Election Stuff
San Francisco hilariously bans handguns. Yeah, that'll do it. I'm sure all of the drug dealers, armed robbers, and gang members will be lining up today to turn in their guns.
In Washington state, voters banned smoking in restaurants, bars, and bowling alleys. I'm on record with my opposition to smoking bans. One of my central points is that the free market will work in this situation. If smoke free bars are desired by consumers, owners will institute that policy to satisfy the demand. Check this out...
A county in North Carolina repealed its ban on mixed drinks. Yeah, read that again. Did that sink in yet? What the hell?! Prohibition is over, people.
Supervisor Chris Daly, who proposed the measure, said the victory showed that "San Francisco voters support sensible gun control."So a complete ban counts as "sensible gun control"? Only in San Fran. This is going to get litigated for a while. Someday, the NRA will take a case to the Supreme Court and incorporate the 2nd Amendment via that wonderful substantive due process. They also banned military recruiters at public high schools and colleges. You couldn't pay me to live in that city.
In Washington state, voters banned smoking in restaurants, bars, and bowling alleys. I'm on record with my opposition to smoking bans. One of my central points is that the free market will work in this situation. If smoke free bars are desired by consumers, owners will institute that policy to satisfy the demand. Check this out...
Backers celebrated in a Seattle bar that went smokeless last summer, after the owner was surprised to find out most patrons wanted to get rid of smoking.Looks like going smoke free helped this bar's business. Allowing the free market to operate gives owners and consumers the option. Even if the market turned every bar but one into smoke free, I would still support the right of that bar owner and his customers to choose to smoke.
A county in North Carolina repealed its ban on mixed drinks. Yeah, read that again. Did that sink in yet? What the hell?! Prohibition is over, people.
"I've always been a dry man," said Elbert Blackwell, a retired dairy farmer. "I never drink beer or wine or nothing. It'd be best if they got along without it."Thanks for the tip, Elbert. I, unlike you, prefer to toss a few back on occasion. I'll thank you to stay the hell out of my business.
I agree that the free market will work out the smoking issue, but what's your stance on illicit drugs? Surely a free market would lower the prices and hieghten the safety of those drugs, but wouldn't those same proponents of a free market cry foul? Wouldn't they rather keep spending billions of tax dollars to fight a never ending battle that just fills prisons and makes the drug market more dangerous in hope of deterring people from succombing to temptation? Those that reject the drug market don't fully believe in a capitalism.
Posted by
T.S. Idiot |
6:54 PM
I think that the War on Drugs is one of the most costly and useless wastes of tax dollars ever created. As you said, it is a never ending battle and it does make the illict drug market even more dangerous. I'm not a big fan of many vice laws and think that victimless crimes should rarely be crimes.
I agree that a free market for drugs would make them safer and cheaper. I'm sure the government would stick its nose in to regulate and tax the hell out of them too. This free market system takes a huge chunk of income away from gangs as well.
I have a very Lockean view of a person's property right to their own body. I think that adults should be able to destroy themselves in way that they desire. If you want to shoot heroin into your temple, fine by me. It's your choice. But once you stagger out into the world, doped up and under the influence, you are now liable for any damage that you do.
Opponents may argue that prohibition is the only way to effectively stop this. They would claim that people cannot be trusted to have the drugs and not act irresponsibly. I disagree. But I recognize that changes need to be made to the enforcement system.
I would impose severe penalties for people who commit crimes while under the influence. I think that we treat drunk driving way too lightly. We give these crimes a slap on the wrist. These crimes they are actually gross abuses of rights. The way to make people use (abuse?) drugs responsibly is make them strictly liable for their crimes committed while under the influence.
Posted by
Steve |
7:22 PM