U.S. Ad Campaign Challenge Value of E-Cigs in Quitting Smoking

[philoshop]

All of this continues to crystallize a concept I've had "fermenting" in the back of my mind for a while. The reason I believe that vaping will eventually prevail, where as smokers we were not able to hold off the "steamrollers", is the penetration of the internet and the ubiquity of social media channels. We can, do and continue to refute misinformation and share sources of well practiced scientific research along with reasoned critiques of illogical and/or poorly designed and executed research at every opportunity.

I see our passion and tenacity as having been strengthened by the years of unethical and unjust vilification. It has been sad and somewhat scary for me to realize that we cannot depend on public institutions to "do the right thing" and be objective evaluators to provide us with the information we need to make informed choices about anything. I'm thinking that the path to wisdom requires the loss (and grief for) naivety. It's exhausting to contemplate, but I now know that I cannot take anything at face value until I do the work to look at it from many angles and inform myself using multiple sources and methodology.

In a weird way the ANTZ have helped drive my personal growth and I think I'm a better member of society for it.

The fundamental transition of government from 'benign overseer' to 'malignant overlord' has a lot of people reexamining their thinking.

 

[Woofer]

The fundamental transition of government from 'benign overseer' to 'malignant overlord' has a lot of people reexamining their thinking.

Sheesh seems I completely missed the original change from 'malignant overlord' to 'benign overseer'

 

[Kent C]

Sheesh seems I completely missed the original change from 'malignant overlord' to 'benign overseer'

More recently, it happened in the minds of people who bought into hope and change. Earlier, it was those who bought the Great Society, New Deal and Luddism (anti-true progress) disguised as Progressivism.

 

[AndriaD]

I think the real change came about as a result of, and as a backlash from, the Civil War. Before that, and one of the *reasons* for that war I've always thought, the states had a great deal more sovereignty; the federal gov't really began to flex its muscles when it had to keep the union together, and that effort has only grown and grown thru the 150+ yrs since, until now it's literally Leviathan.

Just my as a history buff...

Andria

 

[philoshop]

It most likely started the day that George Washington was sworn in. It was, and still is, a relatively new system. At least in practice.
Perhaps I'm mistaking the symptom for the disease, but the current level of malignancy seems to manifest itself most notably in the empowering of bureaucrats with the task of governance.
As the federal government has grown, any semblance of accountability has been spread so thin as to be essentially nonexistent. Multi-level 'agencies' are used to both shield elected officials from any scrutiny, and to provide an open door for any unelected person able to gain admission to promote their agenda. This is not how it was supposed to work.

 

[Kent C]

It most likely started the day that George Washington was sworn in. It was, and still is, a relatively new system. At least in practice.
Perhaps I'm mistaking the symptom for the disease, but the current level of malignancy seems to manifest itself most notably in the empowering of bureaucrats with the task of governance.
As the federal government has grown, any semblance of accountability has been spread so thin as to be essentially nonexistent. Multi-level 'agencies' are used to both shield elected officials from any scrutiny, and to provide an open door for any unelected person able to gain admission to promote their agenda. This is not how it was supposed to work.

One could argue that the swearing in of Washington was an end to the malignant overlord - England, embodied by King George III. It held on to the despicable English institution of slavery in it's colonies, but there were laws passed to stop at least the importation of new slaves - pushed by both Jefferson and Madison at the time.

Given those gross flaws, the US was basically a 'hands off the individual' type of country for quite a long time. It's the reason for all the immigration that occurred - more than any other country during those times. The first of the three and four letter regulatory agencies was the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) - it was one that is now defunct, but the actions are still carried on by sections in the Dept of Transportation. All the agencies since were promoted to 'help the consumer' (or worker) but was actually a 'help the industry - for some quid pro quo regarding elections' - iow, legalized bribery. That is still the case.

I agree with Andria that some 'seeds of malignancy' was sowed (or sown) during and after the Civil War but the real 'piling on' and a move away from the Constitution happened during the Progressive Era under Woodrow Wilson - who hated the Constitution - by his own words and writings.

ANTZ have a long legacy to draw from for intervening for one's own good.

 

[philoshop]

And the governmental enterprise has further devolved into a wealth-making machine for those with access. ANTZ have that access.
Regardless of how the system became what it is today, the only action that's going to make any difference right now is going to involve a lot of people who are willing to speak out and make their voices heard. On that level this site is truly inspiring.

 

[Kent C]

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