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I wouldn't blame just Republicans for drugs not being legal and the DEA being intact. Democrats get campaign contributions from police unions, private prisons,

by falk 13y ago

I wouldn't blame just Republicans for drugs not being legal and the DEA being intact. Democrats get campaign contributions from police unions, private prisons, alcohol companies, pharmaceutical companies, and prison guard unions too. The fact of the matter is that our politicians don't work for us they work for corporate interests. Also, before someone says we should elect politicians, please realize that the problem isn't the politicians. It's the American people. Americans are dumber than a box of rocks. They love their low prices they get at Walmart and don't realize how much we subsidize the company's employees via welfare programs because they refuse to pay them a living wage. The baby boomers (and possibly my generation) will have to die off before cannabis and other drugs are legalized.

anigbrowl 13y ago
I quite agree, but the 'morality police' stance is something I associate with the right (though not exclusively).
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
tolmasky 13y ago
The problem is not the American people. If a system requires nearly the entire populace to be as active (intellectually and financially) as every individual vested interest just to be successful, then it is a bad system. Its easy to call people dumb as rocks when they aren't rich and need to spend their time working really difficult jobs, and then choose low prices and tv for the leisure they have left as opposed to researching the complex web of interests that define the political actions of this country. The reality is that even the people that are "well informed" have wildly different beliefs about what is going on. The government represents an entity capable of on the one hand restricting just about anything, and on the other hand propping up other things. It is thus a completely natural and logical result that thousands of vested interests will start vying for its favor. Now all of a sudden the entire population needs to go on defense for each of these issues. Its madness and completely unsustainable. You happen to care about and understand drug legalization, but I guarantee you that there are hundreds of other issues you aren't even aware of that are equally bad. Does that make you a bad person or dumb? Of course not.
- falk 13y ago
  "If a system requires nearly the entire populace to be as active (intellectually and financially) as every individual vested interest just to be successful, then it is a bad system." We can't even get half of the country to make informed decisions. Americans are definitely the problem. They vote every couple of years to elect rich politicians that don't give a fuck about them. And they vote based off of arbitrary reasons. They find out we are being constantly spied on and they just don't care. Just like they didn't care when Japanese Americans were thrown into camps during WW2. Just like they didn't care when we were lied into Vietnam and then again into Iraq to make a few people richer. Americans are complacent.
  - pstuart 13y ago
    With drugs it's even worse than that: otherwise intelligent and well meaning people have been brainwashed into thinking that we have to be protected from these dangerous drugs. Lot's of people will say legalize pot but not the "hard stuff" (only because they want legal pot for themselves).
    - hga 13y ago
      I'm not sure "brainwashed" or anything like it is right, or at least the one's I've discussed this with who were beyond thinking were terrified about their children. I pointed out the choices of liberty or a drug war, which they did not deny, and they preferred the latter.
      - falk 13y ago
        Brainwashed is the right word. Have you seen any of thr old drug propaganda videos? Check them out on YouTue. Also look up and watch Referrer Madness. In D.A.R.E my brothers kid learned that LSD stays in your system forever and drips acid down your brainstem, among a whole slew of other non-factual information.
        hga 13y ago
llamataboot 13y ago
Colorado and Washington prove that wrong. I suspect many states will follow over the next 10 years for at least cannabis.
- falk 13y ago
  The federal government is going to step in and start confiscating grow-ops in Colorado and Washington State. They will bust people doors down and most likely injure or kill a few. It's going to happen. The powers at the federal level are just too great.
  - lukifer 13y ago
    It will be interesting to see what happens; the federal agencies are between a rock and a hard place. While the initiatives passed at around 55%, the polls for the feds to respect state law are over 70%. If they go after the industry as a whole, they would end up losing a lot of political capital among the "law and order" voters who otherwise support the drug war. Note that the medical operations have dealt with a handful of nasty busts under Holder/Obama, but don't seem to be closing up shop or going underground. Drive down the right streets in Denver, and you'll pass literally a dozen legal pot shops operating in the open, neon signs and all.
    - seanmcdirmid 13y ago
      I don't think the federal government is interested in getting into what would essentially be a pissing contest. They will just ignore the problem and let things be, because that is their prerogative (state jurisdiction!) and they have nothing to gain, only resentment, for getting involved. Why aren't federal drug laws don't change because many of the other states won't let them. A lot of southern states are not so open about drugs. This isn't the federal government vs. a few states, its more like many states against many states; there is just a general disagreement in our culture like there was/is about gay marriage.

by falk 13y ago

anigbrowl 13y ago

I quite agree, but the 'morality police' stance is something I associate with the right (though not exclusively).

