The Drug War Thru Democratic Eyes

[SlavesandBulldozers]

Think the future Democratic President is going to ring in a new era of tolerant progress? Think again. What lies ahead is more of the same Ashcroftian draconianism.

___

Howard Dean

- “not in favor of decriminalizing drugs”.
Governor Dean opposed passage of this bill:
H 645, The Medical Marijuana Bill, which would have protected seriously ill Vermonters from arrest and jail for using medical marijuana with their doctor’s recommendation. Gov. Dean opposed the bill even though it enjoyed majority support from both the public and elected officials in the state (2002).

Wes Clark

-called Latin America the “theater of the future,” for its role as ground zero in the battle to keep drugs out of the United States.

- support for combating “the flow of drugs from the region through a variety of means, including surveillance, confiscation, crop destruction and efforts at eliminating government corruption.”

- did not “favor decriminalizing the use of marijuana. I might change my mind on that, but I don't right now favor that.”


Kucinich- --you'd think he'd be a progressive right? you thought because he said on the ROck the VOte debate he would be progressive on the issue, dincha?--

-Congressman Kucinich voted in favor of H.J. Resolution 117, to oppose efforts to legalize marijuana or other Schedule I drugs for medical use. The resolution condemned efforts to usurp the regulatory authority of the Food and Drug Administration (1998).

----
If Kucinich, supposedly the ultimate progressive - cant understand the struggle, who will?


http://www.drugpolicy.org/statebystate/elect_2004/profiles/

[el_gato]

1. we're doomed

[1a2b3c]

2. nader

If Kucinich, supposedly the ultimate progressive - cant understand the struggle, who will?


I think i am voting green again anyway.

[beevul]

3. Fudgenuggets, yet another

election in which I'll be staying home. Candidates who support the drug war, much like those that support gun bans, or criminalizing abortion, will NEVER get my vote. I wonder if I'll ever vote again.

Sometimes I wish they would put a candidate named "none of the above" on every election ballot(besides the write-in), or screen in the case of computerized voting; though, it sounds like thats rigged too.

Yeah, thats it, thats whos getting my vote. Noneof Theabove. Hell of a nice gal....shes from the ....ummmm...stayhomeonelectionnite party.



"we're doomed"

Yep.

[jhfenton]

4. I'm right there with you,

except that I always cast a ballot. I'll vote for the Libertarian candidate until a pro-gun, anti-war on drug, etc. Democrat shows up.

[Wwagsthedog]

5. Here's your guy

Harry Browne...... http://www.harrybrowne2000.org/

[beevul]

6. Interseting.

Though ....possibly...chaotic?

[1a2b3c]

7. The best line

Can I win?

Probably not. But if you vote for anyone else, you won't win either. Your candidate might win, but you won't get what you want. Government will continue to get bigger, more expensive, more intrusive, and more oppressive — and you will have given your approval to this.

[beevul]

9. Yeah thats definitely

a good one.

"Government will continue to get bigger, more expensive, more intrusive, and more oppressive"

A little bigger, I can live with, more expensive, I can probably live with.

But more intrusive, and more oppressive? That doesn't sound so good.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

11. no

the Libertarian party is actually pretty frightening when it comes to cutting services (taxes). They are pretty on point from a civil liberties standpoint, though.

[Valarauko]

10. I'll have to agree.

Also see my sig.

[Lefty48197]

8. Yes, we definately need another Republican President

those damn Democrats just can't do anything right. OOPS! Sorry, I thought this was FreakRepublicans.com, where I go and post as a lurker. Nevermind.

[1a2b3c]

12. maybe you should be posting here

www.Conservativeunderground.com They wont ban you for being a liberal.

[CO Liberal]

13. Wow....What a Popular Site!!!!

249 registered users!!! Woo-HOO!!!!!

< /sarcasm >

[1a2b3c]

14. Thats 249 more than

FreakRepublicans.com

[Abe Linkman]

15. Why is it that politicians of both major parties support Drug Wars?

I think there are several reasons:

1.) Votes
2.) Votes


The first politician in a major party who is able to communicate to the
public the devestatingly high costs of Drug Prohibition Laws in such a way as to be more likely to gain additional votes as the result, ratrisk losing more votes as a consequence...will do so.

The public only hears from cops, prosecutors, morally bankrupt politicians (speaking on behalf of "drug lords"! & other profiteers in the law enforcement/prison industrial complex). The public never hears how our drug laws have caused more deaths and devastation to more people than many, if not most or all of the other trumped-up wars this country has started during the past 125 years.

[hansberrym]

16. you left off power, control, money...

I think you are giving politicians too much credit when you imply that all they care about is getting votes.

[Abe Linkman]

19. How would politicians lose "power, control, money" if drugs were legal?

A huge percentage of the population is amoral. The percentage of amoral citizens is much higher among the wealthy and polticians.

Rich people and politicians (and others, too) take drugs if they want to, get abortions if they need to, gamble when they desire to, and hire hookers when it's more convnient.

Therefore, politicians really don't care whether something is legal or not; they only care about their career. If they can get elected by advocating legalizing all drugs, they will. If it's in their interest to support locking more people up, they will.

That is the basis for enlightened citizens to have hope that one day, our citizens need not fear being imprisoned for doing things that cause no harm to another citizen (or the state). Politicians only pander to cops & the rest, because cops vote, drug defense lawyers contribute money to campaigns, and the prison industrial complex (including drug "lords") contribute money also.

But, if voters refuse to support fascist politicians; those politicians would quickly become advocates of freedom.

[beevul]

17. Except

"The public only hears from cops, prosecutors, morally bankrupt politicians (speaking on behalf of "drug lords"! & other profiteers in the law enforcement/prison industrial complex). The public never hears how our drug laws have caused more deaths and devastation to more people than many, if not most or all of the other trumped-up wars this country has started during the past 125 years."-Abe Linkman


While true as a rule, some folks don't fit that typical mold.
Like the folks at L.E.A.P. They may or may not have other politics, but on this issue, I am forced to agree with them. Thier message would be good to see breaking into mainstream politics.

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

http://leap.cc

[SlavesandBulldozers]

18. yeah

LEAP is really cool, very powerful concept

[1a2b3c]

20. what hansberrym said. nt