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Russian Finance Minister Encourages More Smoking & Drinking
- Posted on September 4, 2010 at 12:07pm by
Scott Baker
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Alexei Kudrin is certainly not afraid to say exactly what he thinks. The Russian finance minister raised a few eyebrows this week with his comments about the tax revenue benefits of certain popular indulgences.
AFP:
“If you smoke a pack of cigarettes, that means you are giving more to help solve social problems such as boosting demographics, developing other social services and upholding birth rates,” Kudrin said, quoted by the Interfax news agency.
“People should understand: Those who drink, those who smoke are doing more to help the state,” he said, offering unconventional advice as the Russian government announced plans to raise excise duty on alcohol and cigarettes.
Does this sound like a top for the team at Red Eye? Yes, yes it does.
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asmith
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 3:53pmHow does revenue support birth rates? Wouldn’t smoking and drinking mothers reduce birth rates? I get the argument but no sane person would see the goverment sanctioning destructive personal habits as good advice. I hope we don’t see this in America, I would like to think that our goverment at least makes a pretense of caring about the health of the general population.
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on September 6, 2010 at 12:44amWhile I don’t advocate drinking and smoking I can see the point.. Here we chastise those who do these things ban them from places but LIKE the revenues they bring in.. NOTICE every time they raise taxes on say cigarettes more people quit..(or find somewhere cheaper to buy them) than they have to make up for lost revenue so they tax something else like bottled water, candy, entertainment on your concert tickets..etc..Funny part is those who condemn the people with these habits and call them sin taxes are the ones who haven’t realized they are now making up for those lost revenues as the government makes MORE mainstream things (like sugar, water etc) sins too and tax them soon making those who THINK they aren’t sinners too.. Next taxing of FREE CONCERTS..TAP WATER..ETC..
Report Post »tagway
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 11:04pmThe Logic is not debatable . 4 more years “ Yes We Can”…..We are almost there folks…….
Report Post »give ‘em four more years and watch the “fundamental change”………The constitution is already
being ignored…I thought we had “balances” that keep things in check….but it appears that but for griping on conservative TV we have no power to NOT be led to the slaughter. (no high crimes or
misdemeanors) …………………can the trio not be stopped?
villius
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 3:47pmSOCIALISM RULES!
Report Post »FoxRules
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 9:55amNot much to say about this one… Russia? Who Cares?
Report Post »Joseph
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 9:28amDidn’t Kruschev say, “We will Bury you”? Interesting. Here in America we have a Surgeon General warning on cigarrett packs and alcohol bottles. In Russia they have The Russian finance minister’s warning stating, “ Not comsumming of this product is a danger to Mother Russia” Isn’t communism a beautiful thing kiddies?
Report Post »Dubyagee
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 7:57amSCHIP makes sense now.
Report Post »on.second.thought
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 5:37amyou know what?…i don’t care if they drink or smoke or whatever – just don’t mess with my life (i.e. drunk driving). and don’t make me pay for their mistakes. they shouldn‘t tell me how to live and i won’t tell them how to live.
Report Post »jerseypatriot
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 7:58amAmen! To that, Second. Thought. The way i look at is KEEP YOUR HANDS OUT OF MY POCKETS and unless you put in my 12 hour days stay the hell out of my way!
Report Post »Philip
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 12:43amHey, leave that guy alone. He is doing his patriotic best to support the healthcare of children. Every $5.00 tax on cigarettes goes to the prevention of youth smoking. Think of the children, won’t somebody think of the children?!?
Report Post »Philip
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 12:25amGod bless you all! The more that comes out from Russia the more I seem to like it. Our president rides a girl’s bike for fun. Their leader hunts sea beasts. That is so cool. hic… I’m gonna go have another cigarette. Cheers!
Report Post »Philip
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 12:41amYou should be ashamed, leaving a comment like that. For goodness sake alcohol is a scourge of society. Cigarettes are a certain way to get cancer. The president may ride bikes like a girl but at least he wears a fashionable safety helmet. Meanwhile, Vlad Putin hunts creatures of mother earth herself and with guns as well. I am so going to report you.
Report Post »Jessydream
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 9:25pmOh won’t it be fun trying to drive in Russia? This is going to be great! (Not)
Report Post »livefree.mn
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 8:44pmnot only does the government get tax money, the population stays too drunk to realize the tyranny of the Russian government….yay for them!
Report Post »boxofpens
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 6:21pmHas anyone seen the orphanages in Russia? Yeah, this is a GREAT plan!
Report Post »Silversmith
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 5:58pmit’s just another politician saying whatever he needs to to get more money. Framing the excise tax on booze and smokes as helpful to the common good plays fine until they need to look at the same issue as a burden on the collective health care system due to the health risks. Bla Bla Bla Socialism s*cks!
