Re: Re: Re: Re: yet another US electile disfunction commentary

[Michael Perelman <michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Doug, the question was one of the welfare effects of the taxes.  The
question you ask makes any answer more complex.  Bombarding a child with
advertisements makes rational decision making somewhat unclear.  If, I
were to assert that high cigarette taxes were a legitimate way were a
legitimate means of counteracting advertisements, as well as product
placement in the movies, then I guess I would be opening the door to host
of social controls -- some of which I would find offensive.


On Tue, Nov 21, 2000 at 01:30:11PM -0500, Doug Henwood wrote:
> Michael Perelman wrote:
>
> >True enough, but don't the adverse consequences of tobacco hit the
> >working-class
> >harder?  So, discouraging smoking by taxes might have positive
> >consequences over the
> >long run.
>
> Shouldn't people decide for themselves whether to smoke? Do you think
> you should prescribe their diet too?
>
> Doug
>

--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929

Tel. 530-898-5321
E-Mail michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx