The War on College Students
POSTED BY: SergeantX
UPDATED: Sunday, June 28, 2026 20:30
VIEWED: 8520
PAGE 5 of 12
Which one Finn?
Here's the War on Drugs...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3025396475247394113
And here's second hand smoke
http://video.google.com/videosearch?sitesearch=&q=Penn+and+Teller+seco
nd+hand+smoke
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Quote:
Originally posted by SergeantX:Quote:
Originally posted by Hero:Quote:
Originally posted by SergeantX:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-me-drugbust7-2008may
07,0,1445478.story
Protecting us from dangerous criminals.
They were drug dealers.
I think they'll do well in prison...its just like being in a frat (only with fewer women).
H
Thanks Hero. That really underlines the idiocy of the whole thing. You obviously assume that because they were dealing drugs, they were dangerous criminals.
From what I can tell, they weren't accused of any violent crimes. They weren't dealing to children. They weren't robbing convenience stores to finance a habit. Just college kids entertaining themselves without government approval. Regardless they're treated as violent criminals, kicked out of school, kicked out of their homes. Many will likely end up in jail where they'll have ample opportunity to become the violent criminals the cops ought to be going after in the first place.
Some kinda backasswards society we've created, eh?
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
They were criminals.
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Quote:
Originally posted by Causal:
They were criminals.
Obviously. At issue is how dangerous they were and whether pursuing drug use as a criminal activity is worthwhile in the first place. As Penn points out in the vid, when you make non-criminal activity into a crime, you still get real criminals.
In our society, whether something is a crime is, unfortunately, largely arbitrary. Not so very long ago, these guys would have been legal and their buddies down the street at the bar would have been the criminals. The question is, should they be? Does making it illegal actually do any good? In balance, I can't see how. Alcohol prohibition caused more harm than it alleviated and the Drug War is failing in exactly the same way.
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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Interesting points, all. And interesting to use this case to surface those issues. IMHO, we ought to revisit policies about drug use (certain kinds, in any event). And while you are right to say that what constitutes "illegal" is in some sense arbitrary, the laws on the books should at least be followed until we make better ones.
________________________________________________________________________
- Grand High Poobah of the Mythical Land of Iowa, and Keeper of State Secrets
- Captain, FFF.net Grammar Police
- Vote JonnyQuest/Causal, for Benevolent Co-Dictator of Earth; together, toward a brighter tomorrow!
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Quote:
Originally posted by Hero:
I note for the record that NEVER have I come across a drug dealer that sold his product for cost. Never.
Forgive me for pointing out the fact that you are on the other side of the law Hero. In my youth, I hung with people who moved pounds and even did some moving before I was even old enough to legally drink. Truth is, most of the profits all around got smoke up at parties between friends and the girls that came around.
It's like how my retired House Rep boss used to treat his own employees. Obvioulsy somebody on the outside didn't like whatever he was doing that we weren't privy to. (See: Chicago Democrats, particularly Mayor Daley who had a hard on for George Ryan). But I thought of him as a father figure and he always called me kid and even said that he thought of me as a son.
When you're on the outside and have no doubt in your mind that what you're doing is right all of the time, it's easy to lose focus of all of the innocient lives at the sidelines that you are really phucking up.
Just sayin'
~6sJ
"A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." http://www.myspace.com/6ixstringjack
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Might I point out that during prohibition, you could buy opiates right over the counter, and we did not whatever have such problems with their use at the time ?
I've yet to hear any bitching about pot smoking from any historical documents during the formation of our country, although there were a few bitching about liquor - that was more of a religious beef than a functional one however.
Point being, twofold.
One- This shit was never EVER a problem until it was made illegal, then it became one, we're just endlessly repeating the same mistakes of prohibition, which was PROVEN TO NOT WORK.
Two- The whole concept boils down to one group in society using the law to FORCE their morality on all of us, and I find that pretty reprehensible.
It's that second part that annoys the piss outta me, but never fear, due to your own stupidity, ignorance and moral cowardice, it'll be annoying the piss out of you soon enough, cause you'll find one of YOUR bad habits vilified and taxed to death if not outlawed soon enough.
And imma be laughing at you when it does, cause you'll get no sympathy from this quarter.
-Frem
It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it
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When they came for me, I cried out for help but no one came, because there was no one left....
And yes. I'm talking about you, soccer moms. The ones who allow their young children to play in games where no score is taken so everybody feels so good about themselves, even if they are losers. You're the last one's they're coming for, but mark my words, they will come for you one day. "A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." http://www.myspace.com/6ixstringjack
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Quote:
SergeantX wrote:
Wednesday, May 07, 2008 18:05
Heinlein said something to the extent that the most important political divide is between those who want to see people controlled, and those who have no such desire.
Good point. Government and legistlation is all about the power to control others. Some laws are necessary and others (like overnight parking ordinances) are a general nuisance. There has to be an ideal medium where folks aren't stepping all over each other during their pursuit of happiness.
Quote:
Even though I believe the government doesn't have any business making such personal decisions for people, I know I'm not going to convince those of you who think it does.
Ah, come on that's what internet posting is all about.
Quote:
...the issue I'd like to see addressed by the prohibition advocates is the complete and total failure of the policy...
Well the only model that is not total prohibition that I know of is the Netherlands. Unfortunatley I don't know enough to make a comparisons. I suppose we could start doing some research... I'll get back to you as it may require a field trip to Amsterdam.
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Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Truth is, most of the profits all around got smoke up at parties between friends and the girls that came around.
Then you were not doing it right.
Quote:
They apparently made little effort to launder their spoils. One fraternity brother arrested Tuesday drove his Lexus directly from a $400 cocaine sale on campus to a nearby bank, where he deposited the cash, according to court papers.
Here's the article. It described how easy it was for the cops..."all they needed was cash".
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080508/D90H8NQG0.html
When I was in college I never drove my Lexus to the bank. My buddy had a 20 year old Plymouth Valarie with a busten grill...
H
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Quote:In America, we are ALL criminals. Most just haven't been caught yet. How many civies & soldiers died in Iraq that never would have because BushCo ran with erroneous or slanted intel...and who's making $1000 per day per merc on the deal? The criminal mentality starts at the top, my friend.
Originally posted by Causal:
They were criminals.
Chrisisall
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