Dangerous Fiend Apprehended, Americas Streets Safe Once More

[nvidiot]

They already have such access, you just don't have any oversight of what's going on.

Conversely, the question should be "Having the recreational drug industry in the black market is known to cause corruption, violence and lost revenues (let alone lives) from policing and community harms. How does keeping drugs illegal make things better for anyone?"

 

[BenBurch]

I'll volunteer to interrogate her.

 

[Lukraak_Sisser]

My point is simply that legal commerce seems to generate just as much corruption, violence and exploitation as the illegal drug trade--at least according to some people.

If being legal hasn't stopped big oil from harming the environment ... if it hasn't stopped Nike from operating sweatshops full of impoverished children... if it hasn't stopped the military-industrial complex from investing heavily in poltical corruption and warmongering... what makes you think that being legal will stop the cocaine industry from being, well, the cocaine industry?

Think of all the legal, un-laundered, publically-disclosed dollars that the oil industry invests in political influence. Tell me more about how we would all benefit from giving the cocaine industry, or the heroin industry, that kind of access.

In my opinion in such cases you'd benefit from the police no longer having to spend significant amounts of time arresting people for the crime of having substances that harm noone but themselves, and they can be taxed so you'd have a massive new form of revenue that now ends up in criminal hands.
The only crimes you'd have left associated with it would be thefts by people who are in over their heads, but that exists already.

The counter argument that legalizing such drugs would lead to more addicition doesn't really seem that strong. De-criminalizing softdrugs in the netherlands did not cause a massive increase in addicts.

I doubt it'll ever happen though, as the majority of people who claim that the government has no place in people's private lives are also the ones who want the government to prohibit things they dissaprove of, and there is probably a pretty substanive lobby by criminal cartels to keep the stuff illegal so they can keep earning money.

 

[BenBurch]

Illogical... you're claiming it should be illegal because illegal drugs are sold by scary people?

Wouldn't making it legal take those scary people out of the loop?

I dunno. Some Chicago liquor store clerks are pretty scary...

 

[theprestige]

In my opinion in such cases you'd benefit from the police no longer having to spend significant amounts of time arresting people for the crime of having substances that harm noone but themselves, and they can be taxed so you'd have a massive new form of revenue that now ends up in criminal hands.

For the avoidance of doubt, please confirm that you are in favor of the legal oil industry--and the legal oil lobby--on these grounds.

 

[Eddie Dane]

Dumbness is not a barrier to making lots of money when you're a hot chick. Look at Jenny McCarthy for example. It doesn't take much brains to sell a hot body.

She may be an idiot in many fields, but in the field of self-promotion and brand building (and yes. she is a brand) she is very good.

There are a gazillion hot chicks. Not many get payed forty grand to show up at a party for an hour or two.

Off course she has the name and the family background to make being a party girl "scandalous", but she manages to stay in the public eye and get reported on daily by international news outlets without having any skills (singing, acting,writing etc.) beside self-promotion.

And she's been doing this consistently for -what?- seven or eight years now.

 

[Wrathernaut]

I will go out on a limb here and claim that someone who turns being an attention whore into a multi-million dollar business, is not dumb.

She didn't turn it into a multi-million dollar business.

The 'murrikan public did that.

 

[Eddie Dane]

She didn't turn it into a multi-million dollar business.

The 'murrikan public did that.

It is not impossible that her success is based mostly on luck, it is unlikely though.

Look, if you were walking through the forest and you found a perfectly functioning watch, would you assume it assembled itself? Or would you presume that their was some kind of intelligent design behind it?

Wait. No, let's not go there.

Britney Spears, Tila Tiquila, Lindsey Lohan have to degrade themselves to grab some spotlight or preferably self destruct in full view of the public.

Hilton has her little problems. Leaked sex video here, drug possession there.
But it is not like it is destroying her personally or financially.

ETA: she probably has a PR agent though.

 

[bencg]

For the avoidance of doubt, please confirm that you are in favor of the legal oil industry--and the legal oil lobby--on these grounds.

Please confirm that you are in favour of outlawing the oil industry--on whatever grounds.

