As IF Times

link Book Review: Supernormal Stimuli – WSJ.com.

Interesting premise.  If the theory of Supernormal Stimuli which postulates that our genetic proclivities can override our conscious efforts, then much activity in western society is a waste of time and money.  The obvious things jump out as useless: weight loss programs, sex addiction therapy, heck even the prison business for repeat offenders.  For criminals, the plea of   “the devil made me do it”  may gain credibility,  just blame it on that guy Darwin.  If we are predisposed to act or respond a certain way because of our evolutionary roots, a lot of things will have to be rethought.  This may be good news for Tiger Woods.

This article ties in somewhat to my last piece regarding genetic predisposition.   There appears to be more articles surfacing regarding the dominance of our factory wiring versus  environmental stimuli in determining why we do things.  This itself has  been and will continue to be topics for PhDs to cover and not really the point here.  What does occur to me is that the wiring of brains of people who consider themselves liberals versus those who see themselves as conservatives may have been set at birth.

The amusing on-going partisan bickering which is US politics,  has been entertaining because of the laugh out loud claims and accusations made by both sides over any particular issue.  Clearly, I think  the left are much more skilled at claiming preposterous and irrational positions than the boring conservative guys.  The issue hogging the headlines now is proposed health care reform.  The real  issue surrounds not if but how to fix the system.  But consider this passage from the linked article:

“…One might even argue that supernormal stimuli—or perhaps our reactions to them—are the biggest problems faced by affluent societies. The best available estimate is that 45,000 Americans die annually because of a lack of health insurance. Yet a recent study found that easily 20 times that number are dying every year from the effects of smoking, over-eating, excessive drinking and other bad habits, many of them arising from such supernormal stimuli as addictive tobacco, refined sugar and distilled spirits…”

So they estimate that almost a million people a year die from the effects of other bad habits annually as compared to the lack of insurance issue.  To be sure, no one encourages avoidable death, but considering the amount of money involved in this debate and the overwhelming opposition to the program as pushed by the Democrats, you would think rational heads would back off forcing it into law.

Liberals flock to the “for the good of the people” causes like the goose to the painted volleyball. The common tactic when logic and reason don’t sustain their arguments is to paint any opposers as ice hearted demons, or as the obviously unhinged Keith Obermann stated recently, “subhuman”.   It’s as if the forces of genealogy are competing  with the forces  of intellect and the brain side is greatly outmanned.  The left do themselves no favours by propagating the utterances of the Obermanns, the Shultz’s, the Matthews’, the Behars and the Garafalos.  If the theory of Supernormal Stimuli proves valid, then the out of reality ravings of these people can be excused because as we saw earlier, the devil made them say it.  But it should be made clear that what they say should be considered for what they are, primeval rants,  not intelligent discourse.

If I had a nickel for everytime a personality on the right made disparging ad hominem comments about personalities on the left, well, I may have change for a dime.  Instead, labels of stupid, racist, divisive,evil, retarded, subhuman, hateful, greedy and stupid again seem to be standard language for the left.  Fortunately, according to viewer ratings, it appears as if such wizards of wit are losing their audience.  People must be evolving.

link OPINION Blog | The Dallas Morning News.

Since I”m an average person,  let’s chronicle my activities on a recent day to observe the tax exposure we all face on a typical day.  Some of the activities are one-off, but the majority are things the average person faces every day. 

Morning.

Radio alarm goes off and it happens to be an advert for a financial institution reminding us that the deadline for retirement account contribution is upon us.  We are encouraged to contribute in order to save taxes.  Turn on the light switch and am concious that tax is assessed on our electric bill.  Turn on shower and of course, tax is applicable on water and utility bill.  Brush teeth and note tax paid on purchase of toothpaste as well as mouthwash rinse.  Question whether to brush only on alternate days, but quickly reject notion.  Make some coffee, from taxed beans but at least do not pay the tax if purchased from Starbucks.

Jump into car to head downtown, mentally noting the tax paid on the purchase of car, the insurance and of course repairs from time to time.  Notice  that I’m low on fuel, so pull into gas station to fill up.  Note that price paid per unit of fuel is MAINLY tax.  Driving downtown, make mental note that roads are a result of gasoline and property taxes.  Park in parkade which has a new parking surtax just recently imposed by the city. 

Just before the morning meeting, I check stock prices on blackberry, which also requires a tax on cell phone bill.  I notice some trading positions are moving, so I effect an execution with broker, which also triggers a transaction tax.  As the morning progresses, I get a call from  son who informs me that he will need a flight back home after the school term.  Purchasing the airline ticket online yields a cost number of which  about 20% is tax and surcharges.

Afternoon.

Lunch time rolls around and I purchase something simple from the kiosk in the building, which of course requires a tax payment.  While I’m eating, some sauce drips onto white shirt.  Annoyed, I go to purchase a shirt to change into, which has requisite PST and GST charges.  During the afternoon, I get a call from my accountant reminding me to get my tax documents together for this tax year so that I can pay, what else, income tax.  I’m of course aware that his services come with a tax attached to it.  Later on in the afternoon, someone makes note of my unkempt appearance so I proceed to my barber to get a haircut, which of course includes a service tax.

Evening.

On way home, I drop by the supermarket to pick up a few things for the house and by now am very aware  of every taxable item on the list.  When I’m home, there is a message on answering machine from friends about meeting up at the Richmond O-zone, a site set up for the Olympics which are in town and of course which we are being taxed to support.  Naturally, I elect to go and purchase tickets, which of course have a tax on them, as will the food and drink consumed during the evening.  I finally get home in the late evening and check the mail, most of which are pesky bills with taxes attached to them.  Tired from a day of tax paying, I thumb through a magazine purchased earlier at the supermarket which of course, I’ve paid tax on.

This started off amusing, but wound up being depressing.  I fall into bed and as it happens, the exact same radio ad about retirement account contribution is on again.  Someone’s gonna get a hurt real bad.