American Tobacco Industry Is Suffering A Rapid Decline

America's Largest Export, now going up in smoke?

It is interesting to note that, while the American Economy is sliding deeper into the Economic Abyss, America's largest domestic industry - single-handedly responsible for most of its few remaining exports - is being actively pursued and destroyed by our own State and Federal Governments. Of course, I am speaking of the American Tobacco Industry, which: employed nearly one in five Americans during its heyday, contributed vastly to America's untold economic wealth, and benefited thousands of other equally integrated and related American businesses. Regardless of how we may [honestly] feel about "The Habit Of Smoking," people have a right to their personal freedoms and a certain percentage of individuals will always continue to exercise them - even if they must grow their own!

First, came the Multi-Billion Dollar Lawsuits being levied against America's "Big Five Tobacco Manufacturers" - which doubled the wholesale costs of all American Made Cigarettes and made foreign cigarette manufacturing more economically viable and increasingly competitive. Let's face it, a five to seven dollar per carton pricing advantage isn't merely chump change on a ten to twelve dollar product - which is in tight international demand! Consequently, almost half of the nations on Earth are now enjoying their own Domestic Tobacco Industries. Nor, did it take very long, for them to enter: "The American Market," as well. Pricing has always been a very strong inducement for consumers - particularly for those of significantly expensive personal habits.

Tobacco Farming is America's #1 exported industry.

Next, came ever-increasing levels of State and Federal Taxation being levied against America's "Tobacco Users" - which has: made them increasingly price conscious, undermined their domestic brand loyalties, and forced them to accept inferior and/or foreign Tobacco products. The supposed logic behind this punitive taxation was to prevent teenagers from smoking....

Ironically, however, this did nothing to stop teenagers from smoking... since American Teenagers possess far more discretionary income, than the average Blue Collar American Worker! Nor, could it be otherwise, since working adults have: Responsibilities, Obligations, and Bills - while Part-Time Employed Teenagers have none of these inconveniences to speak of. Let's be honest, folks... that's the way it is. How many Adult Males actually wear $200.00 tennis shoes? Wonder why? Duh.... No matter how high cigarette prices invariably go, America's Upper Class and Teenagers will always be able to smoke!

Why not, just enforce the law? Our law enforcement officers are now too busy enforcing nitpicking and far less important laws against adults: smoking on America's sidewalks, within fifty feet of a door, in well-ventilated restaurants, inside bars [where customers can freely leave at any time], and at outdoor places or events! In fact, we have created so many relatively useless laws, covering almost everything, that there isn't enough actual manpower to enforce anything important anymore.... In the meantime, we have become a nation of: "Ninnies and Nitwits" - running around horrifically terrified of our own personal shadows - just like Chicken Little.


Meanwhile These "Sub-Generic" Products:

1. Do Not Benefit our nation through the creation of domestic manufacturing jobs.
2. Further Erode the necessary capitalization of our domestic economy.
3. Contribute Absolutely Nothing towards smoking's long term and ongoing societal costs through domestic taxation.
4. And Are Often Produced in countries lacking any health-related governmental oversight at all. 

Although our Domestic Tobacco Industry didn't operate without certain negative consequences, these were factually offset by the gargantuan sums being generated through America's massive International Exports. The Real American Truth is that we have always benefited far more from the manufacture and sale of Tobacco in real economic terms, than we have suffered from its ongoing economic costs - in the form of actual disease. However, the same cannot be said for the importation of another nation's cigarettes! It then becomes just another source of Economic and Capital Depletion - like every other industry that we've already [so foolishly] exported.... 


Then, came "The Great Economic Crisis of 2007/2008," which led to massive and systemic unemployment, undermined the necessary sources of our taxable revenues, and inspired even more punitive levels of Tobacco Taxation... which, of course, has finally pushed "The American Smoker" to his current breaking point! With cigarettes averaging $60.00 per carton nationwide, something or someone has to give... and citizens across our once great nation are taking to home gardening like never before in our history. Nor, are Fresh Corn and Tomatoes at the heart of this new "Back To Farming" Social Movement! It is now cheaper, by far, to grow your own Tobacco and buy your Produce in the store... than it is, to operate the other way around.

One has to wonder what our political leaders are [honestly] thinking. With so few Traditionally American Industries left, why must they continue to destroy what now extensively remains? The circumstances surrounding our Ongoing Economic Decline go far beyond: Personal Negligence, Regulatory Ineptness, or [even] Coincidental Stupidity. It can only be attributed to: Cold-Blooded, Calculated, and Wholesale Economic Destruction - being intentionally inflicted upon our sovereign nation - in an effort to bring us to our knees internationally. And until our political leaders change their systemically destructive course, I'll continue to shout it from the rooftops! Because, that's what "Real Americans" do....

*** Note: I didn't write this article to encourage, or justify, "The Habit Of Smoking." However, I fully support every American's Freedom To Do So - as they [themselves] see fit! As a Constitutional Libertarian, I cringe every time a Democratic or Republican Fascist rationalizes the taking of another American's Personal Liberties - under their warped and twisted definition of: "Personal Best Interest." I am of the opinion [like my forefathers before me], that the individual directly involved is the sole proper determinant of his [or her] own "Best Interest!" Nor, as a "Real American," can I truthfully think otherwise.