, under staffed and can't be everywhere at once.  Making law and order almost impossible, many councils have passed the social buck by banning drinking and socialising in their CBD's and parks.  School playgrounds are the current venues for out of control teens to stamp their feet in anger.  However, NZ teenagers are very resourceful. When one door closes, they invariably open another and discover the drug crazed world that shatters their youthful innocence.  NZ is a world leader in youth suicide. The older person is more philosophical and has adapted to drinking at home but tends to overindulge because there are none of the normal drinking restraints that bartenders provide. For some obscure reason politicians want to control every aspect of human behaviour. Will alcohol be yet another scare tactic used to control the people's lives?  No doubt there are fantasies of a smoke and booze free NZ on the political horizon.  Will the last intelligent person to leave please turn out the lights of dissatisfaction? If NZ society turns nasty, how many of today's teenagers will take up arms to defend the politician's fantasies?  What about older generations?  Do they harmonize with the obvious rumblings of discontent.  The answer is in D minor- sharp-flat and plain to see.  Count me out Comrade, says Mr Initiative.  There are 700 of us freedom fighters leaving town every week.  Your over zealous laws and financial greed have made NZ a social and economical minefield.  We like to walk on our own two feet and make up our own minds how we live our lives.  Thank you for nothing and goodbye. In the last two years, 72,800 John Wayne's have ridden off into the sunset of self determination.  This equals about 33% of the population of Wellington City, the capitol on New Zealand.