http://usabig.com/autonomist/articles5/smoke.html
A week ago, March 17, it was announced an “agreement” had been made between the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), various State Officials, and the major credit card companies, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. […]The major credit card companies will no longer handle Internet sales of cigarettes, or any other tobacco products.
Why would a stupid case like the Shiavo one be all over the news, but something like this where citizens right to by a product is taken away from them, and an industry loses the right to be the means of transaction on the whim of an illegitimate government agency? All I can say is that the priorities in this once great nation have been inverted and nobody seems to care or notice. It’s insane.
Not that I support smoking as a moral act, but this ruling is abominable and sets a an ominous precident. These ‘test cases’ grease the tracks for a rapid descent into Totalitarianism.
Thanks for the link CF. I’m spreading the word myself.
This simply illustrates that the banking industry (of which credit card companies are a large part) is just another arm of the federal government. The next step will be to oulaw the use of credit cards for porn sites. Then they’ll go after websites that post “irresponsible” criticism of the president and his cabinet.
This simply illustrates that the banking industry (of which credit card companies are a large part) is just another arm of the federal government. The next step will be to oulaw the use of credit cards for porn sites. Then they’ll go after websites that post “irresponsible” criticism of the president and his cabinet.
Actually some already do. American Express and I think Discover do not allow “adult” sights to be paid using their credit cards. There are also other types of sites they don’t allow payment on but it’s mostly adult sites. Their reasoning was the significantly higher rate of charge backs associated with sites that kept charging after the customer quit, fraud, etc that it became a pain. So basically abuse by merchants caused them to ban a whole series of merchants.
It wasn’t really censroship per se on their part just that they noticed a significantly higher number of problems and therefore costs associated with certain sites. As much of a hassle as that causes for their card holders, they save the costs associated with chargebacks. Note though, they don’t prevent you from using credit cards at strip joints. Paul Harvey had a couple stories a while back where people ran up 12k and 25k AMEX bills in one night and then later refused to pay once their wives or bosses found the bills. The guy with the 25k bill was actually a diplomat from Sri Lanka I think. I could see how his fellow countrymen would be somewhat upset considering what their average yearly income has to be.
Still, I have no idea how they would be able to figure out what site does what. Turn a negative into a positive: I could see a Visa commercial.
“VISA, the choice of pornographers worldwide.”
Actually some already do. American Express and I think Discover do not allow “adult” sights to be paid using their credit cards.
This kind of discrimination is perfectly OK as long as it is not a result of government interference, though. It’s freedom of association. The problems begin when when the discrimination is done not by the free choice of the businesses but because of a so-called agreement with the government.
This kind of discrimination is perfectly OK as long as it is not a result of government interference, though. It’s freedom of association. The problems begin when when the discrimination is done not by the free choice of the businesses but because of a so-called agreement with the government.
I fully agree that this sort of self sensorship is perfectly legitimate. If anything it was in their self interest to quit allowing their cards used on porn sites given how much trouble they had with them.
I can’t find a direct article link but I swear that there were some threats of “investigations” of search engines, especially Google just before their IPO that caused them to modify some of their ad policies. It was related to either tobacco products. I seem to remember the threat was he would deliberately investigate them for aiding in tax evasion in NY. He even admitted he wouldn’t win but it would most assuredly screw up their IPO. So he got to gloat that the search engines “voluntarily” complied.
I did just check and did a search on both Google and Yahoo for “online cigarettes” and noticed a total lack of advertisements.
Why would a stupid case like the Shiavo one be all over the news, but something like this where citizens right to by a product is taken away from them, and an industry loses the right to be the means of transaction on the whim of an illegitimate government agency? All I can say is that the priorities in this once great nation have been inverted and nobody seems to care or notice. It’s insane.
It’s not just insane.
IT’S UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Courts have repeatedly struck down attempts at “legislating” interstate sales in the past. Let’s hope that they step in and throw this “settlement” out.
It’s not just insane.
IT’S UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Courts have repeatedly struck down attempts at “legislating” interstate sales in the past. Let’s hope that they step in and throw this “settlement” out.
Hopefully the court will rule correctly. Keep an eye on Landmark Legal Foundation’s supreme court case. It actually covers the interstate sale of wine. Clint Bolick is an amazing orator and I love hearing him speak. He has a pretty good track record on economic issues from the boot blacks in Washington to the jitney case here in Houston.
I think that tac that he took arguing the case would have been different than mine but then his stands a really good chance. Hopefully they will be able to use a favorable ruling to help deregulate the interstate sales of tobacco.
Someone in the office had a bright idea of chipping in and buying lotto tickets. I volunteered to be the runner. I always put everything I buy on my sky miles card and when I went to buy them, I was told it was illegal to use even a debit card, check, or even travelers checks to purchase lotto tickets. They had to be paid by cash “so people wouldn’t be irresponsible with their money.”
So you know I could easily see some do-gooders having the same rule apply for tobabcco or fatty food. Mind you they’d never actually do that since smokers provide the states with a freeflowing constant stream of money to big brother.
Ironic but I can’t buy a 1 in 16million chance of getting big money with my credit card because that would be socially irresponsible but I can go right ahead and buy a bottle of Wild Turkey, a pack of Dunhill’s, and a box of hydroshock .357 ammo at the same store. Heck,I didn’t notice but I bet they sold Playboy as well. :dough: