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Re: The Anti-Liberty Spectator

By Philip Klein on 2.25.09 @ 5:00PM

I find that study especially ironic, given that I not only favor drug legalization and legalized gambling, but actually grew up in Atlantic City with a father in the casino business, and spent three summers working for casinos myself. I don't think you could find many commentators who are more in the pocket of the gaming industry than I am, and yet my checks still seem to clear at the Spectator. I don't write about drugs and gambling --not because I am intimidated by the powers that be -- but because I am more concerned with greater threats to liberty posed by socialism and Islamic terrorism. At a time when we face the possibility of the federal government nationalizing banks and taking over the healthcare system, and the prospect of a nuclear Iran, delving into an esoteric debate about prostitution seems rather quaint.

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John Merah| 2.25.09 @ 6:26PM

Point well-taken, but wouldn't Mr. Klein consider narco-terrorism to be very high on the list? Both Afghanistan and neighboring Mexico seem to be losing the narco wars. Failed states seem to be the result, and are causes for great geo-political destabilization.

I encourage Mr. Klein to press the decriminalization-of-drugs issue. It seems key to dealing with worldwide terrorism. Illegal drug trafficking now accounts for a frightening percentage of the world's GDP. I wouldn't turn your attention away from that issue, Mr. Klein, as your respected voice is needed.

Alan Brooks| 2.25.09 @ 6:57PM

just stay clear of libertarian fantasies-- there simply arent enough good people, drugs wont be decriminalized or legalized 50 years from now.
after that, who knows?

John| 2.25.09 @ 10:51PM

The question will always come down to the following:

For whom do you want to legalize which drugs?

If the answer is what it always is - remember the drinking age in all of The One's 57 or so states is 21 - then a great bulk of the illegal drug problem is not even touched.

Pre-teen to 21 year-olds still constitute a huge percentage of the illegal drug user base, and the criminal activity soldiers.

So, like most "not completely thought through" concepts of Libertarianism, legalization blows up on the rocks of stoners in high schools across the nation.

Booze is a bad enough problem... gee, why don't we make access to everything easy and cheap. Increase the supply, that's the way to drive down demand... isn't it?

Oops...

Drugs were criminalized in the early 20th century for a reason. Opiates and stimulants like cocaine were poisoning and addicting an increasing percentage of people, and as the intoxication and dependence levels rose, the social pathologies increased.

Legalization is merely surrender to a demon in hopes that the demon will devour some else's soul.

r/John