Wednesday, August 29, 2012
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The Property Rights Newsletter August 31, 2012 - Issue #676 "On the whole human beings want to be good,but not too good, and not quite all the time." - George Orwell | |
 USA: Tobacco Groups Win Challenge to FDA Cigarette Label Rule. Tobacco companies defeated a U.S. law forcing cigarette packaging and advertisements to display images such as diseased lungs, persuading a federal appeals court that the requirements violate their free speech rights. In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington today ruled that Food and Drug Administration regulations mandating visual-image warnings of smoking's health risks, along with the telephone number 1-800-QUIT-NOW, are "unabashed attempts to evoke emotion" and "browbeat consumers" to stop buying the companies' products. "These inflammatory images and the provocatively named hotline cannot rationally be viewed as pure attempts to convey information to consumers," U.S. Circuit Judge Janice Rogers Brown wrote in her majority opinion. USA: Politicians Ignore Failed "War on Drugs" at Their (and Our) Peril. By Leonard Frieling. History shows that it is often the case that politicians are behind the people in recognizing the need for change. It's time our political "leadership" provided real guidance for once and prepared a thoughtful plan for ending this failed war. Throwing more money at the war effort has not worked so far, cannot work, and must be abandoned for our losses to be cut. We've spent more than a trillion dollars on this war. It's contributed to the highest incarceration rate in the world and it's made our society less safe by incentivizing violence and the involvement of organized crime in the drug trade. USA: The Electronic Cigarettes Battle Continues. Supporters of the freedom to use e-cigarettes argue the devices are a viable nicotine replacement therapy. E-cigarettes mimic many of the physiological and psychological triggers of smoking without transmitting the toxins present in tobacco smoke. E-cigarette advocates also note the FDA's acceptance of similar nicotine replacement products at similar concentrations and point to the flawed methodology of studies showing dangers from e-cigarettes. Australia: Bid to ban cigarettes for anyone born after 2000. "This would mean that we would have a generation of people not exposed to tobacco products" The 2000 Smoke Free Generation initiative has secured the backing of Tasmania's independent upper house, the Legislative Council, and will be scrutinised by the state government. The Legislative Council is calling for a ban on cigarette sales to anyone born after the year 2000. The initiative, brought to Australia by a University of Singapore academic, means that, from the year 2018, young people who would have then come of legal age, no longer could smoke. Canada: Ontario Retailers protest contraband tobacco. Michael J. McFadden asks, "So legislators, proud of yourselves?" While fully taxed name brand cartons of 200 cigarettes sell for as much as $90 in stores, the same number of cigarettes can cost as little as $10 from a reservation. UK: Opposition to plain packaging mounts. An estimated 500,000 people have registered their opposition to the introduction of plain packaging in the UK. "Plain packaging is an assault on UK business in the midst of a double dip recession. Plain packs would be far easier to copy, and would therefore be a gift to the criminal gangs behind the illegal trade in tobacco..." World: The Decent Cigar Emporium. By James Leavey. This page is to let you know what is currently smoking well. Hand-rolled cigars are like any organic product; each one has its own unique character and different batches/years will vary in combustion, aroma and taste. World: Cigar Information. How to speak cigar, and set up a humidor. World: Smokers Blogs. Watch instant postings to your favorite blogs. | |
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Thursday, August 09, 2012
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The Property Rights Newsletter August 10, 2012 - Issue #675 "The history of free men is never really writtenby chance but by choice; their choice!" - Dwight D. Eisenhower | |
Bolivia Bans Coca Cola To Honor Mayan "End of Capitalism." Move over, Mayor Bloomberg. Your big-size soda ban was a great start, but, in the Great Soda Wars, you've been upstaged by Bolivia. The central South American country has announced that it will ban the Coca-Cola company by the end of the year. Specifically, Bolivia's Minister of External Affairs, David Choquehuanca, has said that Coca-Cola will be expelled on December 21 as that date is the same on which the Mayan calendar enters a new cycle. The reason: To celebrate the "end of capitalism."
Oregon man jailed for collecting rainwater on his property. A rural Oregon man was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail and over $1,500 in fines because he had three reservoirs on his property to collect and use rainwater. "They've just gotten to be big bullies and if you just lay over and die and give up, that just makes them bigger bullies. So, we as Americans, we need to stand on our constitutional rights, on our rights as citizens and hang tough. This is a good country, we'll prevail," he said. The 1925 law doesn't mention anything about colleting rainwater or snow melt - and he believes that he has been falsely accused.
Australia makes the sun tan illegal. By David Atherton. Not for the first time new laws are being based on dubious science which have unintended consequences. The campaign began with the death of Clare Oliver, who blamed her malignant skin cancer on sun beds. Last time I looked, Australia was God's own country for that bright light up in the sky and going for an artificial sun tan is the epitome of taking coals to Newcastle. NSW Environment Minister Robyn Parker says "The Government has agreed to ban tanning beds from 2014. "It is a number one carcinogen. It's equivalent to asbestos." The World Health Organization's (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer" has classified UV-emitting tanning devices as "carcinogenic to humans."
UK: "We thought we would be shot." Passengers' terror as armed police in 17 cars swoop on M6 bus... in false alarm over smoke from an ELECTRIC cigarette. Armed officers, troops, firefighters and bomb disposal experts all called. After nearly four hours investigating police admit it is a false alarm.
UK: Freedom2Choose: From the Chairman: The Summer & Britain's Olympics, Olympic Smoking!, F2C AGM Saturday, 1 September in London, News Stories, Front Page Articles, Round the Blogs, The Last Word, and more. UK: One of Us. By Frank Davis. I was thinking today how much had changed over the past 5 years since the UK smoking ban came into force. So it could get very interesting over the decade ahead, as the world becomes everywhere divided into Nazi antismokers versus anti-Nazi smokers. It’s going to be an asymmetric war, with money versus numbers. And we're going to win. World: Smokers Blogs. Watch instant postings to your favorite blogs. | |
 Watch "Sheep" by Pink Floyd.When cometh the day we lowly ones - Through quiet reflection and great dedication - Master the art of karate - Lo, we shall rise up - And then we'll make the bugger's eyes water. - Bleating and babbling we fell on his neck with a scream - Wave upon wave of demented avengers - March cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream. - Have you heard the news? - The dogs are dead! - You better stay home - And do as you're told - Get out of the road if you want to grow old. | |
