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To: Lucky Dog
I have never said that I consider the "war on drugs" (WOD) a success. Rather, what I have said is that a societal value must be established and maintained that discourages non-productive, resource draining citizen activity such as abuse of drugs.

You think our prohibitive 'war' is a "societal value", -- whatta load of empty rhetoric.
Sure, the WOD's "discourages non-productive, resource draining citizen activity such as abuse of drugs"; -- at the cost of ~losing~ the "societal value" of our Constitutional rule of law..

You are extremely mistaken in your perception of what I think. Again, please note that I have never said any such thing.

Please 'note' what you wrote above. You want to play games with rhetoric, - expect it to be interpreted rhetorically.

As a matter of clarity for you, let me point out that one can no more make "war" on drugs (inanimate objects) than one can make war on "terror" (the tactic of attacking non-military targets and individuals in an attempt to break an enemy's will). The so-called "war on drugs" is a misnomer invented as a public relations ploy to refer to a combination of police actions, diplomatic initiatives, publicity campaigns, and other activities intended to reduce citizen use and abuse of substances which make them, not just non-productive, but resource drains on society. This so-called "war on drugs" is not a "societal value." Rather, it is the embodiment of an action to support an underlying societal value. Has this exposition clarified the issue for you?

How weird. Do you really think your BS "exposition" clarified anything?

Admit it, -- the WOD's "discourages non-productive, resource draining citizen activity such as abuse of drugs"; -- at the cost of ~losing~ the "societal value" of our Constitutional rule of law..

Perhaps, you could cite the portion of the US Constitution that specifically prohibits Congress from restricting/regulating the interstate and intra-country trade in recreational hallucinogens and narcotics. Conceivably, you were thinking of the Tenth Amendment?

You got it kiddo. -- No level of government in the USA has ever been delegated a 'power to prohibit'.. Prohibitions deprive us of our rights to life, liberty or property because they violate due process of law. [see the 14th]

However, surely you must know that the "Commerce Clause" gives Congress certain regulatory powers that the Tenth Amendment does not abrogate.

The power to regulate commerce "among the several States" does not include the power to prohibit it..

Additionally, nothing in the US Constitution, of which I am aware, prohibits state governments from regulating and/or restricting such drug use.

The police power to reasonably regulate drugs, booze, guns, etc, -- does not include the power to prohibit them.

Legalization of recreational drug use is a de facto "encouragement," rather than "discouragement" of non-productive, resource draining citizen activity.

The initial criminalization of recreational drug use was a de facto, unconstitutional "discouragement" of productive government activity.

While I certainly agree that the … initial criminalization of recreational drug use… was a de facto… "discouragement", I must disagree that it was either, unconstitutional, or a discouragement of productive government activity. Rather, such criminalization was discouragement of societal resource draining behavior. The relative success of the discouragement is certainly debatable. However, this discouragement's bases, in both, law and philosophy, is not uncertain at all.

There is no constitutional "base" to prohibit 'dangerous' items like booze, guns & drugs, no matter how flowery your rhetoric becomes. Get a grip.

43 posted on 05/16/2006 4:30:09 PM PDT by tpaine
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To: tpaine
You want to play games with rhetoric, - expect it to be interpreted rhetorically.

It appears you are not interested in a civilized exchange or informative debate.

…How weird. Do you really think your BS "exposition" clarified anything?

Apparently, your intellectual prowess is exceeded only by your command of vocabulary.

Admit it, -- the WOD's "discourages non-productive, resource draining citizen activity such as abuse of drugs"; -- at the cost of ~losing~ the "societal value" of our Constitutional rule of law..

See the previous comment…

You got it kiddo. -- No level of government in the USA has ever been delegated a 'power to prohibit'.. Prohibitions deprive us of our rights to life, liberty or property because they violate due process of law. [see the 14th]

Either you do not understand that the power to legislate or adjudicate is, by definition, the power to prohibit, or, oh, wait… see the previous comment…

The power to regulate commerce "among the several States" does not include the power to prohibit it..

Either you do not understand that the power to regulate is, by definition, the power to prohibit, or, oh, wait…see the previous comment…

The police power to reasonably regulate drugs, booze, guns, etc, -- does not include the power to prohibit them.

Either you do not understand that the power to regulate is, by definition, the power to prohibit, or, oh, wait…see the previous comment…

There is no constitutional "base" to prohibit 'dangerous' items like booze, guns & drugs, no matter how flowery your rhetoric becomes. Get a grip.

Either you do not understand that the power to regulate, legislate or adjudicate is, by definition, the power to prohibit, or, oh, wait…see the previous comment…

I trust that the previous response has been insulting enough to satisfy your juvenile sensibilities. Consequently, unless you wish to engage in reasoned discourse, I suggest a cessation of this exchange.
45 posted on 05/16/2006 5:06:14 PM PDT by Lucky Dog
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