Smoking ban 'helps 400,000 to quit' in the UK

[Ardentfrost]

Profits are the greater good. If you have a planned economy and don't base decision on profits, you won't have the money to do all the planning you want.

[Smull]

Originally Posted by Joe Castro

I think it depends on the government. If you have a government funded by the profits of capitalism, who have interest in big business then i become sceptical. However, if you have a government that oversees a by and large planned economy, where political funding can only come from the state then i would be more optimistic as the conflict of interests no longer exists.

As for the free market making the progress, they may well do so. However, they will only do it on the basis that it is profitable. They are not going to consider the greater good. So i think that it will take a very long time until they provide the answers. While i do welcome environmental breakthroughs they make i don't think it will be enough. I believe that so long as the polluting option is cheaper not enough can be done. People can only buy what is affordable.

I also believe that it will take many years before you can get people off their polluting cars. This is because not everyone can afford non polluting car right away. They simply cannot afford to buy the latest model as soon as it is released. I would rather see the economy planned in a way that the industry could be subsidised, or taken over completely to make access to such products more encompassing.

I agree that big business and big government are terrible together, capitalism is its purest form has NO government involvement in business. I see your point with the free market taking a longer time to shift to more fuel efficient cars, but I fear with a command economy we'll see more bullshit like the ethanol (non)solution.

But economics aside, I feel that people should be able to smoke if they want. And the thought of the government punishing people for doing something they enjoy and doesn't harm anyone scares me. This scares me. Majority Want Smoking Banned in All Homes [06/26/08] Latest Front in the War to Protect Nonsmokers