Come to New Zealand, where "you can marry a fag but you can't smoke one"

[Lan Barnes]

On Sat, Dec 11, 2004 at 11:03:30AM -0800, Lewis Wolfgang wrote:
> Lan Barnes wrote:
> < snip >
> >So if you smoke at home or in a place where the smoke blows away w/o
> >harming anyone, no sweat. I'll visit you in the hospital and cry at your
> >funeral, but it's your choice. But if you smoke in a restaurant, gassing
> >me and my children, you're harming our health (yes, the literature is
> >conclusive), and you don't have that right. Take your cigarette outside.
> 
> I'd agree if a smoker slipped into a non-smoking restaurant to
> light up a Rum-Soaked-Crook.  If you, as a non-smoker, intruded
> into a smoker's steak house you deserve what you get.  This, of
> course, would be a rational way to handle the problem.  Let
> the marketplace sort out the ratio of smoking to non-smoking
> restaurants.  Alas, that's not the Socialist way...
> 

I have nothing against private clubs setting up their own rules. There
is and should be a different set of rules for public places, even when
they're privately owned.

I don't know what it has to do with socialism. Last I heard, restaurants
and bars weren't socialized -- anywhere.

> < snip >
> 
> >
> >Social engineering would be programs that use tax dollars to "promote"
> >marriage. We're doing that here, or is it just an idea. I loose track
> >...
> 
> There are many examples of social engineering.  The biggest one I
> can think of is the so-called "progressive" income tax system.
> It penalizes success and seeks to level the income playing-field.
> "From each according to their ability, to each according to their need."
> 
> Regards,
> Lew
> 

I'm not a fan of the progressive income tax. IMHO it's a flawed idea.
Unfortunately, all of the suggestions to replace it floating in the
public arena are far worse.

-- 
Lan Barnes                    lan at falleagle.net
Linux Guy, SCM Specialist     858-354-0616