I've been thinking alot lately about the two ways laws are used. One, to make someone feel smug that they disapprove of a behavior while having no effect or contributing to the behavior. Two, laws to actually change the behavior.
I doubt there's a member of the religious right who would favor legalizing drugs. I'm talking marijuana, heroin, you name it. But the war on drugs has cost billions of dollars to taxpayers, supports FARC in Columbia, the Taliban in Afghanistan and MS-13 in LA, not to mention putting millions of non-violent people in prison at an expense of billions. In spite of this, I could parachute into any town in America with $100 cash and in an hour I could get pot, heroin, crack, whatever. THE DRUG LAWS DON'T WORK!
Why don't we legalize marijuana? "I don't want to send the message that it's okay to do!" No probelmo with cigarettes and booze? It's easier for a 14 year old to buy pot in America than booze, because the booze is regulated. The pot is assumed not to exist? How could it be here? It's not legal!
If we legalized, taxed and regulated drug use, EVERY CRIMINAL GANG IN AMERICA WOULD BE OUT OF BUSINESS OVERNIGHT!
But the proud little clean faced boys and girls who's grandparents got it made illegal in the first place, cuz them darkies like that devil weed, can't get past the idea that making it legal would make it available to Dick and Jane for the first time.
5 comments:
I think our government makes more money on the war on drugs than they would if drugs were legalized.
Call me a conspiracy theorist.
I feel like if major policies are in place that don't make sense, there has to be $$$ behind it.
Also you check out Paul Virilio. Very interesting writings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Virilio
You know, I wanted to argue with Aaron, and just say the Government is stupid. But that's never the actual case, is it? There's always the unseen motive.
But it seems to me like there would be much more money to be made by the actual Government by taxing and regulating. So you gotta help me understand where the money is being made without taxes?
I mean, I realize the DEA's budget is astounding, but it's not income...it's our tax dollars going down the drain.
Tangent: Could they actually be more cost effective if they just bought all the dope, and then gave it away, like they do with rice and soy beans? And Milk. And Coal.
Anytime there is talk of "norml"izing, I start imaging what the commercials would look like. Given the way stoned people have so much fun over things that the straight senses just don't appreciate, i keep imagining something like: " If you don't find this commercial funny, you need our product!"
The HUGE savings in expenses for incarceration, couterdiction, prosecution and all, combined with the added revenues from sale and taxes make this a big fraction of a trillion dollar deal.
Thinking like this saves social security and erodes the deficit mightily. And it's not just aging hippies, the Economist agrees.
Marijuana is by far California's biggest cash crop. Why don't these morons just tax it?
You ask the right question, Jeff. But what is the answer? Why don't they tax it. It seems that morality and blue noses only go so far in Governmental decision. And the Marijuana prhibition has gone a lot longer than the alcohol one.
My paranoid guess is that the people making the laws ARE cashing in on the big cash crop personally, and so do not care about the Taxpayers.
I think the real reason is that religion can exist without a god, but not without a devil. The Religious RightTM needed a Clinton to hate, and now they need the menace of drugs, Muslims, Mexicans, Gay marriage, extramarital sex, etc., etc., to keep us in a United States of Fear.
Note those things are EXACTLY what Jesus said to fear. Oh wait...
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