[taffer]

> Almost any kind of change starts small and then builds up. I don't see anything to indicate that banning ads isn't just the first step in the process. Cigarettes have become more and more restricted over time and they also started with banning ads.

Cigarette commercials have been banned in the USA since 1969[1], but smoking is still allowed. So I cannot agree with your concerns. The advertising ban and taxation of unhealthy products that impose externalities on society have proved far more effective than outright bans.

> If this doesn't alarm you yet, then will you be alarmed once they start banning ads for meat?

No. I'd even welcome that. The same applies to sugar, alcohol, marijuana and salt: Don't ban them, tax them and maybe restrict advertising for them.

[1] https://web.archive.org/web/20080305012949/http://tobaccodoc...

[Mirioron]

So you would be in favor of banning advertising of meat products and levying a sin tax on meat? While we're at it, why don't we just make being poor or sick illegal? Sorry, I mean that we should impose a tax on them, because they impose externalities on society.

I'm just wondering, are you in favor of such schemes that would target things you like and enjoy too? Say, computer use. Extended computer use is harmful to people's health, so we should levy a tax on it.

[nothrabannosir]

This conversation has completely gone down its own slippery slope and I shouldn’t be piling on, but: if the choice is between taxing income (which is literally people contributing to society in the most direct way) and something like meat or, hell, unhealthy amounts of computer use (whatever that is) then yes please.

Don’t forget we’re currently taxing income at obscene levels, in absolute terms. It means we disincentivise people from working, which is absolutely wild, considering. If you could start with a clean slate and tax anything, what would you choose? Sin taxes or income taxes?

Government revenue is fungible, and the more income from other sources, the less is needed from income. Until we have income tax (at least lowest bracket) down to 0%, I say tax the hell out of everything actually unwanted.

(Signed: a meat eater who would gladly pay meat tax)