For a long time, I have been saying that tobacco fascism has been the greatest affirmative action program ever conceived for indigenous Canadians.
The attached report shows us that the benefits of affirmative action, via tobacco fascism, are now being exploited by organized crime groups, including Chinese state-linked crime partners, and motorcycle gangs. You would have thought Prohibition would have taught control freaks a lesson. But they never learn.
This is not all bad, though. According to the Criminal Intelligence Service of Canada, illegal tobacco costs governments over $12 billion in lost revenue, which translates directly into the retention of over $12 billion by those whom the money belonged to in the first place. Liberals will cry in their beer over this, but smokers will enjoy their beer that much more when combined with cheap smokes.
For Liberals, the glass is half empty. For freedom lovers, the glass is half full.
The solution is simple.
Human rights.
Specifically,
First: the right to self-ownership: My body, my choice. As with the right to get vaccinated, or the right to amputate one's genitals, or go skydiving, the right to engage in risky behaviour must be defended. Clearly, this includes the right to smoke.
Second: The right to property, which includes the right to decide whether smoking shall be permitted in, or on, their property. Those who object to smoking on private property because they have the right to breathe smoke-free air will find that Canada has a great abundance of places to do exactly that. However, their right to breathe smoke-free air does not confer upon them the right to barge into any random venue occupied by peaceful, fun-loving smokers and demand that everyone accommodate their personal preferences, even if they did vote for Carney.
Implementation
In order to respect the rights of smokers and property owners, the government must abolish all smoking bans, especially when it involves private properties like bars, restaurants, and taxis, etc. A few common sense smoking prohibitions should remain in place, such as, when engaged in refuelling jet planes or manufacturing explosives.
All taxes on tobacco and related products should be cancelled. No one should be exposed to state extortion for simply enjoying themselves. That $12 billion belongs to the people who earned it, not to a bunch of busy-body assholes who believe they have been anointed by some higher power to rule over their compatriots.
From a Google AI overview:
In 1994, Prime Minister Jean ChrΓ©tien's government lowered federal taxes on cigarettes, reducing the tax on a carton of cigarettes from $16 to $11. This decision was intended to combat smuggling and organized crime related to the sale of illegal cigarettes. The provinces were invited to match the federal tax cut, but not all did.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Reason for the cut:
The government aimed to reduce the attractiveness of smuggling by making the price of legal cigarettes more competitive with smuggled cigarettes.
Impact:
The cut led to a significant decrease in the price of cigarettes, which, according to some, contributed to a rise in smoking rates and negative health impacts.
Public reaction:
The decision was met with strong opposition from health groups, who argued that it would undermine public health efforts and lead to increased smoking-related deaths.
At that time, I used to take a lot of sightseeing drives to the Six Nations Reserve. Before Chretien's tax cuts, every Tom, Dick, and Harry on the reserve was selling cigarettes right out of their garages. A carton of genuine Marlboros could be bought for as low as $11 or $12.
Within barely one month of the Chretien cuts, about 90% of those vendors had gone out of business. The policy had worked like magic. And to think, Chretien was a Liberal. It was probably the only smart thing the Liberals did.
The policy did show how effective the tax policy was. Such a move could be expected to have similar impact on the organized criminals currently profiting from Canada's fascistic tobacco policies.
Mexican Cartels Expanding Operations in Canada, Using Indigenous Reserves as Factory Hubs
