Quote from Rearden Metal:
In that case, why not go around advising people to go "join Al-Qaida"?
And then, when an observer points out their instinctive horror at your suggestion that joining a band of terrorist thugs would be a good idea, you can come back at them like a condescending dick to point out the fact that "an individual waging violent jihad is soooo much different than when an institution does it".
Quote from RCG Trader:
Actually, it is. Do you even know what Jihad is?
And I plead quite guilty to the fact that I am extremely condescending to those who cannot ponder before they pontificate.
Quote from Rearden Metal:
You advised someone to "fight the war on drugs" and I took your words at face value, expressing passionate opposition to the senseless oppression and mass political imprisonment of harmless and victimless individuals which the 'war on drugs' entails.
If you meant something else, you probably should have said it.
If your opinion on drug prohibition ever becomes important enough to you that you develop the desire and motivation to express yourself clearly and coherently on the subject, I'll hear you out.
Quote from RCG Trader:
Cmon Rearden, dont forgert who you are talking to. Addicts leave victims left and right. They tend to leave a trail of broken relationships, damaged trust, destroyed homes, destroyed finances, and very sadly traumatized offspring who often end up addicts themselves. Most addicts are walking social A-bombs. It is very appropriate to bring as much pressure as is practical on the both the supplier and the end user.
Addicts who do not make every effort to seek treatment should be treated as the menace to society that they ultimately will become.
And to stay on topic, every able bodied person would do well to either assist an addict to treatment or assist them to the border.
Quote from RCG Trader:
Cmon Rearden, dont forgert who you are talking to. Addicts leave victims left and right. They tend to leave a trail of broken relationships, damaged trust, destroyed homes, destroyed finances, and very sadly traumatized offspring who often end up addicts themselves. Most addicts are walking social A-bombs. It is very appropriate to bring as much pressure as is practical on the both the supplier and the end user.
Addicts who do not make every effort to seek treatment should be treated as the menace to society that they ultimately will become.
Quote from Rearden Metal:
A hundred years ago it was all legal. Addiction rates were no higher than they are today, but all the 'drug crime' and 'drug prostitution' we have now were practically non-existent.
Interfering with the free market can only serve to strengthen the black market. If heroin was legally sold for less than $3/gram (as would be the case if not for prohibition) do you really think "broken relationships, damaged trust, destroyed homes and destroyed finances" would be such an issue? Prohibition caused all of these problems, and your solution is more prohibition.
Quote from Ghost of Cutten:
I agree, alcohol and nicotine addicts definitely need to be treated that way. We must pre-judged them before they've actually committed any crime, because we all know they will eventually. Doing this will definitely result in lower crime rates than countries with progressive attitudes to addiction, like crime havens Switzerland and the Netherlands. The marauding superpredator pot-smokers will stop as soon as they realise they'll be doing hard time if caught.