Truth Hurts

"A little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical."               Thomas Jefferson New Zealand, 10th April 2005.  It is four months to the day that anti smoking laws were introduced in bars and restaurants throughout the land described as a democracy.  One suspects North Korea will send agents to inspect our South Pacific version of communism.  It will stop them feeling politically lonely. As commonsense predicted, trying to change human nature has failed.  Smokers still smoke but do their drinking at home.  The bars are slowing dramatically and 40% have lost up to 30% of their income.  Income from gambling machines has also dropped considerably. Gamblers, like regular bar patrons, tend to be smokers.  Everybody loses.  Jobs have disappeared, bars can't pay the rent and landlords can't pay their expenses.  With the onset of winter, the inevitable will happen.  Smokers will refuse to stand out in the cold and light up inside.  Why should they pay through the nose for a drink and then be barred from doing what comes naturally?  Many bars are ignoring the ban completely because they have no choice. Even the much touted health statistics have been shown to be politically manipulated. Smokers are officially regarded as mobile health hazzards, yet 85% live a normal life span. That's about the same percentages as non smokers, who can also get cancer.  Evidence has emerged that if we inherit the wrong genes and smoke.  There is a 15% chance that we may get lung cancer. That's about the same odds as being gay.  In fact we are in more potential danger driving in rush hour traffic than we ever will be from smoking.  Incidently, my entire family smoke and our average lifespan is 92 cancer free years.  Somehow I don't think the smoking world is going to take the slightest notice of the politicians.  Nor will it stop spinning. Considering all political careers end in failure, just what is this non smoking agenda all about?  In New Zealand there has been a large degree of arrogance and the assumption that politicians know best.  It is fact that political careers appeal mainly to the mediocre people in society.  Those with initiative and gumption realise such choices will inevitably fail and steer a more practical course in life.  Thus, we can conclude that certain politicians regard themselves as superior and have decided to force their opinion down everybody's throat.  Naturally, banning smoking appeals to the majority of the population, who never go near bars.  Known as the Jackass Mentality, they couldn't careless about anything that doesn't affect them and will presumedly vote for the politician promoting the ban.  Work it out for yourself.  It's election year in Godzone. The political concept is a disservice to the public.  New Zealand politicians were elected to provide the basic infrastructure to make society viable.  Not to dictate how we should live our lives.  Considering only 20% of cigarette taxes are spent on smoking related diseases, greed for money plays a major part.  Public money brings power to the politicians.  It's got absolutely nothing to do with health concerns.  Have a look at the dementia wards in Rest Homes where bodies have outlived brains.  Is this good management of human resources? The smoking ban is about greed for power.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.