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Myth #5 Libertarians are utopians who believe that all people are good, and that therefore State control is not necessary. Conservatives tend to add that since human nature is either partially or wholly evil, strong State regulation is therefore necessary for society.

yea, like, all the conservatives I know are such strong proponents of the State. whatever

You don't think the law and order gang are strong proponents of a strong state. I don't know where you live, but I can't turn a corner without seeing a police car, yet they haven't stopped my home from being burglarized twice and my car three times. They have, however, issued myself and members of my family numerous ridiculous parking tickets, speeding tickets when 55 was the limit, and in my extended family, ruined the lives of some of my cousins with felony convictions for marijuana or cocaine possession.

What was that guy's name that started the War on Drugs? Tricky Dick or something or other wasn't it?

Personally, I'm tired of paying to lock up or keep on probation or parole a substantial percentage of our population for the law and order gang. And as for prison, once you put them in, it's just graduate school for career criminals. So as I see it, and I've been involved in law enforcement and the courts since 1978, if the offense if non-violent, no jail. If it's violent, and there is no colorable claim to self-defense at all, then life in prison no parole.

But to claim that conservatives have no part of the creation of the monster state that we now have, where stealing a slice of pizza can get a life sentence, or where in Texas people are still serving life sentences for possession of marijuana, when both Bushes have smoked themselves, is worse than merely uninformed: it's pitiable.

I am sorry you have a problem with the cops in your neighborhood, but guess what? That has nothing to do with "the State."

What was that guy's name that started the War on Drugs? Tricky Dick or something or other wasn't it?

And he also instituted all kinds of big-government regulatory policies, but I don't many people who would consider Nixon (fiscally) conservative.

In general, the conservatives I know who would actively support the drug war (ie. make it a voting issue) are the ones who have actually worked in homeless shelters, burn centers, etc. and seen the damage that heavy drugs do. Given the option, would such a person say that people ought to be able to take as many bong-hits of their favorite skunk, sinse, tie-bud, or tex-mex? Probabaly.