Politician of the Year

Friday, 3rd September 2010

Andrew Stuttaford says Alexei Kudrin is Finance Minister of the year but, surely, that understates matters?

Russia’s finance minister has told people to smoke and drink more, explaining that higher consumption would help lift tax revenues for spending on social services. Speaking as the Russian government announces plan to raise duty on alcohol and cigarettes, Alexei Kudrin said that by smoking a pack, “you are giving more to help solve social problems such as boosting demographics, developing other social services and upholding birth rates”.

“People should understand: Those who drink, those who smoke are doing more to help the state,” he told the Interfax news agency.

Then again, given their Stakhanovite concumption already how much more can the average Ivan really be expected to do even in such a mighty patriotic cause? (Albeit one tinged with an unfortunate degree of dreaded statism with its implication that lungs and livers need to be exercised for more than just pleasure.) There's also the suspicion that these are kind words designed to salve the pain of swingeing increases in tobacco taxes.

Nevertheless, it's good that at least some pols remember who the Good Guys are.

Filed under: Booze (46 more articles) , Russia (101 more articles) , Smoking (51 more articles) , Tax (182 more articles)

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ndm

September 3rd, 2010 8:35am Report this comment

Smokers in the US save enormous amounts of taxpayer money by not using Medicare (and, presumably, Social Security) as much as non-smokers.

Baron

September 3rd, 2010 12:59pm Report this comment

I say good on ya Russians, what’s the point of living without enjoying it, too? The body can deal with everything in moderation, and who’s to say what a moderate intake of smoke or alcohol is for the plucky Russians.

a friend of ours sticks to the opposite, 3250cal per day, strictly observed, pale face, unhealthy skin, frequent headaches, minor things irritate him. To get a couple of pints on Friday that he very much enjoys, he ‘saves up for it’. Reminds me of a joke told by another friend of ours who’s no longer with us.

a group of people are coming to visit a hermit. He’s standing with the trousers down, his penis placed on an anvil. As they get closer they see him hitting the shrivelled member with a hammer. ‘Jesus’, shouts one of the group, ‘what the hell you doing?’ ‘Masturbating, ‘ replies the hermit. ‘And does it feel good?’, they all enquire. ‘Yap’, replies the man, ‘but only when I miss’.

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