In economics its called the law of unintended consequences. The government tries to pass a law that is beneficial and the law has the totally opposite effect. The U.S. Government ended subsidies to U.S. tobacco farmers hoping that they would start growing some other crop. Now they are growing more tobacco than ever. What do you think other nations are saying about U.S. tobacco growers exporting the evil weed to their countries?
9 comments:
I would never be able to grow tobacco because I could not be responsible for killing thousands a day!
In other countries, smoking is the norm and socially acceptable. Although they will be unhappy due to their growing number of addicts, it is still profitable countries. European countries for example accept smoking as part of their everydays lives. So the business of tobacco will thrive their. They don't have the rules that say that you have to smoke outside or the ban of smoking in resturants. Their the tobacco industy will thrive, unlike here where smoking is shot down completely.
Don't tobacco farmers know they are killing millions of people by growing tobacco to put in cigaretts. But not only that they are aslo killing even more people because of second hand smoke. Even though the tobacco busness makes lots of money but most of that money is used to kill even more people around the world. I think that governmets that are concerned with the health of the people they should stop buying the tobacco from the farmers to make the cigaretts.
Tobacco farmers are not responsible for killing millions of Americans. These Americans are responsible for themselves. They have the free will to decide whether or not to smoke and they should know the health risks (I don't know how anyone could not, since it is federal law for warnings to be put on cigarettes). If they want to quit, there are plenty of people, resources, and organizations to help quit. People are responsible for their own decisions. Sure, if there were no tobacco farmers in the US, there would not be as many smokers, but, even if this was the case, tobacco would probably still be grown illegally or simply imported (legally or no) from foreign nations, just like drugs are today.
The tobacco farmers aren't not responsible for the deaths of smokers. The smokers buy the cigarettes, smoke the cigarettes and take the consequences along with it. As Titi said, in Europe and a lot of other countries in the world, smoking is a lot more accepted in everyday life. When I was in Germany and Spain this year, it wasn't unusual for every person in the room to be smoking. It's apart of culture. Apart of life. Cigarettes were so much cheaper in Spain than anywhere else. I think it is idiotic that in America that smoking is banned in so many places and society looks so down on it and people that smoke. Smokers are seen as these evil people. WHILE, drinking is much more accepted in society, though alcohol has its own significant number of deaths. I think taxing the farmers is dumb. If we can profit from others countries buying our tobacco, then why not? I would have no trouble sleeping if I was a tobacco farmer because I didn't put the cigarette in the persons hand. They did it themselves.
Well, economically, tobacco is amazing, but it does play a detremental role in the health and well being of all United States citizens (i.e.: smoking and second hand smoking). Tobacco companies have funded most health research organizations, so it'd seem reasonable to support the industry. If anything tobacco ameliorates society.
Well, at least those farmers are finally benifitting in an area that has been so small for so long. And, no subsidies only helps those graphs look nicer without surplus or shortage.
Although it is true that Americans are responsible for themselves and their own health, I still believe that tobacco companies should not exist. The tobacco farmers should realize that what they are producing, while it may be bringing them money, is a market which kills people every day. If there is no tobacco being sold, there will be less smoking cigarettes, thus better health for many people.
Smoking will continue to exist, regardless of where tobacco is grown. It's a part of too many people's lives or cultures. As such, since tobacco demands need to be fulfilled anyway, American farmers might as well profit off of the crop. It would only be an issue if farmers also decided to switch production completely towards tobacco.
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