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

tolmasky 13y ago

The problem is not the American people. If a system requires nearly the entire populace to be as active (intellectually and financially) as every individual vested interest just to be successful, then it is a bad system. Its easy to call people dumb as rocks when they aren't rich and need to spend their time working really difficult jobs, and then choose low prices and tv for the leisure they have left as opposed to researching the complex web of interests that define the political actions of this country. The reality is that even the people that are "well informed" have wildly different beliefs about what is going on. The government represents an entity capable of on the one hand restricting just about anything, and on the other hand propping up other things. It is thus a completely natural and logical result that thousands of vested interests will start vying for its favor. Now all of a sudden the entire population needs to go on defense for each of these issues. Its madness and completely unsustainable. You happen to care about and understand drug legalization, but I guarantee you that there are hundreds of other issues you aren't even aware of that are equally bad. Does that make you a bad person or dumb? Of course not.

falk 13y ago
"If a system requires nearly the entire populace to be as active (intellectually and financially) as every individual vested interest just to be successful, then it is a bad system." We can't even get half of the country to make informed decisions. Americans are definitely the problem. They vote every couple of years to elect rich politicians that don't give a fuck about them. And they vote based off of arbitrary reasons. They find out we are being constantly spied on and they just don't care. Just like they didn't care when Japanese Americans were thrown into camps during WW2. Just like they didn't care when we were lied into Vietnam and then again into Iraq to make a few people richer. Americans are complacent.
- pstuart 13y ago
  With drugs it's even worse than that: otherwise intelligent and well meaning people have been brainwashed into thinking that we have to be protected from these dangerous drugs. Lot's of people will say legalize pot but not the "hard stuff" (only because they want legal pot for themselves).
  - hga 13y ago
    I'm not sure "brainwashed" or anything like it is right, or at least the one's I've discussed this with who were beyond thinking were terrified about their children. I pointed out the choices of liberty or a drug war, which they did not deny, and they preferred the latter.
    - falk 13y ago
      Brainwashed is the right word. Have you seen any of thr old drug propaganda videos? Check them out on YouTue. Also look up and watch Referrer Madness. In D.A.R.E my brothers kid learned that LSD stays in your system forever and drips acid down your brainstem, among a whole slew of other non-factual information.
      - hga 13y ago

llamataboot 13y ago

Colorado and Washington prove that wrong. I suspect many states will follow over the next 10 years for at least cannabis.

falk 13y ago
The federal government is going to step in and start confiscating grow-ops in Colorado and Washington State. They will bust people doors down and most likely injure or kill a few. It's going to happen. The powers at the federal level are just too great.
- lukifer 13y ago
  It will be interesting to see what happens; the federal agencies are between a rock and a hard place. While the initiatives passed at around 55%, the polls for the feds to respect state law are over 70%. If they go after the industry as a whole, they would end up losing a lot of political capital among the "law and order" voters who otherwise support the drug war. Note that the medical operations have dealt with a handful of nasty busts under Holder/Obama, but don't seem to be closing up shop or going underground. Drive down the right streets in Denver, and you'll pass literally a dozen legal pot shops operating in the open, neon signs and all.
  - seanmcdirmid 13y ago
    I don't think the federal government is interested in getting into what would essentially be a pissing contest. They will just ignore the problem and let things be, because that is their prerogative (state jurisdiction!) and they have nothing to gain, only resentment, for getting involved. Why aren't federal drug laws don't change because many of the other states won't let them. A lot of southern states are not so open about drugs. This isn't the federal government vs. a few states, its more like many states against many states; there is just a general disagreement in our culture like there was/is about gay marriage.