11-01-2009, 10:58 PM
Quote:Show me some valid scientific evidence that a substance has some useful medical or industrial application and I'll believe the existence of said substance is justifiable. Until then, those that produce and distribute these drugs are muderers and nothing more. That goes for currently "legal" substances as well. The tobacco companies have the blood of millions on their hands.What's the useful medical or industrial purpose of a TV set? Of a beer? Of a deck of cards? Of World of Warcraft? Recreational drugs are (duh) for recreation, not for industry, and not generally for medicine.
Tobacco companies are guilty of misinforming the public, of selling a product they knew to be hazardous while simultaneously creating propaganda to claim they are safe. That's what they're guilty of, not creating a dangerous product. Lots of products are dangerous. That's not the issue. People are allowed to skydive, and skydiving companies are not guilty of anything - unless they misinform people about the risks.
Quote:And if you want to talk about strawman arguments, how about the one that says the illegal drug trade will magically disappear if legal sources become available? Consider that there are numerous multibillion-dollar corporate entities built around the production and sale of tobacco and alcohol. There's also billions of dollars in illegal trade around smuggled, far cheaper (by virtue of circumventing taxes and regulations) versions of these same products.It's not magic. Smuggling happens on banned or heavily taxed products. Keep the taxes low and revoke the ban, and you eliminate the problem. Want to get rid of cigarette smuggling? Get rid of cigarette taxes. Want to stop rum running? Stop taxing rum. It's a pretty simple solution.
-Jester