Reply #21: Why don't we apply the same degree of personal responsibility ... [View All]

... to the corporations as we do to the individuals? Sure, smoking is stupid. People ought to know better and in fact do know better. They ought to take responsibility for their own health and safety. Nevertheless, the fact that some don't is no defense for corporate irresponsibility. Besides, a RICO action is not like an auto accident case. The govt. have proven criminal conspiracy. Smokers are amatures just trying to live their lives. Tobacco companies are pros with institutional memory. They have billions of dollars to spend trying to figure out the best way to get teenagers to start smoking. They hire teams of psychologists for that purpose. They know that doing A,B and C will result in X new smokers. They know what will happen to them over a lifetime. They know what it will cost society. Despite actually knowing that they are killing people, they continue to do so. Where is their personal responsibility for mass murder?