Most people believe that the current crusade against tobacco use is rooted in morality and health concerns. And, most people are wrong, according to Derek Audette.

The current anti-tobacco mentality has little or nothing to do with issues of either morality or public health.

The current anti-tobacco crusade owes its fervour to a resurgence in popularity of a fascist ideology, and more specifically to the spread of a philosophy of ideological materialism.

The current anti-tobacco crusade is nothing new. Russia used to whip smokers, in Turkey they were beheaded and in India they had their noses slit. Two anti-tobacco crusades, similar to today's, took place twice within the 20th century. Both, and probably non-coincidentally, directly preceding world wars. The first, in the U.S., directly preceded World War One.

The second, conducted by the Nazis, directly preceded, and was concurrent with World War Two. This was likely no coincidence. The root cause in both cases of each particular anti-tobacco crusade was a sharp rise in ideological materialism among the population; an ideology which creates great tension among people.

The mentality which fosters a militant anti-smoking movement, is the very same mentality which gives rise to eugenics movements, discriminatory and unjust prohibition laws of all kinds, campaigns of thought control, discriminatory social engineering practices, and outright legislated behaviour modification.

The public smoking ban is pure fascism, plain and simple. If you support it, you are supporting a fascist ideal. It forces the individual to discard personal freedoms in order to conform to what a minority group in a position of influence wishes to impose on the collective. This is the very foundation of fascist doctrine!

My grandparent's generation volunteered their very lives to fight fascism and eradicate it from our planet. They did this for themselves, but they also did this selflessly for the generations to follow.

And, now, when fascism once again rears its ugly head, right here in our time, many of us embrace it with open arms, and seem to feel not even the slightest pang of shame. We have an obligation to continue the fight that they so bravely began. Whether you are a smoker or a non-smoker, for purely selfish reasons, you must fight fascism at every turn!

You must fight against fascist anti-smoking legislation. Remember: 'First they came for the smokers...' Trust me - once fascism gains a foothold, it doesn't stop until someone stops it. If you let this go, eventually they WILL come for the particular freedom or freedoms that you enjoy.

Remember these important points:

1) Anti-smoking legislation is NOT needed in a free society, it is ONLY needed in an authoritarian society. In a free economy it only serves as an economic burden, put in place to appease the whims of a few who hold positions of influence. In a free economy, demand always dictates supply. Therefore, if there was a demand for smoke-free establishments, there would be a supply of them.

The smoking ban is only in place because there is currently not enough of a demand by the people for smoke-free establishments to appease the minority who want more of them. The will of a few, in positions of influence, is being forced on the many.

2) The anti-smoking crusade IS NOT a public health issue. Very, very, few people support anti-smoking legislation because they are actually concerned about their, or anyone else's health. No matter what they say. They support the legislation because they see public smoking as an annoyance, or an inconvenience. And, these people are perfectly willing to legally force someone else to modify their behaviour and strip personal freedoms away from others in order to rid themselves of something which annoys them. If you don't believe me, find the most militant anti-smoker you can and follow him or her around for a few days.

Take note of how concerned for their own health they actually are by observing what kinds of self-destructive behaviour they engage in. See how many fast-food burgers they eat, how many sodas they consume, how many miles they drive their car with blue smoke pouring out of their exhaust pipes, how long they sit in front of their TV being doused in electro-magnetic radiation, or talking on their cell phones, beaming radiation directly into their skulls, etc.

If they are so sure that they are fighting the good fight in the name of public health, we'll see how loudly they clap when someone comes to take their cars away, or strips them of some other freedom they enjoy in the name of public health.

We at Think, while non-smokers, encourage you to express your views. Write us, write the media, write the NEA. Do your part! Wake people up! Let them know what this is REALLY about! Fascism's greatest allies are ignorance and fear.