The Most Contrived Controversy Ever
Dec 17th, 2009 by admin
Ending the controversy about…
The most contrived controversy ever
There is much less controversy about tobacco – and the tobacco industry – than the industry would have you believe.
In fact, there’s more controversy within the anti-tobacco movement about how to eliminate both of those ‘problems’ (tobacco and the tobacco industry)…and rest assured, there’s not a lot of controversy there, either.
When it comes to tobacco, virtually all of the ‘controversy’ surrounding it is generated and perpetuated by the tobacco industry itself, with a little help from its small but efficient army of well-paid puppets, from bar & pub and restaurant associations to the highest echelons of government (just one little example: Former [Cdn] Prime Minister Paul Martin was – and possibly still is – a tobacco executive).
In most cases, the ‘controversy’ is based on outright lies…and there is no better example of tobacco industry lies than when seven CEOs of various American tobacco companies testified before the U.S. Congress (just 15 years ago) that nicotine – the most addictive drug known — is not addictive!?! Even at that time, the addictiveness of nicotine was sufficiently well-established within the medical and scientific communities that it was well-known by most of the population 10 years of age and older! But, bold as that outright lie was, it planted some small seeds of doubt which, in turn, became ‘controversy’.
Fast forward fifteen years: For the most part, it’s still business as usual for the tobacco industry: Despite the fact that tobacco kills 5.4 million people around the world every year (causing disease and disabilities in tens of millions more), many people still think of tobacco companies as “good corporate citizens.” Even within the business community, tobacco companies are welcomed and warmly embraced. For example, Imperial Tobacco — Canada’s biggest tobacco company, manufacturer of Players, du Maurier and Matinee — will continue to be a ‘proud and upstanding’ member of the Vancouver Board of Trade, despite valiant efforts to have the company unceremoniously kicked out of the board.
The industry and its puppets often like to scream from the mountain-tops, “Freedom!”…and “Choice!”, blissfully ignoring the fact that addiction eliminates freedom and choice. But again, those seeds of doubt are planted…and ‘controversy’ follows.
Bottom line: There is no controversy!
GIVEN WHAT IS NOW KNOWN ABOUT BOTH TOBACCO AND THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY, THERE IS NO JUSTIFICATION WHATSOEVER FOR ANY CIVILIZED NATION OF THE WORLD TO ALLOW TOBACCO COMPANIES TO OPERATE WITHIN THEIR BORDERS!
