The Great Intellectual Fight.

       They want you to know that they do not support smoking. They support the protection of  intellectual property. The "they" being the United States Chamber of Commerce. The U.S.  Chamber should not be confused with your local Chamber of Commerce. The National Chamber supports American companies who do, or want to do, business worldwide.
       Well it seems the National Chamber has taken offense at the New York times article of July 1 that states the American Chamber travels the world fighting curbs on smoking. Now do you see the difference? They're not in favor of smoking, they're just not comfortable with any country fighting against it's citizens smoking habits. the AC of C just wants tobacco manufacturers to be left alone.
       See, if the Tobacco people are left alone, you can count on them doing the right thing. In which case the American Chamber will stop picking on those governments who want their people to stop smoking. Don't you see? The Chamber wants everyone to stop smoking, they just don't want any government to say so. It's all about intellectual property, not about smoking.
       Let me try to explain. If the intellectual property of a tobacco company convinces you to smoke, that's one thing, because the tobacco company and the Chamber both want you to stop smoking, but if the government suggests you shouldn't smoke, that's interfering with those intellectual property rights. And that's what the Chamber is all upset about.
       Maybe the U.S. Chamber of Commerce should be less concerned about intellectual property rights if those rights are detrimental to people's lives, and a little more interested in people's lives. Tobacco is one of those industries that, if successful, will eliminate all of it's customers. Just remember, the Chamber is concerned with business, not people.