If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.
Notes for future OT posters:
1. Please add the 'open_thread' tag.
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3. Open Threads should be posted in Discussion, and not Main.
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The problem with ignoring these real humans' desires is that your buyout plan fails. You can only pay off the current shareholders, and without some form of more serious government intervention, the employees and consumers will cause NEW enterprises to replace them.
And if you're going to use the government mandate hammer to prevent that, why not just use it in the first place rather than spending the buyout money?
The existing tobacco companies are real assets that require compensation if they are nationalized, while the right to create new companies does not require compensation if it is destroyed.
You might also ask why people don't create new American tobacco companies to acquire the advertising rights that existing companies gave up in Master Settlement.