You see your argument is flawed, the fact that the oil industry lobbies to relax environmental regulations and generally screws up places like the niger delta and the gulf of mexico is I agree criminal... but how is that an argument for outlawing oil? surley the only pragmatic approach is for better regulation etc.

Therefore I think your argument should be for the legalisation and regulation of drugs, cos the blackmarket is by definition totally unregulated and prohibition doesnt work.

 

[bit_pattern]

I dunno. Some Chicago liquor store clerks are pretty scary...

Not as scary as Al Capone back, when liquor was illegal

Theprestige - Do you think Coors or Bud are as scary and evil as Al Capone or Lucky Luciano?

 

[Uncayimmy]

Illogical... you're claiming it should be illegal because illegal drugs are sold by scary people?

Wouldn't making it legal take those scary people out of the loop?

They would just make something else, and then we'd have to make that illegal.

Think, people!

 

[sgtbaker]

I will go out on a limb here and claim that someone who turns being an attention whore into a multi-million dollar business, is not dumb.

I am only guessing here but I don't think "reality" shows following the lives of people famous for being famous was a market thought up by Ms. Hilton.

 

[rwguinn]

My point is simply that legal commerce seems to generate just as much corruption, violence and exploitation as the illegal drug trade--at least according to some people.

If being legal hasn't stopped big oil from harming the environment ... if it hasn't stopped Nike from operating sweatshops full of impoverished children... if it hasn't stopped the military-industrial complex from investing heavily in poltical corruption and warmongering... what makes you think that being legal will stop the cocaine industry from being, well, the cocaine industry?

Think of all the legal, un-laundered, publically-disclosed dollars that the oil industry invests in political influence. Tell me more about how we would all benefit from giving the cocaine industry, or the heroin industry, that kind of access.

Yeah, we had a nasty shoot-out between the Target and Wal-mart gangs last week. BP arrived too late to do any damage (for once)

 

[Eddie Dane]

My point is simply that legal commerce seems to generate just as much corruption, violence and exploitation as the illegal drug trade--at least according to some people.

If being legal hasn't stopped big oil from harming the environment ... if it hasn't stopped Nike from operating sweatshops full of impoverished children... if it hasn't stopped the military-industrial complex from investing heavily in poltical corruption and warmongering... what makes you think that being legal will stop the cocaine industry from being, well, the cocaine industry?

Nike, Walmart and such are not destabilizing nations and assassinating police officers. Look at Mexico for an example of how harmful the illegal drug trade is.

The amount of misery that that illegal drugs cause in the consuming countries in terms of addiction, petty crime and gang violence is nothing compared to the mayhem it is causing in producing countries.

The billion dollar industry could be the major cash cow for big pharma and government controlled distribution (+taxes). The current model puts unbelievable amounts of cash in the hands of drug-lords and terrorists.

The US government ran an awareness campaign about drug money ending up in the hands of terrorist organizations. IMHO that is an argument for legalization, not the opposite.

 

[bit_pattern]

I don't think we'll be seeing much more of theprestige in this thread for some reason

 

[Puppycow]

Oh, in case anyone was wondering how it all turned out for Paris, she got off pretty lightly, although she is now persona non grata in Japan. At least for now.

The Japanese take illegal drugs a bit more seriously. When Japanese celebrities are caught taking drugs it really is seen as a major scandal and not a laughing matter.

 

[Furcifer]

What's a "bindle"? Is that some sort of Imperial unit? I heard the fuzz use this term before with heroin, on COPS I think.

 

[Starthinker]

I say send her to me. I would take her under my wing, calm her down, and thrust some good old fashioned midwest sense into her.

 

[Steelmage]

I say send her to me. I would take her under my wing, calm her down, and thrust some good old fashioned midwest sense into her.

I am sure a lot of men would love to put some sense into her, again and again and again.

 

[geni]

Nike, Walmart and such are not destabilizing nations and assassinating police officers. Look at Mexico for an example of how harmful the illegal drug trade is.

On the other hand their are plently of large coperations who have got up to some ah interesting activities over the years. United Fruit Company for example.

I can't offhand though think of an alcoholic drinks company behaving in that manner though.