this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2024
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The article seems to be shittily written in my opinion but I figure if you watch the video (about a minute) it will get the point across.

My question lies in, do you think this will benefit the health of the people moving forward, or do you fear it being weaponized to endorse or threaten companies to comply with the mention of Kennedy being tied to its future as mentioned in the end of the article

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I think sin taxes are absolutely acceptable if the government is also fully paying for the healthcare of all citizens (which we should totally be doing).

The combination of the two would make America a much healthier place overall.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm in the UK, we have the NHS, and several "sin taxes", and they still pretty much exclusively penalise the poor (as does the NHS which has been defunded to oblivion in favour of rampant privatisation, so those who can't afford to go private are left with the ruins), while those selling the "sinful" products (and private health insurance) continue to rake it in.

There is no taxing or legislating or regulating our way our of capitalism, which is exclusively responsible for those in power exchanging the health and well being of the population and the planet for profit, and they will never allow any tax or legislation or regulation to pass that would put them at any kind of disadvantage. The fact that some people still think they would, is frankly quite terrifying.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 day ago

Yes… these kinds of taxes are regressive, in that they cost poor people more than they do wealthy people

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (2 children)

The government is not the arbiter of morality, only legality, and I definitely don't want a government of whatever the fuck the GOP has become deciding what's affordable and what's not.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

To be clear, not literal “sin”, which is why I prefer the term “vice tax”. A vice is perfectly legal and we all have them, but they’re bad in some way. A “vice tax”, is just an extra nudge to choose the vice less often

For example, I sometimes drink alcohol. I know it’s bad for me, but it helps relieve stress and lets me briefly relax in ways I don’t otherwise do. I don’t if it would give me enough nudge toward healthier habits, but I fully support higher alcohol taxes in case it does and despite the direct impact on me

I would never support a return to prohibition nor more restricted access (despite that I know how to make my own beer and have all the supplies)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

What is a law but enforced morality?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Right… and your comment was in reply to someone merely proposing taxes that don’t exist yet either…