[QUOTE="-Sun_Tzu-"][QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]I have no problem with high security measures at the Mexican border. It would solve several problems. And society does have the right to decide what behaviors are acceptable. If someone doesn't like the rules they are free to move. No one is forcing anyone to remain in a particular society. But the minority doesn't have the right to force their obviously unacceptable behavior onto the majority. I guess we need to get tougher on drug law, including marijuana which isn't treated that toughly then. Shut off the demand and the supply goes away.
You have not demonstrated that taking substances that are ingrained in society....which is what we are talking about here....away after they have been socially acceptable....works. In fact....we know from history it does not.
And where do you draw the line? Dealers and cartels will just push other drugs. Which means you still have the same problem with cartels. You don't propose we legalize cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin do you? You haven't solved the cartel problem....you've just given a different product.
LJS9502_basic
That's the thing, that's not a realistic objective. To effectively "shut off" demand would be a logistic nightmare. As you rightly point out, drug prohibition has never worked, and you've correctly cited alcohol prohibition as evidence of that. Not once have I argued that drug prohibition has ever worked, so I'm not sure why you're surprised why I haven't demonstrated that it has ever worked. If anything, you should demonstrate that it can work.
And I haven't claimed to solve the cartel problem, I have claimed that by legalizing marijuana you'd significantly weaken drug cartels.
As for where I draw the line, in principle I don't really draw a line. In practice however, I draw the line at marijuana. All the other drugs you mentioned are much more dangerous than marijuana or alcohol.
Not if the government got serious about ending drugs. They aren't. Oh they use it for political advantage. They put out some commercials. But they aren't that concerned. Weed has not now nor ever been ingrained in society. It's the fringe people that use it. And part of the allure besides the effects of the drug is the fact that it's NOT accepted. Legalizing weed won't remove the drug war. It's not the only drug right now. It is the one least likely to result in arrest and conviction. So I don't see how that argument holds much validity. This isn't a result of prohibition. Sure you can use the word....but in historical context it's applied to something that is a part of society that has been taken away. Weed does not fit that criteria. And what do you propose the government do to "get serious"? And any social stigma surrounding weed will remain if weed became legal. But the fact that it is illegal adds to that appeal, and while we can't do much about the social stigma surrounding weed that makes it more appealing to some people, we can make stifle that allure by making it legal. And again, I never claimed that marijuana would solve the cartel problem. All I said was that it would significantly weaken the cartels.And I hate to break it to you but weed is ingrained in our society. It's become a part of our culture. Certainly not to the extent that alcohol is, but you listen to the music that is put out by top selling artists, and they frequently reference marijuana use. You have very successful publications that are dedicated to marijuana. There are a great number of fairly high budget films that are aimed directly at marijuana users. And the U.S. is the number one consumer of marijuana in the world. All of this has occured under law enforcements watch while they've been trying to prohibit marijuana use.
As for the bolded, it's not a contradiction. Ideally, I believe that the government shouldn't prohibit any substances. As a practical matter however, realizing the politics involved, I draw the line at marijuana. Fighting for an end to drug prohibition in its entirety is a lost cause on my part.
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