Krugman is having fun

[Uzybone]

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/30/false-charges-of-racism-tanning-edition/


So a guest on Glenn Beck claimed that health reform is racist because it imposes a special tax on indoor tanning salons.

That’s ridiculous, of course. Everyone knows that the tanning tax was an act of personal vindictiveness aimed at the House Minority Leader.

[my2sense]

1. Bwahahahaha!

:rofl:

[Eric J in MN]

2. Guest-host for his radio show, Doc Thompson, not a guest. NT

NT

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Tanning salon tax is racist. These people are REALLY too stupid for words.

Being stupid would be a huge step UP for them..

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. Joke aside, I hadn't thought of that angle

If a tax were levied on something that were used by a lot of black people, a few hispanic people and very, very, very, very, very few white people I would identify it as racist quite readily.

If white people were a protected class the tax would indeed face an uphill climb given the incredibly disparate impact.

But they are not a protected class.

I do not think racial animus informed the tanning tax in any way but the Beck guest comment is not entirely irrational... merely mistaken and stupid.

[Jennicut]

5. Also, some of us pale, pasty, look like a ghost white people wish to stay that

way and would not view the tanning tax as racist. :)
I just burn from the sun and my 4 year old is even more pale then me. We don't let her go out in the late spring and summer without a hat and tons of sunblock.

[CTyankee]

6. I just wish I were darker complexioned. My eye doctor warned me last fall that

being fair skinned would make my eyesight at night less acute and he was right. I now decline to drive at night...it is scary. I'm old but not THAT old...

[Jennicut]

7. Really? I had no idea that the two were connected.

My eyesight has always been bad since I was a kid. I wear contacts all day and then glasses at night. My eyesight at night is not that great either...and I am only 34!

[CTyankee]

11. Sorry to tell you this but my eye doc was really clear on it.

At the time I didn't have the problems I have now. It's awful, but I do have astigmatism in my right eye, so that is an issue also. I had cataract surgery in 2006 so I can't say it's that. I think I'll schedule another doc appointment just to find out.

I'm so sorry you are having night eyesight problems. It's awful. I never had it until just a few months ago. I had to give up tutoring a Chinese student in English as a result...it was sad for me and for her since it was the only time we could get together at the library. I still feel bad about it...

[tex-wyo-dem]

12. Actually,n his comment IS entirely irrational...

Tanning salons provide a service that is entirely based upon vanity that has long term consequences of creating more costs in the system due to claims regarding skin cancer. Although no specific examples come to mind, if a vanity service were provided that had health consequences that was primarily used by, say, black people, you can bet a similar tax would be levied.

It all boils down to increased costs in the system that are a result of unnesessary, luxury or vanity type services. It's the same reason insurance companies don't cover cosmetic surgery -- increased health care cost risks from unesessary action.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

8. Not that I feel it necessary to respond to such stupidity, but Beck is so obsessed

with race that he's too stupid to realize that there are many different hues within minority communities that it is not uncommon for lighter-skinned blacks, for instance, to tan.

He is ridiculous and a slave to hate.

[chollybocker]

9. Then, when these idiots get skin lesions from their cancer tubes,

they'll complain that Obamacare doesn't provide a plush, private hospital room after the life-saving surgery. Ugh.

(Not to mention the racist angle.)

[Kind of Blue]

10. "Championship Psycho Talk" - as Ed would say.

:rofl: I'm beginning to think this is a real competition. It's obvious that he's scouring the internet for contenders.