<p>Advertising is sells products.</p>
<p>Propaganda sells ideas. </p>
<p>One is patently more dangerous than the other, not that people shouldn't be taught how to critically digest advertising as well.</p>
<p>Agreed. The problem is that the government would have to fund propaganda awareness campaigns in public schools and they're the ones spewing the propaganda in the first place.</p>
<p>I used to smoke ciggarettes about 4 times a week for about 4 months. Then I realized how disgusting it is, and it does nothing for me. But, whenever I see someone with a ciggarette I want one. I try not to "social smoke".</p>
<p>I smoked on my season off from XC & spring track. Let's just say my breathing is not up to par.</p>
<p>uh, how is government advertising that is for the public health's benefit "propaganda"? don't get so smug about being resistant to government "propaganda", because the flip-side is succumbing to peer pressure and the influence of pop culture.</p>
<p>no matter how you put it, cigarettes kill people. who cares if the government uses propaganda to get that point across?</p>
<p>Anyway. I'm not too fond of the smell of cigarettes either, but i've learned to deal. I'm pretty much the only person who doesn't smoke at the applebee's where i work.</p>
<p>"uh, how is government advertising that is for the public health's benefit "propaganda"? don't get so smug about being resistant to government "propaganda", because the flip-side is succumbing to peer pressure and the influence of pop culture."</p>
<p>That certainly is willfully ignorant. It's propaganda because it uses lies to sell its message. Period. I don't smoke, and I would never start, but it is important that people recognize propaganda for what it is, an extremely biased source of information, no matter what their opinion on the particular issue is.</p>
<p>"no matter how you put it, cigarettes kill people. who cares if the government uses propaganda to get that point across?"</p>
<p>Yes they do, but inundating a populace with logical fallacies and false parallels is unhealthy for the government, to start, and is at least a disservice to its citizens. One of the founding principles of public education states that a democracy's constituents need education to process information and make sound decisions - they have in their hands an extraordinary power. Doesn't this undermine that?</p>
<p>Even if deciding to stop smoking is a smart decision, is it still an intelligent one under these circumstances?</p>
<p>Look at me, I'm so smart because instead of being brainwashed by the big bad government, I'm doing what the cool kids at my school are doing!</p>
<p>I don't smoke. I've said that already.</p>
<p>Great argument nonetheless.</p>
<p>Okay, why doesn't the government just do a huge coughing campaign? Coughing is a bad thing, right? It endangers the health of others by passing on germs and it is 'disgusting' socially. Why doesn't the government say that every time you cough Al Quada wins and that if you cough you WILL become alienated from your friends and family and end up homeless (even if this is, of course, complete BS)? </p>
<p>That campaign would achieve the positive result of getting people to cut down on coughing, right? Whats the problem then? </p>
<p>The problem is that the end doesn't justify the means. A government should not lie to its citizens period, even when it might be in the citizens best interest for the government to lie to them (e.g. if you covered up 9/11 the economy wouldn't be hurt - everyone would prosper right?). When the government forces people to think in a certain way it takes away their freedom, and freedom needs to be maintained even if it isn't always beneficial to the public.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Okay, why doesn't the government just do a huge coughing campaign? Coughing is a bad thing, right? It endangers the health of others by passing on germs and it is 'disgusting' socially. Why doesn't the government say that every time you cough Al Quada wins and that if you cough you WILL become alienated from your friends and family and end up homeless (even if this is, of course, complete BS)?</p>
<p>That campaign would achieve the positive result of getting people to cut down on coughing, right? Whats the problem then?</p>
<p>The problem is that the end doesn't justify the means. A government should not lie to its citizens period, even when it might be in the citizens best interest for the government to lie to them (e.g. if you covered up 9/11 the economy wouldn't be hurt - everyone would prosper right?). When the government forces people to think in a certain way it takes away their freedom, and freedom needs to be maintained even if it isn't always beneficial to the public.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>LOL. Okay.</p>
<p>It is incredibly sad that you feel that way.</p>
<p>I think it's incredibly hilarious how some of you think that the bigger evil in the tobacco debate is the government, as opposed to the death merchants like Marlboro and the pop culture they've infiltrated.</p>
<p>And speaking of freedom, how about the freedom to not get carcinogenic smoke blown in your face? Indoors, at least.</p>
<p>Nbachris, you have that freedom. Don't go near the people smoking. You choose where you go. It's easy enough to avoid them.</p>
<p>I'm not saying that the bigger evil is the government, but when they lie to their citizens they certainly lose a good deal of their moral superiority.</p>
<p>I think you're getting things out've what we're saying that aren't there. No, the government isn't worse than the tobacco companies in what it's doing. But, also, they shouldn't campaign the way they do to curve tobacco use. It's not an all-or-nothing situation and they could do just as much good without inoculating children.</p>
<p>i hope none of you go to portugal. everyone smokes here</p>
<p>I smoke, but i do have to hand it to the anti-smoking campaigns, its the general consensus that smoking is really uncool, and people shun you if you smoke...so...</p>
<p>I figure if they step up the ads...they can put a bigger dent in the tobacco industry...</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm 18. I figure a cigar once every few months can't kill you.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I second that. But it's more like a few times per a month for me. Uh-oh...:p</p>
<p>I'm sure cigarette companies spend much more on advertising then the government does on anti smoking campaign. Bottom line, smoking causes lung cancer, blackens your lungs, takes years off your life, stunts your growth, not to mention the obvious expenses...This isn't a big government conspiracy to deny you your cancer sticks... Sure, you might call it propaganda but everything you see/hear is propaganda anyway, this is rooted in medical truth.</p>
<p>OMG OMG OMG.... So they were telling the TRUTH when they said Al Quaeda is the one behind my marijuana habit?!??!? I never knew!!!! </p>
<p>btw I don't have a marijuana habit - I just added that to show that only someone on drugs could be stupid enough to believe that the al quaeda thing is the TRUTH.</p>