American Observer comments.
Jul 31, 2025
Under the rubric : Europe | Charlemagne
Headline: Cigarettes, booze and petrol bankroll Europe’s welfare empire
Sub-headline: But what if people give up their sinful ways?
Editor: Systembolaget is equal to a state liquor store in Swedish: is the Neo-Liberal swear wordsword allied to the a riff on Puratanism, that can’t let go of its tradition of scolding the impure, and the sinfulness in British Life. That leads to a usable political pastisch of that inherent Sinfiulness via an attack on The Welfare State as a partner to that sinfullnes, rendered as satire of the bleakist kind. Notice how Systembolaget metaticises under the hand of the Economist writers/editors/curators of political content! Note the fact religious metphores and similes abound, and are continually repurposed as need be! In each of these parigraphs let me hilight the use of those metphores and similes!
Is it possible to feel the burden of sin in a continent that is all but godless, as Europe is these days? Prostitution barely generates a frisson in Belgium, a land of unionised hookers. Puffing cannabis is legal in Germany, of all places. Gambling via lotteries or mobile apps is uncontentious just about everywhere. But to feel the weight of social disapproval, try buying a bottle of wine in Sweden. Since 1955 a state-run monopoly has begrudgingly dispensed alcohol to those who insist on drinking it. The Systembolaget, as it is known, oozes disapproval. Stores are sparse and closed on Sundays. If you find one, forget posters of appealing vineyards as you browse the shelves: the decor is part Albanian government office, part pharmacy. There are no discounts to be had, nor a loyalty programme. Wine is left unchilled lest a customer be tempted to down it on a whim. As they queue to pay, shoppers are made to trudge past a “regret basket” that primly suggests they leave some of their hoard behind. The road to Swedish hell is, apparently, lined with lukewarm bottles of sauvignon blanc.
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Editor: The above paragraph demonstrates that the real target, here revealed in the title is about ‘The Welfare State’, that attempts to ameliorate the bad habits of its Citizens! But note that the methology of the writer of this essay.
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A dozen European countries including France and Poland impose tithes on sugary drinks. Energy taxes clobber motorists whose cars are fuelled by planet-warming petrol. Such “sin taxes” allow European politicians to indulge in their two great passions: nannying the public and filling public coffers. Alas the two are in opposition, seeing that pricey sinning makes for fewer sinners.
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Europe has a special (and arguably dubious) rationale for taxing the unholy trinity that are booze, cigs and petrol: its publicly funded health-care systems ultimately pick up the tab for citizens’ bad habits, and society at large will pay the cost of adapting to global warming.
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Young Europeans are on a straighter path than their parents were, including when it comes to untaxed activities like sex and illegal drugs
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Though the gains made from falling sales of accessories to sin will be felt years in the future, the fiscal pain of shrinking revenue hits immediately.
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Taxing sin has other issues. It often disproportionately burdens the poor, who smoke, drink and gamble more as a share of their income and drive older petrol-guzzling cars.
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In 2018 a rise in fuel duties sparked the “yellow jackets” protests in France.
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The EU is brimming with ideas of new sins to tax, not least as it hopes some might fund its budget directly. Levies on unrecycled plastics already flow to its coffers. On July 16th the European Commission proposed to extend excise on tobacco beyond cigarettes to vapes, as well as receiving some of the proceeds of carbon credits.
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Editor: The final paragraph of this ‘essay’ is chock-a-block with Ideas for further actions that the Anti-Statest might take, when confronting the out of hand bureaucracy! Yet nowhere does their appear the realiable ‘Free Market’ that was once the answer to all questions, except the burning Question of Faith, here exercisised in its most etiolated expression? The Reader might also note that the Economist employee is given to wandering about, that is indicative of a lack of focus, she/he waxes and wanes…
Why stop there? Smoking, drinking and boiling the planet are bad, certainly. But policymakers might usefully update the list of sins to be tackled. Would any sane European oppose tripling the income taxes of people who blithely watch videos on public transport without earphones? Charlemagne would happily vote for tourism levies targeting social-media influencers who turn perfectly good Parisian cafés into Instagram backdrops. Electric scooters are a nuisance, too. The problem with taxes on addiction is it is easy for politicians to end up addicted to them.
American Observer.
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