A short post tonight. Look at posts from any of the bloggers in the sidebar (especially Taking Liberties, Dick Puddlecote and Frank Davies (and others).
The deliberate and manifest corruption by the Health Zealots is made bare. Milton MP (formerly a junior health minister) is implicated in a fraudulent attempt to misinform the Government of the UK by engaging with Foreign Powers. Perhaps she was sacked because Cameron’s advisors became aware of her treacherous activities. Cameron himself, of course, is too ignorant to work it out for himself.
It is hard to remember when a politician last had courage. Do not expect such an attribute ever to occur now or in the future. Candidates for the position of MP are chosen by central committees. Expect nothing other than conformity.
Political courage has ceased to exist. Only personal survival and acceptance by anonymous ‘committees’ matters. The order of the day is: “Parrot the soundbites of today, and, when the soundbites change tomorrow, parrot them”.
In my own mind, I see proven entrepreneurs as MPs. I do not see ex-researchers of MPs as MPs.
We should, perhaps, be thankful that we have people like Arnott to look after us. It is clear from press releases that only people like her are capable of dealing with the hazards of life in the UK. Thus, if everyone stopped enjoying tobacco in the UK, then NO ONE WOULD DIE, and so famine and waterlessness in Africa would cease to exist. In fact, by Westerners stopping smoking, babies in Africa would not need parents!
The lack of logic in the above consequences is obvious. But it is also true that this lack of logic is evident in anti-tobacco studies.
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Shortly, I shall start to examine the Doctors Study. I do not expect anything spectacular. Suffice to say, at this time, that it seems to have been designed to produce a specific result.
05/01/2013 at 10:56
The problem with trying to impose the various articles of the FCTC on Britain is that for some reason they are attempting to make it look as if the public want them, instead of just enforcing them as a done deal.
As the public seem to either disapprove or at very least couldn’t care less, I was interested to see how they would contrive it.
Last time they were caught out.
Article 13
12. Retail sale and display.
“Display of tobacco products at point of sale in itself constitutes advertising and promotion.
13.To ensure that points of sale of tobacco products do not have any promotional elements. Parties should introduce a total ban on any display and on the visibility of tobacco products at points of sale, including fixed retail outlets and street vendors.
Only textual listing of products and their prices, without any promotional elements, would be allowed.
As for all aspects of Article 13 of the convention, the ban should apply in ferries, airplanes,ports and airports”
“At its third session in November 2008, the Conference of the Parties (COP) adopted guidelines for implementation of Article 13 of the WHO FCTC on “Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship” (decision FCTC/COP3(12))”.
http://www.who.int/fctc/protocol/guidelines/adopted/article_13/en/index.html
2009
“Mr Johnson boasted that the display ban was favoured by an “overwhelming majority” of 96,000 responses to a six-month public consultation on the subject.
Yet only a handful of those 96,000 respondents came from individuals submitting their personal views. Almost 70,000 came from those collected by pressure groups entirely funded by the Department for Health.”
http: //www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/4076290/Government-fixing-health-consultations-with-taxpayer-funded-groups.html
Not that it made any difference in the end.
The next part of article 13 to be enforced is the so called plain packaging.
16. Plain packaging.
“The effect of advertising or promotion on packaging can be eliminated by requiring plain packaging: black and white or two contrasting colours, as prescribed by national authorities: nothing other than a brand name and/or manufacturer’s name, contact details and the quantity of the product in the packaging, without any logos or other features apart from health warnings, tax stamps and other government mandated information or markings: prescribed font style and size: and standardized shape, size and materials.
There should be no advertising or promotion inside or attached to the package or on individual cigarettes or other tobacco products”
http://www.who.int/fctc/guidelines/article_13.pdf
So I am watching the lengths they are prepared to go to this time with interest.
05/01/2013 at 20:02
Their problem is that the FCTC is just a TREATY – it is not and never has been A LAW. For its provisions to take effect, LAWS have to be enacted by Parliament. Parliament is under no LEGAL obligation to enact such laws. That is where Milton MP went wrong in the House when she said that the Government was legally obliged to put into effect the provisions of the FCTC.
And that is why consultations have to be fixed. It is a catch twenty-two. But the plan has failed in connection with plain packaging. Like you, I am wondering how the Zealots plan to get around it. My guess would be that they will water the provisions down a bit and wap it through quickly.