B.A. Ware: First, I am not an anti-smoker. I don't smoke, and dislike others smoking near me. I don't play golf, but I'm not anti-golf. There was a time when mokers held sway: reastauranrts, cinemas, theatres, trains, and everywhere else. Few, if any, desisted out of consideration for others; but the non-smokers didn't make a fuss. That situation existed for many reasons, it changed for many reasons, it was'nt the triumph of Fascism over Libertarianism. The mechanism of social change is complex and a contested.
process.
In the late 1950's many country pubs, smartened themselves-up, and became
steak-bars for different socio-economic groups, travelling from different geographical locations. Nothing wrong with that; but soon all was to change. The threathalyser desroyed that trade virtually over-night. We can understand the how the owners must have felt; but the reduction in road deaths virtually halved over the coming years. Again, many other factors were involved, but breathalysers were an important tool in effecting that reduction. Social good co-existed with certain economic harm: Isn't that what normally happens?
I think that the market-system will not develop perfectly. The future of the small pub, or indeed small anything, is bleak, but subsidising such establishments with rate-relief, or other publically funded support systems would be even worse. Let it evolve; some will survive by good management, good luck and innovation. Condemning bureaucrats, while seeing them as your likely saviour, does appear to be slightly contradictory.
Like wearing seat-belts in cars, and removing spittoons from pubs, and smoking bans in public places, the protests will be of limited duration. We are an adaptable people.
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