[OneWingedShark]

The “war on drugs” has done more damage to eliminating American freedoms than anything else, bar the “patriot act”.

I'd actually disagree with that; the War on Drugs has been the single biggest destroyer of liberties in America. Consider:

1. There is no constitutional authority for the federal regulation of drugs.
2. Because of #1, the authority must be derived from somewhere: this somewhere is the commerce clause
3. Because of #2, the power to regulate interstate commerce must be transformed into the power to regulate intrastate commerce.
4. From the need of #3, Wickard is flatly established as "settled law" and precedent.
5. #4 necessitates the elevation of precedent to the level of Constitutional Law (actually trumping it, when desired).
6. #4 also is reinforced by making non-commerce regulatable under the interstate commerce powers (see Raich).
7. The asset forfeiture laws make it profitable for police to make drug-related "busts".
8. #7 also pressures the Judiciary to sign off on warrantless searches.
9. #7 and #8 pressures the Judiciary to excuse violence done by the police on the people.
10. All of the above concentrate power into "the authorities" and allow them to excuse violations of the strictures imposed on them by the law.

I cannot think of a single policy that has done so much damage to liberty.

[James C. Bennett]

You’re right.

The fools just refuse to see.

[Lurker]

Well said.