[Peace-discuss] [PBD - Progressive Blog Digest] 5/15/2011 06:52:00 AM

[Nick Burbules]

Hi David,

I am not interested in debating you, but I did read the article and I find
Paul's position a mixture of things I agree with and things I don't.

I favor some degree of legalization, and I agree that many of our drug laws
are counterproductive. I also agree that they are disproportionately applied
to minority segments of society, with disastrous social consequences and an
unconscionable level of incarceration.

At the same time, I think it is intellectually dishonest for him to say (as
he does)
*
*
*You know what? If we legalize heroin tomorrow, everybody`s going to use
heroin. How many people here would use heroin if it was legal? I bet nobody
would put their hand up, Oh, yes, I need the government to take care of me.
I don`t want to use heroin, so I need these laws! . . *
*
*
*But it`s the concept of legalizing freedom, making choices by individuals
and assuming responsibility for themselves. And even though that was a
special statement about how many people would do it if it were legalized,
you know, most people aren't going to use heroin. More people use heroin
because it`s illegal.*
*
*
I think this is a specious argument. Of course most people aren't going to
use heroin. That isn't the issue.






On Sun, May 15, 2011 at 1:35 PM, David Green <davegreen84 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Burbules clearly couldn't have read the article, because Paul doesn't say
> that. But Burbules is determined to stick with Obama through thick and thin,
> which includes the destruction of what is left of civil liberties. That
> includes demonizing Paul. But I would be happy to publicly debate Burbules'
> approach to this problem--let's invite him and any other member of the local
> liberal intelligentsia who remain, against all common sense, supporters of
> Obama.
>
> DG
>
>  ------------------------------
> *From:* C. G. Estabrook <galliher at illinois.edu>
> *To:* todays-news+owners at googlegroups.com
> *Cc:* Nick Burbules <burbules at gmail.com>; todays-news at googlegroups.com;
> Peace-discuss <peace-discuss at anti-war.net>
> *Sent:* Sun, May 15, 2011 11:03:01 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [Peace-discuss] [PBD - Progressive Blog Digest] 5/15/2011
> 06:52:00 AM
>
> If you read through the establishment-liberal demagoguery here, you'll see
> that Paul makes a serious point.
>
> He is the only major political figure - certainly the only presidential
> candidate - who's takes a correct position against the shameful and racist
> war on drugs.
>
>
> On 5/15/11 7:10 AM, Nick Burbules wrote:
>
>
> http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/ron-paul-makes-ridiculous-claim-if-hero
> Ron Paul makes ridiculous claim that if Heroin was legal, nobody would use
> it
>
>
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