Silversmith
Report Post »elura dollface
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 2:48pmI don’t think the minister wants people to abuse alchohal, certainly ciggarets will kill you. But wine here and there isnt so bad. He just wants more revenue, its kind of smart
Report Post »dataway
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 2:00pmAsk Michael Douglas what he thinks of this stupid statement.
Report Post »on.second.thought
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 5:40amWhaa…?
Report Post »Jack007
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 1:43pmThe real reality is that Obama-Care Will Kill more Americans then increased Smoking or Drinking ever could. At least the Russians are upfront about killing off their populace.
Report Post »FindKeyToTheTruth
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 1:35pmLook at the 2 big money makers for the US. It tobacco and alcohol. Then look at the number 1 and number 3 most deadly killers in America annually . Yes it’s tobacco and alcohol both legalized drugs. Now let’s see how many people have died from marijuana. Yes you guessed right, zero.
Report Post »AZRIC
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 1:44pmI would disagree with your statement about zero deaths from marijuana consumption, I would be interested to see the statistics that support your assumption.
Report Post »elura dollface
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 2:46pmi can actually agree with you, pot doesnt destroy as many brain cells as alchohal does, nor gives you a thousand cancers. Though it can be abused, people can abuse anything they can. And it could be taxed heavily to help with our national debt. And like any legal drug, it can be regulated, and controlled, and have rules to help with the safety of others. Like you shouldnt be high and driving. I dont do drugs, but I dont see what the harm is in legalizing pot. If anything it would help americans from not participating from violent drug smugglers from mexico and elsewhere, they would just grow it here.
Report Post »Doc_Slammin
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 10:16pmAZRIC: Here are the statistics you asked for associated deaths linked to marijuana usage in the United States.
http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30
Report Post »FToth84
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 11:23pmNot true many people have gotten high, then have gotten behind the wheel, crashed and died and the saddest part about all of this now they are killing others along with themselves. Now ask yourself did the pot kill them? The answer is yes.
Report Post »Daragon29
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 8:55amI think Azric means ‘Natural’ deaths like cancer, liver diseases etc.. I for one am for the legalization of pot as long as people don‘t go out and drive under it’s influence or work. There are government studies, and private studies that have proven that there are medicinal qualities that pot has, that outweighs it’s downsides. Plus on top of that there would be way less tax money spent on keeping people who sell, and use pot in jail. Plus it would also decrease tax spending on the war on drugs. And I believe it may also put many drug cartels out of business. And it could help stimulate the economy more. So, yeah I am for it. Just put a minimum age to buy, like alcohol on it and enforce the same laws on DUI’s etc..
Report Post »AZRIC
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 1:35pmThe Russian idea is insanity!
Report Post »Tobacco consumption in the United States has dropped from over 70% of the population smoking to less than 20% and alcohol consumption is on the decrease in the last 10 years, so tax revenues from these consumption taxes are falling, So it only makes sense for liberals that the next sin tax should be to legalize pot and reap the benefits of this untapped source of revenue. I can see it coming, legalize prostitution and tax orgasms. (no pun intended)
father of funk
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 1:16pm” . . . help solve social problems such as boosting demographics.” You’re dang right! Russia’s population is declining by over 600,000 per year. Check out the CIA World Fact Boook.
Report Post »Silversmith
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 6:01pmGotta love that Communist health care huh?
Silversmith
Report Post »stephenb.net
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 1:11pmIsn’t this what California is suggesting with the legalization of Marijuana? High people for high taxes! No need to look even a block down the road at the disaster that awaits you, we need money so let’s encourage drug use! Now the libs will tell you that they aren‘t encouraging drug use and that when pot is legal that they do not expect the numbers of people who smoke pot to increase since it’s so easy to get today. But now look at Russia who encourage smoking and drinking to pay for social programs…like alcohol recovery programs.
Report Post »plunderpower
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 7:38pmStephenB What the dumbies in LibLand don‘t realize is that it won’t be party time if that crap gets legalized. It will mean the govt will control it, grow it, sell it and tax it. They will see to it that it gets taxed from start to finish. They will regulate it, monopolize it, and close all those neighborhood shops. People growing it in their yards will have it worse if they’re caught for trying to compete with that Huge Govt they all voted for.
Report Post »villius
Posted on September 5, 2010 at 3:43pmSo you’re saying Arnold Schwarzenegger is a liberal? You republicans are on drugs, go back to school.
Report Post »plunderpower
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 12:48pmQuick…Liberals! Move to Russia. (I’m starting a rumor here) They want more pot smoking to raise tax money just like they did with wanting more people drinking vodka. Hurry. Forget the carbon thing.
Report Post »sccm52
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 12:26pmI AGREE, WE CAN LEARN SOMETHING STUPID FROM EVERY COUNTRY! BUT LETS NOT GO THERE!!!
Report Post »iatoala
Posted on September 4, 2010 at 12:22pmSupport the State! Ruin your Family! Drunks make awful Dads!! Stop the insanity!!
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