The Further Persecution and Criminalisation of Smokers:Importing Agricultural Products

Smokers are not criminals, provided that they only enjoy tobacco via a wealthy, small group of companies which provide the tobacco. Forget ‘tobacco products’. Tobacco ‘products’ are no longer relevant as an idea since the ‘agricultural product’ – dried nicotiana leaves – is now itself the same thing as a ‘tobacco product’.

A couple of centuries ago (if not more recently), it was tobacco itself which attracted Duty when it was imported. Somehow, that Duty on imports of tobacco converted into ‘tobacco products’. I do not know why. The import of ‘raw’ tobacco became un-taxed as such. Nevertheless, the importers paid the duty, but only when they imported ‘tobacco products’.

Ancient history I suppose, but still worth bearing in mind.

So we get round to the idea that ‘distributing agricultural products within the EU’ is duty free. Within the EU (ignore Brexit for now since it has not yet happened), agricultural products are DEFINITELY duty free. It is impossible to conceive of such products being other than freely traded.

Tobacco leaves are such products. They are exempt in every way from taxes.

So what do the Zealots do? They put in place other impediments to the import of untaxable  commodities.

But how did the Zealots get the power?

Here is a clue:

Click to access uksi_20161171_en.pdf

Read it to the end. You will see that the Finance Act 2016, somewhere as a subclause of a subclause, while everyone was getting hysterical about sugar levies, citizens of this FREE country were being criminalised for buying dried leaves.

EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations appoint the days on which the amendments made by section 179 of the Finance.
Act 2016 (c. 24) (“FA 2016”) come into force. The amendments introduce a scheme prohibiting any person from carrying out any activity involving raw tobacco, unless the person holds an approval given by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (“HMRC”).
Section 179(1) of FA 2016 inserts new sections 8K to 8U into the Tobacco Products Duty Act
1979 (c. 7) (“TPDA 1979”). The general prohibition from carrying out any activity involving raw tobacco without approval is provided for by new section 8L(1) of the TPDA 1979. Except for section 8L(1), sections 8K to 8U come into force on 6th December 2016. Section 8L(1) comes into force on 1st April 2017.

Did any MP, even the Chancellor of the Exchequer, or the PM, know that those ideas were included in the Act? I somehow doubt it.

And is that not why the general populace is getting fed up with being harried? The general populace does not know why it is being harassed. It just says, “What the fuck?” What it does not know is that Parliament is no longer ‘fit for purpose’. It does not know what legislation it is passing. I mean that. I would bet a pound to a penny that not one single MP knew about that section in the Finance Act.

But MPs dare not admit that they were ignorant. That is part of ‘post-truth’.

‘Post-truth’ is the most insidious of cruel ideas. From ‘post-truth’ comes ignorance, but the worst aspect of ‘post-truth’ is that it comes from Academics.

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What should we do about exercising our right to import agricultural products while we are still in the EU?

I wish that I had nothing to lose, but I have lots of assets. I cannot afford to lose them. It would be better if people with NO assets to speak of fought against the intimidation. I understand that I could be accused of cowardice, I and I accept it, but would it not be better for people with nothing to lose to defeat the arseholes, just in case the battle was lost? It is in their own interest to do so.

This post is a bit sloppy, I must admit, but I have only just become aware of the legal ‘raison d’etre’ for the further battering of smokers in the UK as compared with the rest of the EU.

So, as I have said before, again and again, the vicious cruelty from ASH ET AL will not end until we have a Government which takes control, as we hope that Trump will take control. A process needs to be instigated which lances tht boil of the UN, WHO, IPCC, World Bank etc.

All MPs MUST be cynical. They must not have agendas. Their purpose is to be cynical. They must question everything.

What remit did they have to persecute smokers? Why have they not turned on those who persecute smokers? Why have they not voted to ‘bring to justice’ the liars from TC and all the other useless ‘experts’?

Why are smokers who light a cig in a pub dragged before a magistrate when the persecutors are immune?

It is clear from the excerpt above that tobacco companies are not the target. Ordinary people who want to reduce their costs, even if that means some considerable use of time and effort, are the target. That is scandalous, and ought to be immediately visible to MPS.

This ‘law’ stinks. I mean that it is intended only to financially punish people who do no harm to others.