Max, I am not miserable. For me and other people tobacco has positive effects: on concentration, mood, and endurance. You've a right to your opinion. It is a drug, and all drugs have side effects. Some are strong. But if what I do does not harm you, then until all drugs are outlawed, including caffeine, alcohol, and sugar, then I would ask that society not single my drug out with restrictive laws and taxes.
I'll forget tobacco and talk about fear, which was the main point. Almost all of us get in a car every day, despite the fact that there is a statistical risk if injury or death. We might hate the traffic, but we do it. We aren't paralyzed with fear. I thought the point was to face in a similar way the existence of ISIS without fear. And I suppose that if were suddenly to develop a phobia about being in a car I would seek a therapist to help me get back on the road, since I need to get around and that's how we do it in America. If we continue the analogy the question is how to address the irrational fear of a group. Can you do cognitive behavioral therapy with a nation? What role can national leaders play? In terms of national mood I see Clinton, (questions of policy aside), as trying to guide us to see the thing itself, ISIS, without fear. I see Trump saying be afraid unless I'm driving the car. This will work to the extent that people buy his strong man act.
Juan, you're completely correct to point out all the risk we accept without question yet while obsessing about terrorism. However, rather than demanding equal accountability on all the other risks you mention I'd like to suggest that we all do accept a certain amount of risk as part of life. In my own life, I happily smoke a tobacco pipe. I am aware of the risk, and accept it. The general consensus among experts charged with assessing costs for medical plans is that smokers add about 10% to overall medical costs. (I know, you're shaking your head, but you can look it up:) I am willing to pay that surcharge, and then I am quite happy for the tobacco companies to provide me with a product that I do like. I don't consider them the domestic equivalent of ISIS.
I'm going to say something that my sound nihilistic to you but doesn't at all feel that way to me: if no one smoked, those 480,000 deaths would still happen, only later. And who is to say how long we should live? No one else may deliver my soul.
Thanks for all the good work, just food for thought, as my mom used to say. (who is still smoking at 94!)
Max, I am not miserable. For me and other people tobacco has positive effects: on concentration, mood, and endurance. You've a right to your opinion. It is a drug, and all drugs have side effects. Some are strong. But if what I do does not harm you, then until all drugs are outlawed, including caffeine, alcohol, and sugar, then I would ask that society not single my drug out with restrictive laws and taxes.
I'll forget tobacco and talk about fear, which was the main point. Almost all of us get in a car every day, despite the fact that there is a statistical risk if injury or death. We might hate the traffic, but we do it. We aren't paralyzed with fear. I thought the point was to face in a similar way the existence of ISIS without fear. And I suppose that if were suddenly to develop a phobia about being in a car I would seek a therapist to help me get back on the road, since I need to get around and that's how we do it in America. If we continue the analogy the question is how to address the irrational fear of a group. Can you do cognitive behavioral therapy with a nation? What role can national leaders play? In terms of national mood I see Clinton, (questions of policy aside), as trying to guide us to see the thing itself, ISIS, without fear. I see Trump saying be afraid unless I'm driving the car. This will work to the extent that people buy his strong man act.
Juan, you're completely correct to point out all the risk we accept without question yet while obsessing about terrorism. However, rather than demanding equal accountability on all the other risks you mention I'd like to suggest that we all do accept a certain amount of risk as part of life. In my own life, I happily smoke a tobacco pipe. I am aware of the risk, and accept it. The general consensus among experts charged with assessing costs for medical plans is that smokers add about 10% to overall medical costs. (I know, you're shaking your head, but you can look it up:) I am willing to pay that surcharge, and then I am quite happy for the tobacco companies to provide me with a product that I do like. I don't consider them the domestic equivalent of ISIS.
I'm going to say something that my sound nihilistic to you but doesn't at all feel that way to me: if no one smoked, those 480,000 deaths would still happen, only later. And who is to say how long we should live? No one else may deliver my soul.
Thanks for all the good work, just food for thought, as my mom used to say. (who is still smoking at 94!)