Posted on 12/13/2012 5:26:46 AM PST by Thad Lost
We have had the “War on Drugs” since the 70’s. In the 80’s, the “War” went from just skirmishes to an all out nuclear war on drugs.
Now, thirty years later what have we accomplished? Has the “War on Drugs” become just another epic government failure like the “War on Poverty” with the only thing accomplished being massive government spending and an equally massive erosion of our Constitutional Rights?
My perspective on the “War on Drugs” is a little different from most people. I practiced law for 24 years. Ten of those years were as a prosecutor. The rest were as a criminal defense lawyer. Three of my years prosecuting I spent as a drug prosecutor.
In my line of work I have met and worked with more drug dealers and users than the average person would see in a lifetime. I have no sympathy for drug dealers and while I have some pity for drug users, controlled substances of all kinds including Marijuana are something to be avoided at all costs.
The “War on Drugs” has created several things. None of them are really good. First it has created a massive government bureaucracy at not only the Federal level of government but also at the state and local levels as well. The Federal Government pumps billions of dollars out in the “War on drugs.” This money is spent on law enforcement, prosecutors, defense lawyers, prisons, corrections employees, social workers, advertising and the list goes on beyond belief.
(Excerpt) Read more at teapartynation.com ...
I wasn’t discussing the monetary effects of prohibition.
Have you ever drank alcohol? Smoked pot?
So, if drug users are cowards, escaping reality, then every beer drinker in America is a coward, escaping reality.
See what that idea gets you at a ballgame or office party!
How extensive is your contact with drug users?
I’m not surprised to see that your objections are confined to legal arguments rather than addressing the impact of drug use on those around drug users. I suspect your experience is either nil or nothing more than smoking a few joints in college.
BTW, is it just a coincidence that the rise of the drug culture paralleled the rise of leftism in American culture? Those of us who grew up in the 60s could hardly fail to notice the connection.
Admittedly not too much: I know one (prescription drug) who was shady, and one MJ who is a pretty great guy.
I’m not surprised to see that your objections are confined to legal arguments rather than addressing the impact of drug use on those around drug users
Maybe that's because I'm actually more interested in Law than Sociology.
Does that invalidate my viewpoint? Or arguments?
BTW, is it just a coincidence that the rise of the drug culture paralleled the rise of leftism in American culture? Those of us who grew up in the 60s could hardly fail to notice the connection.
And I can hardly fail to notice the correlation between statism and the proliferation of laws, especially those which are selectively applied.
Ditto
Neither was I, strictly speaking. The economics of it is tied in with the rest of it, so it’s not reasonable to think you can discuss the issue without looking at it.
Excellent observation. If dangerous drugs are legalized, who will be there to profit from them? The Drug Cartels, of course. And why would the price of drugs be lowered? The demand will only increase, the supply will be less, the gubmint will tax the hell out of it (like tobacco) and the Cartels will benefit.
Nah, the war on drugs fuels the fascist state. Legalize most recreational drugs and let Darwin, the god of progressives take over.
Warrants repeating in bold font.
Libs are great at claiming they don't care what others do in the privacy of their own homes. Yet then when they wake up and see a culture of doped out welfare collecting freeloaders, they act surprised and disgusted that they have to pay for this.
Same with gay marriages. Libertarians are OK with what two consenting adults do. Yet when their perversions are naturally taken to the next level, these morons want to stop that?
Actually, based on the Glenn Beck thread from 2 days ago, its clear that libertarians not only support legal drugs in America, they support gay marriages too.
Libertarians (see tagline) ~ hoc ptui!
Yep. The article read like something I wrote long ago, with registered users having limited professional options, taxation, and regulation of sales/purchases.
Sadly, the GWOD has been used to numb people to the ideas of 'random' searches, no-knock dynamic entry by militarized police units, checkpoints, etc. Other agencies are joining in, such as the TSA, and we are hurtling headlong toward the Police State, if we aren't already there. Even ideas once broached for the Drug War that did not pass muster have been resurrected in the War on Terror (Read THIS you NSA PUKES!), and all our communications are subject to summary recording and scrutiny, whether we have ever had so much as a speeding ticket or not.
Most of society has been lulled into somnolence, by thinking they have "nothing to hide". Yet the ever changing legal landscape renders even the most innocuous act a grave violation of some regulation or law, making no one safe.
Every "War" declared on the domestic front has been declared on all of us, not just the people the government claims to be the targets, yet so many are bamboozled into sacrificing their freedoms thinking it somehow only applies to "the other guy", for the sake of the illusion of security.
All I get is dancers here...dancing around they issue. people who use illegal drugs to escape reality are cowards. Trying to escape reality has another name....linsanity. You may not like looking in the mirror, but it’s you in there.
I shall start calling you Gene, after Gene Kelly, the dancer. Gene, you can dance around the issue all you want, but it’s still there. People using illegal drugs to escape reality are cowards. Attempting to escape reality, Gene, has another name.....insanity. If you don’t like what you see when you look in the mirror, then make a change. The rest of us see you for what you are.
Gene Gene Gene.....going camping is the same as snorting coke? Maybe in your world, Gene. If you can confuse entertainment and competition with using illegal drugs, then go give a heroin addict a book. That must be what they want.
Conservatives that are against the WOD are not touting drug abuse as a good thing. They simply understand the WOD is pointless and causes more problems than it solves:
-People that choose to play Russian roullette and abuse dangerous chemicals to escape reality WILL NEVER CARE about drug laws. It doesn't matter if these chemicals are legal or illegal.
-The same people don't care about stealing whatever it takes to escape reality. They will destroy someone’s $10,000 air conditioner to score a few hundred bucks worth of chemicals.
-Since the above people are so desperate, they will pay more for these chemicals than gold. You will NEVER stop people from selling something so profitable. Since there is no victim that will report the crimes, a dope dealer has a tiny chance of getting caught. A dope dealer can make more in one year than most people earn in decades. For these reasons, even nations that execute dope dealers have not stopped sales.
-Draconian drug laws are not only pointless for preventing abuse but they actually put everyone’s freedom at risk, even non users. We routinely abandon many constitutional rights and government restrictions to fight this pointless war. The government can now seize a “large” amount of cash from citizens until they prove they are innocent of drug sales. In some states, all it takes is a tiny dime-sized package to turn anyone into a felon. This cop didn’t even do time because he started talking about how common it is in the NYPD: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2095772/Cowboy-cop-Jason-Arbeeny-planted-crack-couples-car-seat-escapes-jail.html
“Gene Gene Gene.....going camping is the same as snorting coke?”
No, but both are forms of escape from reality, which you denounce as cowardice and insanity.
“If you can confuse entertainment and competition with using illegal drugs, then go give a heroin addict a book.”
Hey, you’re the one blanketly decrying escapism. I’m just pointing out the myopic nature of your condemnations. One finger is pointing at the druggies, and three are pointing back at you.
“The rest of us see you for what you are.”
What’s that, pray tell?
“Yet then when they wake up and see a culture of doped out welfare collecting freeloaders, they act surprised and disgusted that they have to pay for this.”
Well, that’s what we have already, with the War on Drugs gone berserk. So, obviously, that’s not something that is going to go away by pursuing the same old policies. What else have you got to propose that might actually work?
Why would the supply be less? That’s not how economics works. Supply rises, as much as is possible, to meet demand. Drugs are very easy to produce, so there is no reason to think they would be any scarcity at all.
Exactly.
People against the WOD are not for drug abuse. We are simply against giving up our constitutional rights for any reason. Especially for a pointless war. It affects all of us, not just drug users.
See my last post 55
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