France bans unlimited sugary drink refills • Hacker News Board

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#171

Post by aembleton » Sun, Jan 29, 2017, 2:19 PM UTC

DrScump wrote: post #167

aembleton wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My parents had the same attitude and I'm from the UK. My Dad passed away at a younger age than his father from obesity related conditions and it was then that I realised that my parents generation (born in the 50s) were the first in history to have access to unlimited food. Their own parents had instilled in them this view that you must finish your plate. They had experience of rationing. My parents continued this at…

Their own parents had instilled in them this view that you must finish your plate. They had experience of rationing. In the wake of WW2 clear into the 1950s, there were food shortages in Europe, with hunger and malnutrition. Even Americans were guilted into not wasting food. For example, Allan Sherman (an overweight Jewish American comedian, sort of a Weird Al Yankovic of his era) said in a song monologue: 'My parent…

True, my Dad born in 1952 had a ration book for the first couple of years of his life.

He didn't remember that but for his parents it would all feel too recent.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#172

Post by [deleted] » Sun, Jan 29, 2017, 3:40 PM UTC

davidivadavid wrote: post #148

nilkn wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never felt this pressure in the US. For food , sure. I was always told growing up to finish my food at each meal. But for water or soda, never.

So it was a common occurrence that you would fill a full glass of soda and dump half of it in the sink?

[deleted]

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#173

Post by MarcusBrutus » Sun, Jan 29, 2017, 4:34 PM UTC

Oletros wrote: post #170

MarcusBrutus wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If a business is willing to offer me free soda refills and I freely choose to patronize thar business, then it takes a hardcore Stalinist to dare stand between us two and prevent by the force of guns this peacefull, voluntary exchange. Does one really need to explain that in the 21st century?

> then it takes a hardcore Stalinist Hyperbole like this is what makes those arguments ridiculous. Or perhaps you don't know what Stalinism, Socialism and Communism is and see it everywhere, like witches in the Middle Ages

I know very well what these systems are and, more importantly, I also know what they have in common (with German National Socialism, Maoism and Arab Islamism too): contempt for the rights of individuals and belief in the right of the state to impose its worldview even to the extent of trumping voluntary contracts and arrangements between consenting adults. It is that mindset, the thin edge of the wedge, that I see everywhere, not witches. Of course France (and most of the EU dystopia) is a socialist basketcase beyond redemption so the "thin edge" metaphore is not entirely applicable here.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#174

Post by mdekkers » Sun, Jan 29, 2017, 4:34 PM UTC

eecks wrote: post #30

How does this effect sugar free drinks like Diet Coke and Coke Zero?

French expat since a week. Hard time finding diet/light alternatives in smaller stores.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#175

Post by Oletros » Sun, Jan 29, 2017, 5:59 PM UTC

MarcusBrutus wrote: post #173

Oletros wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> then it takes a hardcore Stalinist Hyperbole like this is what makes those arguments ridiculous. Or perhaps you don't know what Stalinism, Socialism and Communism is and see it everywhere, like witches in the Middle Ages

I know very well what these systems are and, more importantly, I also know what they have in common (with German National Socialism, Maoism and Arab Islamism too): contempt for the rights of individuals and belief in the right of the state to impose its worldview even to the extent of trumping voluntary contracts and arrangements between consenting adults. It is that mindset, the thin edge of the wedge, that I see ev…

> Of course France (and most of the EU dystopia) is a socialist basketcase beyond redemption so the "thin edge" metaphore is not entirely applicable here.

So yes, you see witches everywhere.

The best thing that can occur is that people like you have their dreams accomplished and live in that libertarian paradise but not being part of the 1% with power. Then you look what your ideology is, bullshit.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#176

Post by MarcusBrutus » Sun, Jan 29, 2017, 10:42 PM UTC

stinos wrote: post #135

FrancoDiaz wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, nanny-state, authoritarianism is part of the socialist ideological grouping. Socialists have always advocated the state making little, "lifestyle" decisions like this. The state "knows better", and you have lots of people agreeing. Look at the top comment and its children comments on this story. You have people applauding this law and saying that people are too stupid to know when to not get a refill. These are…

The state "knows better", and you have lots of people agreeing. Doesn't obesity prove, in this case, the state really does know better? You could argue people are free to be as obese as they want, but only knowingly imo. The actual problem is a lot of people don't realize they're basically being tricked into unhealthy obese living by MegaCorps wanting to get them hooked on their product.

It gives me a very warm feeling to know that those simpletons now have you to care for them and prevent other people from taking advantage of them. I do hope they show some appreciation for your efforts on their behalf.

Re: France bans unlimited sugary drink refills

#177

Post by nkrisc » Mon, Jan 30, 2017, 4:37 PM UTC

gdulli wrote: post #90

nkrisc wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not that people are incapable, it's that they're being given ever increasing and complex decisions to make in their daily life without being given the education to support it. Some people do receive such an education or are aware enough of the knowledge to seek it themselves but that's not the case for everyone.

Lots of educated people make bad choices about health. It doesn't take education or sophistication to know that you're better off without a lot of Coke. We're bombarded with messages about drinking Coke and not drinking Coke and we've made our choice. An completely optimal diet does get very complex, and probably subjective. Definitely over my head. But we shouldn't pretend will power isn't a problem where the low-ha…

Certainly will power is an aspect, there's no doubt about that. But how many people really know that it's not healthy? After all, it's advertised as low calorie or sugar free, isn't that good? I don't think common sense about food is as common as you think it might be.