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Originally Posted by AChimp
I haven't said that the way they're going about it is good. Worrying about penalizing petty abusers is a waste of time, and the same goes for the street corner pushers. You have to go after the head and destroy the source, which of course requires international cooperation. The US isn't exactly the best at making friends, though.
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*ring*ring*
Hello? Jose the drug lord speaking.
Hello, Jose, this is Juan from the government. While we appreciate all the bribes you have given us over the years, and all the threats and killings have really helped to keep us in line, we regret to inform you that the new Kerry Administration is very friendly and polite, so we will now be friends with them and you, it appears, have to go out of business. Sorry.
Oh, Ok Juan. I understand. There is not much evil people like me can do in the face of an unbeatable power like friendship. Might you have any openings in your government for me? I'm thinking something in security might fit nicely...
Quote:
Originally Posted by AChimp
Legitimate companies would NEVER have a supply equal to the drug lords who have access to countless acres of jungle and one of the cheapest labour forces in the world.
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If those jungles and that labor supply are so superior for drug production, I'm sure much of it is also for sale... cheap, too, as it's seemingly not so good for much else. There's a reason we're down to only 4% of our own workforce in the farm industry: technology. Superior productivity beats the whip any day, and I'm sure you'd agree evil corporations would do anything for a profit, right? I just don't see the supply/demand problem here...
Quote:
Originally Posted by AChimp
Or, you'd end up with drug lords starting up legitimate companies and laundering the money, still not paying any taxes.
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Isn't that what international conglomerates engaged in legal enterprises supposedly do now? [/sarcasm] Are you saying that the only reason all businesses don't break the law is that they're all run by decent, law-abiding folk, or that tax laws are just unenforceable suggestions? Either way, I think you're giving these criminals more credit than they're due. Their power
comes from their illegitimacy: they have a monopoly thanks to the law.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AChimp
Your wonderful cash cow has just gone up in smoke and now you've opened the floodgates for people with no personal responsibility to sue you for making it legal and "hurting them."
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Now
that's a stretch!
Again, I think we'll be able to work around that... Maybe if the government has to pay some of the kind of lawsuits it allows guys like John Edwards to inflict on private ventures they'll fix their broken system.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AChimp
The only benefit is that tens of thousands of addicts would OD in the first couple of weeks' celebrations, thus removing themselves from the gene pool.
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Maybe so. I'm doubtful that would be a long term problem that would invalidate the gains we achieve by fixing the broken system. I think anyone that wants to do drugs now does, save the folks that are subject to drug testing at work. I doubt those guys would quit their jobs if drugs were legalized... I doubt few people would. I don't believe drug use would "skyrocket" at all, actually... but that's a whole nuther part of the story.