Couldn't find a video of this but see excerpt below: Lisa: Bart, just get out of here. Bart Simpson: Hey, you get out out. It's a free country. Lisa: That doesn't make any sense. Bart Simpson: I know you are, but what am I? Lisa: Get out, get out! Bart Simpson: All right. But on my way, I'm going to be doing this... [windmills his arms] Bart Simpson: If you get hit, it's your own fault. Lisa: Okay, then I'm going to start kicking air, like this... [kicks up her foot] Lisa: And if any part of you should fill that air... [kicks up her other foot] Lisa: It's *your* own fault. [They shut their eyes and move toward each other, grunting as they flail or kick. Cut to downstairs in the kitchen, where Marge and Homer are. Their grunts soon turn to yells of pain, and sounds of fighting]
Seriously. Where do poor people go? Fast food. Taxing fast food? Idiotic. Not to mention I do not want to live in a society that micromanages EVERY aspect of my life. As a liberal I'm ok with regulation of drugs like tobacco, alcohol, mar1juana, etc. Don't tax food.
Taxing **** food is a very good way to go. Take half that tax money and subsidize real food so that it's more affordable to buy a pound of strawberries rather than a can of Pringles. Take the other half and put it into Obamacare to pay down the future heart attack visits to the emergency room from all that crap food some people eat.
My opinion usually fits pretty easily into most issues. But I can almost agree with both of the last posts.
There was a study that showed puffers, boozers and fatties didn't take up too much of the hospital care pie on the whole just by the fact that they usually died a lot sooner and didn't eat up medical resources that focused on chronic illnesses due to age. Kinda sad, but the main factor with the healthcare and Obamacare is finding a means to support an aging population that gets sicker and sicker on its own.
Not sure if you are serious on the cheeseburger. But, yea, calories is overblown. It's the content that attribute more to health problems. Simply being FAT isn't necessary a health problem (sure does increases the chance, is a big factor, but definitely not the only important factor). Heck, 60% of people with heart diseases AREN'T overweight (sorry but you healthy weight folks out there aren't out of the wood)! As for the fat tax, generally against it for the reason above. Plus, I think it's better to go after the source / ingredients maker - when there is scientific prove of very unhealthy content but not to the point of banning it and that lead to an increase in society costs (taxpayer costs in this case), tax the profit made off of it. Otherwise, each individual can kill themselves all they want with their intake.
Drugs should be regulated. Food should not. You can eat too much of anything and still get fat. The only correct way to prevent obesity is social peer pressure. Stop marketing to fat people, stop telling fat people its okay to be fat, stop being politically correct in regards to fat people. Otherwise you are just hurting the bottom rung of society. There's also no guarantee that (in CometsWin's argument) the lowered price of healthier alternatives will draw the poor to buy them. Convenience is also a large part of deciding which food is "better" in their eyes. I mean you can buy a loaf of bread and even peanut butter / jelly / meat to last an entire week with the expense of one McDonald's meal. Why do people not do that? Its not entirely about price. I just don't think taxes in this regard are an effective way to promote health.
So diet coke / coke zero do not count as foods? Zero calories yet filled with artificial sweeteners that trigger your body to crave more food. What about coffee? Its not simply whether it contains calories or not. Not to mention alcohol, tobacco, mar1juana are luxuries. If we're talking about the poor here, you can't argue that going to McDonald's is not a necessity because you don't know the specific situation for them. Why are we trying to micromanage society to that extent? Pretty soon you'll need a minimal legal body fat percentage. Pretty soon you'll only be eating state-sponsored meals. Just like drugs, if someone wants to abuse then let them. I love regulation, but it can only do some much. Some people will completely ignore all attempts and that should be their choice. There is a growing amount of people everywhere that pity/sympathize with fat people and don't criticize people on their dietary habits because they'd look like an *******. I am for food stamps, minimum wage indexed to inflation, and making voting as easy as possible. I'm a liberal. I just believe government shouldn't be overreaching to the extent of telling us what we can or can't eat. They have some effect, but its not entirely about money. Why do people buy ramen instead of raw chicken that can be more valuable, filling, and healthier than ramen and cheaper over time? Preparation time. Why do people opt to buy microwavable dinners? Its not a good trend, but instant food has taken over grocery stores.
My point is that someone that eats fast food regularly is going to have more health problems than someone that doesn't. There are people that eat this type of food every day, all the time. It's a destructive behavior that we all pay for as a society. It's also a behavior that is enabled largely because of the cheap price of the food in comparison to real food. If healthier foods were cheaper than fast food and junk food, poor people would have incentive to buy healthier. Also, the explosion of obesity will inevitably lead to an explosion of diabetes which has its own costly long term health implications. Taxing fast food and junk food isn't meant to pay for the elderly, only the costs associated with the effects of regular consumption of fast food and junk food. The obesity epidemic doesn't exist because people eat too many apples.
Alcohol is considered a drug, as is nicotine, by every health care organization on the planet. It is not a food, it is a drug. Get back to me on that whenever you ability to safely operate a car is impaired because you had a few French fries.
The inability to afford "healthy" food due to cost is mostly a crutch. Its about convince. Fast food and tv dinners are convenient.
I think you're arguing from a quality of life standpoint, which I have no problem with. From an economic standpoint regarding healthcare costs, fatties take less overall from the system because they die sooner than health nuts who try to shoot for 90 yrs old.
I agree. Spending an hour or two cleaning, preparing and cooking good food is a pain right after getting home from work. I eat at restaurants more than I should. The amount of chemicals and food additives inside processed junk food makes me wonder if its real food anymore. It's fine in moderation, but as a staple? Highly tragic...
I hear you, but it still isn't the same as alcohol. Alcohol's sole function in being consumed is as an intoxicant.
Opposition to legalization/decriminalization of mar1juana and other drugs in America is entirely from the right, not the left. The new Temperence League will be holding a bible. There is no political force in America more concerned with legislating behavior than the religious right. The left doesn't come close. I understand that libertarians are in agreement with the left on social freedoms, but your voice in the conservative movement is miniscule by comparison to the evangelists. Take a look at all the republican presidential nominees: Bachman, Perry, Santorum, Romney. Oh, and Paul. If you're concerned with government overreach into Americans' lives, you should fear the republican party as much or more than the democratic party. [edit: grammar]
