As IF Times

link Death of 3.5 Million Makes Dismal Economics: Commentary William by Pesek – Bloomberg.

This is a slippery slope.  While I’m sure the author’s intentions are in the right place, it’s debatable whether or not it’s any of our business as to how other nations run their society.  For what it’s worth, I personally think smoking in all forms is a disgusting and filthy habit even without the attendant health risks.  The issue is, why should we care if it is a filthy habit practised in another country.  Many have accused the U.S. of nationbuilding and meddling when it comes to their actions in other parts of the world.

We slide down a long slippery slope when we deign to dictate to other people how to best run their lives because the obvious issue is; what entitles us to provide judgement?  In the West, we are smothered with creeping nannyism wherein the state in varying forms directs our behavior via propaganda or by taxation.  While I certainly don’t want to fall into the tired liberal technique of moral relativism, there are a lot more serious things in the world to worry about than deaths from smoking in China.  The author is of course, probably correct when he offers mortality figures in the millions.  However, let’s also remember that there are over a billion people in China and on a percentage basis of population, the mortality rate may only be nominally higher than the West’s rates.  Someone will have to prove me wrong on this one.  

Imagine if the Chinese commentators made light of the social diseases that afflict western society, such as rampant promiscuity and drug use among its youth.  The glamorization of  anti-social behaviours and lifestyles.  Entertainment which glorifies dumbness and perpetuates liberal stereotypes.  As we all know, practically all ‘lifestyle’ advertisements employ some kind of sexed up imagery in order to hook their customers.  In addition, they often play on the insecurities and perceived inadequacies of people in order to rope them into their particular product.    It can be easily argued that such afflictions may impose as much long term damage to society as smoking.  Smokers in a society eventually die and presumably, the next generation that comes after will be more savvy of the health issues.  Dumbness on the other hand can be bred from one generation to the next and so on like a perpetual virus.

The Chinese have come through a long tortuous and painful path to arrive where they are today and along with the good comes a lot of bad.  It is no exaggeration to say that in many cases, most Chinese were dirt farmers barely a generation ago.  So they smoke.  It’s not good for them.  Neither is drinking.  Or gambling.  If you were brought up in an environment where survival is more a pressing concern than to worry about what Oprah may think of your personal lifestyle, having the odd cigarette is no big deal.  They’re smart, they’ll catch on soon enough.