What happened: The New York Times opinion team produced a video endorsing tax hikes on alcohol, a regressive policy that would fuel government spending by making it more expensive for poor people to enjoy life's simple pleasures.
What they're saying: In the video, titled "A Toast to Raising Alcohol Taxes," the Times producers describe a tax hike on booze as "one of the most effective public health policies the government could ever champion."
Like a bunch of ruthlessly dispassionate nerds, they cite some studies purporting to show that raising taxes on alcohol saves lives. (So would banning cars, swimming, cheeseburgers, and abortion.)
Why it matters: There are few things liberals love more than raising taxes. They are particularly fond of regressive taxes that fall primarily on the poor. Tax hikes on alcohol and other "sin" products are designed to control people's behavior and force them to behave more like elite liberals who shop at Whole Foods and inject themselves with diabetes medicine to lose weight. Cigarettes, soda, gasoline, and so on.
Even Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.), the obese stroke victim who nearly died after neglecting his health for so long, wants the government to force people to make healthy decisions. He supports raising taxes on soda, something even Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) finds objectionable because it would disproportionately harm "low income and working people."
Bottom line: Look at these tax-loving nerds!
