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by realusername 3426 days ago
Fighting for better health is authoritarianism now? that's a new one. I did not hear that argument when countries are raising cigarette taxes. Australia with one of the highest cigarette tax is also a socialist country then?

The laissez faire regarding food in the US does not seem to work very well since the US is one of the worst developed country regarding obesity.

2 comments

> Fighting for better health is authoritarianism now? that's a new one.

No definition of authoritarianism has ever defined there to be good or bad motivations for the laws, just that they are strict and limit personal freedom.

> did not hear that argument when countries are raising cigarette taxes.

You haven't?!? Then what arguments against raising cigarette taxes have you heard?

State imposing its rules (state authority) over peoples' own decisions (personal freedoms) is authoritarian-leaning, by the definition of how things are on the authoritarian-libertarian axis.

Of course it doesn't make state authoritarian, but adding points towards that direction on that axis.