[traviskicks]

"The dealers, thugs, and criminals who use drugs as their modus operandi will just find some other illicit thing or act to continue their crime."

Well, this is where our fundemental disagreement lies. I agree statistics can be manipulated, although it seems per capita use is still a pertinent measure. However, I think the dealers, thugs, and criminals, were in effect created by government, they did not exist before incentives were in place that necessitated their existance. This might explain this theory a bit more:

http://www.neoperspectives.com/sweatshopsandwelfare.htm

[phoenix0468]

Criminals have been in existence since the beginnings of society. Most exist solely to subvert the moral societal systems due to their own immorality and or dysfunction. Crediting government with the creation of crime is absurd. Before there was government there was law. Either set forth by some religious entity or the society as a whole. If someone broke society's laws they were punished. Government did not create criminals or crime. And government did not create drug dealers or the crime they propagate. This is the fundamental difference that Conservatives and Libertarians have. Libertarians like to blame government for things like crime, or even for war (even if the war was a result of some other entities aggressions).

Governmental regulation of morality is necessary, governmental regulation of industry and markets is necessary. And as most libertarians like to oppose, war in many cases in history was and still is necessary. I mean what would a Libertarian president have done with Hitler? "Ah, it's ok, as long as he isn't attacking us, we're fine."