Author Topic: Speaking of "addictions" ....  (Read 1234 times)

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Online Pandora

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Speaking of "addictions" ....
« on: February 27, 2011, 02:52:52 PM »
ADDICTED TO YOUR MONEY: Or, EVERYONE'S ENTITLED, BUT NO ONE"S RESPONSIBLE

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The McAuliffes conclude that chemical dependency is a disease. Some would say it is a choice, but choice does not apply to the addict. It applies only before addiction. Once the love commitment is made, reason and choice are not available. The shift is made to emotional compulsion. The addict is now in the grip of an emotional commitment that warps reason and restricts freedom of choice. A rigid defense system is also produced, warding off any interference with the addict's behavior. And the seal is set to the situation by delusion. The addict's perception of reality is distorted, which further impairs his reason and judgment. If these elements were mildly present in a love relationship between a man and a woman, it would be normal, even comical. But in a love relationship to a chemical it is disastrous, producing a debilitating downward spiral, toward both personal and social disorder and destruction.

The only thing I disagree with in the above is the comment that, "choice does not apply to the addict." On the contrary, as long as the addict is human, choice always applies; especially before addiction, but also every time an addict is effectively "detoxed", i.e., successfully weaned from the physiological effects of his or her particular chemical of choice. It is at that point that they can start anew both biologically and psychologically.

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I submit that an even greater number of people in our society are addicted to spending other people's money.

Their love of and dependence on your money is extremely strong. They feel they cannot live without it; and they will fight to keep on getting it--even behaving in ways that are deplorable and socially reprehensible. Like the biological addicts, they are willing to lie, cheat and do violence in order to remain in this committed and pathological relationship with your money. And, in addition, they have the delusional belief that they are entitled to it without question, without possibility of alteration for forever. Are you broke? Too bad. They are entitled to continue to get it.

Withdrawal or even detoxification efforts (gradual changes) are met with anger and rage and increasingly unreasonable demands and threats. Having had free access to your money for so long time, their perception of reality is distorted; their judgment is impaired. They can no longer see what is happening in the world around them and attempts to make them understand how their behavior is impacting the rest of the social network is met with utter and complete psychological denial.

...

Whatever the motivation of the enabler, they will always "help" the addict to avoid responsibility for their destructive behavior. ,

Am I making my point? This is what the Democrats and all those who have sucked up to the out-of-control public labor unions have been doing for years.

The absolute denial of fiscal reality is the hallmark of both the person addicted to the taxpayers' money and the groups that enable them.
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Offline Thresherman

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Re: Speaking of "addictions" ....
« Reply #1 on: February 27, 2011, 07:07:15 PM »
Well duh.  After the first 20 or 30 tax increases on cigarettes that were supposed curtail their use utterly failed to do so, did any liberal suggest that perhaps they were not having the proper effect?

If the first increase in cigarette taxes proposed to curtail their use actually succeeded and the sale of cigarettes dropped significantly, the resulting loss of tax revenue would have had liberals screaming for it's repeal on the grounds that is it unfair to tax victims of an addiction.  Since the reverse is true, they are more than happy to do so.

Offline Glock32

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Re: Speaking of "addictions" ....
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2011, 08:16:37 PM »
Rush talks about this concept frequently. All these so-called punitive or "sin taxes", upon causing a reduction in the taxed activity (the alleged goal), simply precipitate a brand new revenue "crisis".

One example he mentioned recently happened here in NC. We were in the midst of a severe drought, and local governments heavily curtailing water usage. This had the effect of municipal utilities complaining about the loss of revenue due to less water consumption. Go figure.

"Sin tax" is from that same imaginary universe as the "temporary tax".
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