presents

                Khalid & Jutta:  Global Smoking & Orwellian
                                              Mass Psychology and Hysteria.

Well guys.
there is still some "hope" among all you smokers.
Khalid.

POSTED AT 10:09 PM EDT    Friday, July 14

Tobacco companies hit with billions of dollars in damages

By ALLISON DUNFIELD
Globe and Mail Update

Philip Morris Inc., maker of Marlboro cigarettes, was the hardest hit in a class-action suit against five major tobacco companies, when it was ordered to pay $73.96-billion (U.S.) in damages.

Judge Robert Paul Kaye read the jury's verdict aloud at around 3 p.m. EDT in a Miami courtroom at the conclusion of a class-action case on behalf of 500,000 or more sick smokers. Damages were expected to go as high as $196.8-billion.

The other blue-chip tobacco companies involved in the lawsuit were also hammered with billions of dollars in damages. R.J. Reynolds was ordered to pay $36.28-billion, Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. was ordered to pay $17.59-billion, Loews Unit, Lorillard, $16.25-billion, and Ligget, a unit of Vector Group, must pay $790-million.

The six jurors, who have been hearing the case for two years, ruled last year that five cigarette makers and two trade groups were responsible for some 20 ailments among Florida's smokers.

Judge Kaye congratulated the jury for putting aside their jobs and families to hear hundreds of hours of testimony.

At a press conference following the decision, Dan Webb, attorney for Philip Morris, lashed out against the verdict.

"Phillip Morris is extremely confident that This case will be overturned on appeal."

Mr. Webb said the case was fraught with errors and said the fact that the jury would award billions of dollars in damages to a company without "hearing any evidence from anyone" about the veracity of the claims meant the "verdict ruled in favour of no-one."

"It will have no practical impact on Philip Morris or its employees."

Mr. Webb said courts would have to try 700,000 cases before a judgement could be entered, since the class action suit dealt with unidentified people.

"It's unheard of in American history to do anything like this," he said.

But Stanley Rosenblatt, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, said by listening to 157 witnesses and coming to the billion-dollar damage verdict, "Dammit, they (the jury) did the right thing."

"This was never only about money," Mr. Rosenblatt stressed, "This was about showing these companies up for what they are."

Bill Ohlemeyer, general cousel for Philip Morris, said the company would challenge the verdict in the district court of appeals, although he could not pinpoint whether the appeal would be heard by the end of this year, "Pure and simple, the verdict should not be allowed to stand," Mr. Ohlemeyer added.

Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. has also said it would appeal the decision.

Khalid,

I have heard of the "tobacco case" on CNN recently, however what I don't understand is, why the tobacco companies should pay for something so basic in capitalist society like it is the selling of a product. Is there a similar lawsuit going on against the producers of all those body shaping and  -training and -building machines, where thousands of people a year suffer short, medium and even long term damage to their bones, wrists, ankles, muscles, necks, backs, in other words, health? Will the companies be sued, that launch genetically altered products onto the market without knowing the exact magnitude of the impact onto the long term health of the natural and human environment? Will chemistry companies be sued for polluting the rivers and the air as a by-product of their production, and what about the side effects of the very products they sell? Will nuclear power stations be sued for the so much proven dramatic increase in leukaemia caused to those who live within a certain radius of the stations?
Today, it is the tobacco industry that has "to pay for it", because they need people to shift from tobacco and get addicted to harder, synthetic drugs & habits. Tomorrow, these will be the "soft ones" in comparison to what is yet to come, and will be forbidden as well as their producers "punished" in order to give way to the ultimate brain wash device on the market. ...

Cheers,

Jutta.

Khalid Ali wrote:

 Jutta,

This is indeed an interesting story and is just one of its kind to make headlines for the moment. Many other Tobacco industries have already been successfully sued for failing to inform smokers of the "presumed health risks," and also for their failure to reveal that some of the ingredients used in the manufacture of cigarettes causes cancer. According to one of the industry's own scientists they knew about the risk involved through their own studies conducted decades ago but kept it secretive for fear of loosing sales. This is the rational and grounds for some of the lawsuits. As I understand it, with "correct labeling" on each package which reveals all the ingredients used and possible risks involved the industry has admitted that it could be very risky to smoke. However if you wish to do so now you are doing it at your own risk. Previously smokers were never told of the risks involved as the pharmaceutical and some other industries are required to do. I don't think it is a question of "smoking" but smoking what? A smoker previously did not know that their cigarettes were laden with chemicals that "presumably" causes health problems, now everyone knows. Similarly, there are also many others lawsuits pending against various industries across the globe including the pharmaceutical, chemical and various power industries for environmental pollution. Exxon for example lost a billion dollar law suit for pollution. Recently the chemical industry "voluntary" withdrew a product that was used for decades on lawns as a result of a "pending law suit" and because the information became public that there were serious health risks involved. It is now being clearly labeled with a warning sign until current stocks are finished.  A number of power plants are being sued for environmental pollution too including possible suits against the nuclear industry. In terms of getting people addicted to other vices I honestly don't feel anyone out there cares."They" know we are all and have been "addicted" to ideology,indoctrination, deceit, lies and more lies for various for centuries. On the using of "hard" drugs, again it serves the purpose of the elite to have people hooked on them particularly those of the lower class black neighborhoods in the U.S. Even the CIA was "caught" red-handed of this dastardly crime but no charges were laid. Cheers.

Khalid.

Khalid,

... agreed, it is an interesting, if not to say strange story, and so very much un-capitalist-like, that it somehow "stinks". The question always is: they have not given a s__ for people's "health" or the "quality" of products in ages, so why now, if they are not coming up with "better" alternatives from their points of view (=profit)? - No doubts whatsoever about the well known fact, that the tobacco in cigarettes is loaded with chemicals and who knows what, and whoever decides to smoke will have to do so at their own risk - as you correctly said, this is not the point of our discussion. However, I must admit the whole story intrigues me a lot, including the other examples you gave. I can only think about this entire thing in terms of cleverly arranged maneuvers from big corporations, that include the tactical involvment of "consumer complaints", in order to rule out the strong competition - let's not forget that the tobacco industries that have been sued also have a big share on the worldwide food production market. If they are legally made to pay the "compensation", which I understand is an amount of billions of dollars, they will no longer be competitive on the market and will forcibly have to make way for others. What I'm trying to say, is, that I simply don't buy the story of sudden "consciousness" and "caring" for the "health" of consumers of the world. I know you don't either, and I would like to know your comments on the entire setting please, Khalid.

Take care man! I will scan a cup of Chiguará coffee for you, so you can at least have a look at it :)
Jutta.

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