She's squawking again!

Plain packaging, dear oh dear me. I wasn't going to mention the ridiculous subject again but the witch from Shoreditch has forced me to the keyboard once more as it now seems that freedom to trade equally is also on her list of 'No-No's', but not smuggling!
As we all know, the plain packaging 'consultation', which is between side 'A' & side 'A' and therefore not even a consultation has been extended to the end of August; probably the result of so many naughty people have dared to voice sincere concerns about the whole stupid idea.

Herr Lansley must be beside himself with fury for as far as he is concerned "we need to reach a stage where tobacco has no part to play in this country!"                    

  

The grim reaper in disguise 

I have absolutely no doubt that Deborah Arnott was orgasmic when she heard those words (probably her greatest orgasm ever!) but she again shown that angry tantrums are easily come by when something does not quite go to plan! Remember a few weeks ago when the Guardian broke the 'story' of how ASH ites & others were 'threatened' with shooting? Remember how the idiot journalists got the story completely wrong and never even referred to the original perpetrators article about shooting smokers on sight-shows how reporting standards have dropped in the past 5 years in this country! The Arnott simply used the reversed article to garner publicity & the sympathy vote. There were no threats, there still are no threats, it was only the witch from Shoreditch feeling that her power was being threatened!

 The orgasmic witch from Shoreditch

Of course the smokerphobic Arnott was climbing out of her tree because the consultation, or should I say the public support for the consultation was not going to plan-THEY (the public) were objecting to this ridiculous proposal. How dare they? Five years of swashbuckling victories have seen 'the orgasmic one' thinking that she is the Bodicea of Tobacco Control, but now the peasants are rising up AGAINST her!

Not only are well respected people voicing against plain packaging (including a cancer charity-yes, that is true!) but there is now a 'super-power' from across the pond chucking their impressive weight behind the campaign AGAINST plain packaging.

The American Legislative Exchange Council are an

American charitable and educational organization composed of conservative thinkers, state legislators of both parties, businesses and foundations that exists for the purpose of drafting research, policy papers and model legislation to assist and influence state legislatures and promote free-market and conservative ideas.

Well that's all of TC out of the window then for Arnott & Co certainly do not promote a "free market". In fact, I don't think they even know what a free market is!
Heavily supported by Charles and David Koch, the billionaire oil baron brothers, 'Alec' has launched a sophisticated global lobbying campaign against the plan. They see plain packaging as a giant infringement of business rights; ie, 
  

"plain packaging regulations could effectively deprive corporations of what is often their most valuable asset, their brand, trademark and/or logo.”

Now it would seem to me that these oil baron libertarians have rather a good handle on the situation unfolding before our very eyes-and I also see that smokers suddenly have a very powerful ally! In turn, this means that the Koch brothers have the 'wherewithall' to take any government on in the courts-no wonder Arnott has started squawking already:

“Alec’s free-market rhetoric may work in the US but it won’t wash here in the UK,”

 said Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash).
Now those are the words of a worried woman-and I think she is entitled to be for a little bird has whispered In Simple Simon's ear that  "violating intellectual property provisions laid down by the World Trade Organisation,  will most definitely lead to legal actions for what governments are proposing is illegal and only corrupt judge/s will/can defend such a violation of trade."

Now isn't that interesting! 

For the latest instalment of the 'dirty tricks' campaign employed by our own government, nip over to read Smokin' Hot's latest revelations!