Thomas Sowell and Milton Friedman make their cases for ending the War on Drugs (YouTube videos)

YouTube | Thomas Sowell and Milton Friedman

[10thAmendmentGuy]

Thomas Sowell on the War on Drugs

Milton Friedman on the War on Drugs

[10thAmendmentGuy]

I didn't misattribute anything to you. You said cocaine was removed from Coca-Cola in 1903. Anyone reading that statement would have assumed that you meant completely removed, because you said removed. Anyway, yes they removed most of it in 1903, but even in 1903, the drink bore no resemblance to the cocaine of today.

I don't know any heroin addicts, but I have met quite a few oxycontin addicts, which is basically the same thing. Their lives are sad and terrible, despite the fact that oxycontin is a prescription medication. Would you believe that they actually buy it on the street, just like heroin? Go figure.

You mentioned what would happen if we legalized it? We'd have more addicts, obviously, but probably not many more. We could probably anticipate that the number of marijuana users would increase by 10-15%, and the number of heroin users would increase by less than 5%. Heroin is a nasty drug -- people can get access to it now, but have no desire to try it. The government has done a good job about convincing people of the dangers of heroin and methamphetamine use. They have failed to convince us of the dangers of marijuana use, because anyone with a brain knows that it has no real dangers.

It makes you hungry and it makes you laugh, and then you get tired. Big whoop. As for rehabilitating serious addicts, well I certainly wouldn't want to see government-funded rehab centers. If we got the government out of medicine then rehab centers would be more affordable and you'd probably see some rehab centers funded by churches and other non-profits for people with addictions that lack the means to pay for them. We already have privately-funded rehab centers today that help people get clean from illegal drugs.

If people go through a couple stints of rehab and it's clear that they're not redeemable, then the private centers will probably give up on them (as they should), and these sad souls will be left to their own devices. They will probably end up dead but a lot of people with severe drug addictions end up dead today, even people with the means to pay for extensive rehab.

[SoCal Pubbie]

But if you can get away with it, or you’re stronger than others, what’s the problem with denying another person their rights? There has to a reason why that is wrong. Isn’t that morality?

[dcwusmc]

No, I am the one who was ripped off by a postal employee from my postal box. And the way it’s laid out, no one could possibly do things as you suggested, not without being noticed by someone working there.

[10thAmendmentGuy]

Both great videos. I love Milton Friedman’s easy way of explaining things.

Milton reminds me of my grandfather -- they looked a little alike, and like Milton, he was also brilliant and had the same gift of explaining seemingly complicated concepts in such a simple manner. I love the classic clips of Milton Friedman on YouTube where he would debate liberals on things like government-provided health care and housing for the poor. He owned them, time after time.

[philman_36]

What about all of the innocent people killed by police in the name of drug eradication?
There are probably many more than most people realize.
Remember Jose Guerena in Arizona?

At least Jose got to live several years before he died.

Remember 11 year old Alberto Sepulvida? Alberto was killed by a shotgun blast to the back while following police orders and lying face down on the floor during a SWAT raid. He was a seventh-grader at Prescott Senior Elementary School.

And I'll leave it at that. My patience and tolerance of WOsD warriors has been worn completely out. They have nothing but my contempt.

[10thAmendmentGuy]

Vigorous bump. Can you drug warriors justify this young man’s death? Are you going to claim he was a drug dealer like you did Jose Guerena?

[Venturer]

Yeah the drug threads always bring out the “Make it legalers.”

[philman_36]

Yeah the drug threads always bring out the “Make it legalers.”
Yeah, the drug threads always bring out the "Kill 'em allers."

[philman_36]

Can you drug warriors justify this young man’s death?
Some WODdies tried, and failed, to do just that in 2000 when the incident was current news.

Are you going to claim he was a drug dealer like you did Jose Guerena?
Now, now...it was his parents fault for dealing drugs. The cops were just doing their job as they were ordered and sometimes accidents, like pulling the trigger of a shotgun aimed at a child, happen during drug raids and it's just the price that has to be paid to win the WOsD.
Besides, everyone knows that you have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.

Oh, just a tick! Nothing was found and the family won a large settlement.

Never mind.

[philman_36]

Let me ask you this before I go, though I doubt I'll get an answer...
Do you believe that if the government can tell you what you can't put in your body (ingest, imbibe, inhale) that it can also tell you what you must put in your body?

[Ransomed]

“I would poison the drugs like alcohol was poisoned during prohibition...”

I’m not sure if that is a joke or not. Lets say the state introduces its own supply of poisoned drugs into circulation somehow, or taint large amounts they find. Wouldn’t they just start to use “tasters”, volunteer junkies who don’t care as long as they get fixed up for free? They would also retaliate, assuming the drugs are poisoned by the state, by kidnapping innocent people, addicting them, and making them test the drugs. The really heavy cartels might nab whole groups of people and announce to the media that they are going to keep giving these people poisoned drugs until the program is dropped.

I suppose you could make the sickness from the tainted drugs very gradual, which would get more people. Maybe you make the illness non-lethal and non-permanent, but so bad they are miserable for days, which would discourage 1st timers from becoming 2nd timers perhaps. I think in prohibition they didn’t poison the actual final product, but the industrial alcohol products that bootleggers stole and were using to make illegal hooch. I guess you could try to do this with some of the stuff they put into meth. And you would have to make the effects of the poisoning worse than the prolonged effects of meth itself.

It is interesting to think about, but I don’t think poisoning drugs is a wise thing to do.

Freegards

[Venturer]

The Government already tells you what you cannot put into your body.

Can they tell you what you MUST put into your body.? Well: Michelle is doing it with kids. Are adults next.

[Venturer]

Yeah, and the make it all legallers, LMAO.

[10thAmendmentGuy]

Yeah, the drug threads always bring out the "Kill 'em allers."

Good song. Bad idea.

[Ken H]

The Government already tells you what you cannot put into your body.

Do you support that? I would think your answer must be "yes".

Can they tell you what you MUST put into your body.? Well: Michelle is doing it with kids. Are adults next.

Drug War supporters don't have much of a basis to object, now do they.

[philman_36]

The Government already tells you what you cannot put into your body.
Exactly, and in many ways! Was the government granted such powers?

Can they tell you what you MUST put into your body.? Well: Michelle is doing it with kids.
How so? Isn't actual legislation, not just recommendations or suggestions, necessary for such a thing? Wouldn't the government only be operating under 'color of law' instead of under the actual law if there is no legislation? And, again, does the government even have such authority to begin with?

Are adults next.
There's no question mark so is that a question or a statement? If it is a question all you've done is avoid answering the question at all.

Yeah, and the make it all legallers, LMAO.
Yeah, and the make 'em all deaders, (not) NLMAO.
And you're a sick freak with your choice of solutions and I've got no problem telling you that you are one either.
Do you also recommend billing the family for the cost of the killing means (the poison you recommend using) like they do in China with the bullets they use for executions?

U.s. Must Co-exist With China, But It Doesn't Have To Endorse Human-rights Abuses November 27, 1996
...a single bullet to the back of the neck, with the victim's family billed for the bullet.

[10thAmendmentGuy]

Crickets chirping.

[10thAmendmentGuy]

He ran when confronted with facts.

[Christian Engineer Mass]

Better things to do, sorry.

[10thAmendmentGuy]

Sorry, didn’t mean to get in the way of your Myspace arm photos. Carry on sir.