More Fun From Elitists Who Know Best

Artificial sweeteners just don't do it for me. Some are better than others, but I avoid diet drinks, and that's that.
I caught some news bit about how some legislative body is seriously considering a "soda tax" on the ones that have sugar, like regular Coke. So much per once.

A Duke professor of some kind was quoted as saying he thought this was a step in the right direction. "Our national health" and all that. Once again, my own way of life gets threatened for the "greater good". Or some elitist's opinion of the greater good. Someone knows best what everyone should do, and in order to be sure people comply, institutes a tax to modify behavior. I wonder who the sugar industry pissed off.

I go on the theory that artificial sweeteners cause odd behavior in laboratory animals. That's enough for me. Besides, I am not fat, so a few extra calories, empty or not, won't hurt me or affect the "obesity crisis". That is why I do not like the collectivist philosophy; it is complicated, and usually involves minding my business or altering it when I am bothering no one with my habits and hobbies. In the world of totalitarianism, they just never stop with these things. First you have random road blocks, for the public good, then they tax old school pop drinkers who still like the kind with sugar.

Almost always, if not 100% always, there are special interests behind these things who stand to gain monetarily or in power, at the expense of competitors or other threatening groups. Usually said groups are companies or well placed individuals. It is corrupt, in any case. Some of those scams in the past were well clouded, publicly, and beyond belief in the real. Unfortunately I happened to stumble into one or two such things, and it shed light on the process. Once you see it, other things that come up are more transparent. Like a magic trick involving a fake thumb I was once shown. Once you know, it stands out. Before you know, it is not obvious at all.