7 ms·

You're both right. The origins are racial ("Chasing the scream" by Hari is another good resource here) and the brainwashing was successful so for a while now we

You're both right. The origins are racial ("Chasing the scream" by Hari is another good resource here) and the brainwashing was successful so for a while now we're stuck with the consequences. When the old stupid racists (who voted for Brexit) finally die (not so long hopefully) younger people (more likely to use or know someone who uses) will legalise it. Politicians just reflect society; it's not true that a clear majority of UK voters want cannabis legal so it's not worth May going against the old farts and the media etc.

wsc981 8y ago
... When the old stupid racists (who voted for Brexit) finally die (not so long hopefully) ... Over 50% of Great-Britain is stupid and racist? You have a source for this claim?
- isostatic 8y ago
  Old stupid racists most likely voted for brexit. Other people also voted for brexit, including young stupid racists, middle aged opportunistic millionaires, people who wanted to vote against Cameron, and other groups. Overall only 26% voted for brexit, and many of those "old stupid racists" have since died, so no, it's nowhere near 50% of the United Kingdom and Gibraltar that are "old stupid racists".
- flukus 8y ago
  Anyone without a college education is stupid and racist now. The left has not learned the lessons of brexit and Trump and continue to drive away the working class that they have utter contempt for.
  - rorykoehler 8y ago
    I know plenty of working class brits who are pro EU.
- lumisota 8y ago
  Regardless of the epithets used to describe them, it's worth remembering that, accounting for turn-out, it was around 37% of the British electorate that voted to leave the EU.
  - rusk 8y ago
    There's no reason to believe that the result as it stands couldn't have been extrapolated across the rest of the population.
    - lumisota 8y ago
      My argument is that the number of people who didn't vote doesn't need to be extrapolated: apathy isn't a yes or a no vote, but something else.
      - rusk 8y ago
        Are you sure it's apathy though? There are plenty of other reasons why somebody might not make it to the polling station. (EDIT: For example the elderly who have been shown to be overwhelmingly pro-brexit could have diffculty) All polling and analysis since the result bears out that the vote was indeed representative of the population.
        lumisota 8y ago
        Sure, it isn't just apathy (as in your example). But if you compare the turn-out for the Scottish independence vote in 2014 (~85%) with the EU referendum (~72%), I think it might be a considerable factor. Another factor is complacency on the part of those that would have voted to remain: polling leading up to the referendum showed a clear remain win. (I should point out that I'm not suggesting that the result of the referendum isn't pro-Brexit, but that the numbers don't support the case for a so-called "hard Brexit")
        rusk 8y ago
        Yes, as time goes by it seems as though sense is starting to sink in, though it is still quite close. A year ago I wouldn't have been confident at all. [0] https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/if-there-was-a-referendum-on-britains-membership-of-the-eu-how-would-you-vote-2/ https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/if-there-was-a-referen... [1] https://yougov.co.uk/news/2018/03/29/where-britain-stands-brexit-one-year-out/ https://yougov.co.uk/news/2018/03/29/where-britain-stands-br...
- rusk 8y ago
  Well there's been plenty of polls, analysis and investigation since the Brexit result trying to slice and dice and determine what was behind the result and sorry but that's the picture that has emerged. For what it's worth, I don't think it's as a result of any innate quality of the English psyche, indeed as the birthplace of liberalism and one of the most ethnically diverse populations in Europe such could hardly be the case. My hot take is that it's emerging from most ordinary people's frustration at how the UK economy has been steered in such a way as to ensure that the benefits of globalisation go to a few while most everybody else has to deal with any negative consequences. Very telling that the core economic hubs were anti-brexit and the "forgotten" parts of the UK were pro-brexit. Scotland notwithstanding of course who would've left the UK a few years before only for the issues of staying in the EU ...
- superflyguy 8y ago
  I live there.
rusk 8y ago
I would add to this, that there's probably a lot of lobbying at work as well. In my country at least, the lobby groups for that "other recreational drug", alcohol, and the pharmaceutical industry are both very powerful. There are vested interests in not seeing (a) popular recreational use and (b) promising medical applications take hold, precisely because it's something that can just be grown and is difficult to control and profiteer upon. I'll be accused by many people of spouting conspiracy theories but it doesn't require any mental backflips at all to render it plausible so I'm claiming Ogham's.
mito88 8y ago
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/ http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/

wsc981 8y ago

... When the old stupid racists (who voted for Brexit) finally die (not so long hopefully) ... Over 50% of Great-Britain is stupid and racist? You have a source for this claim?

isostatic 8y ago
Old stupid racists most likely voted for brexit. Other people also voted for brexit, including young stupid racists, middle aged opportunistic millionaires, people who wanted to vote against Cameron, and other groups. Overall only 26% voted for brexit, and many of those "old stupid racists" have since died, so no, it's nowhere near 50% of the United Kingdom and Gibraltar that are "old stupid racists".
flukus 8y ago
Anyone without a college education is stupid and racist now. The left has not learned the lessons of brexit and Trump and continue to drive away the working class that they have utter contempt for.
- rorykoehler 8y ago
  I know plenty of working class brits who are pro EU.
lumisota 8y ago
Regardless of the epithets used to describe them, it's worth remembering that, accounting for turn-out, it was around 37% of the British electorate that voted to leave the EU.
- rusk 8y ago
  There's no reason to believe that the result as it stands couldn't have been extrapolated across the rest of the population.
  - lumisota 8y ago
    My argument is that the number of people who didn't vote doesn't need to be extrapolated: apathy isn't a yes or a no vote, but something else.
    - rusk 8y ago
      Are you sure it's apathy though? There are plenty of other reasons why somebody might not make it to the polling station. (EDIT: For example the elderly who have been shown to be overwhelmingly pro-brexit could have diffculty) All polling and analysis since the result bears out that the vote was indeed representative of the population.
      - lumisota 8y ago
        Sure, it isn't just apathy (as in your example). But if you compare the turn-out for the Scottish independence vote in 2014 (~85%) with the EU referendum (~72%), I think it might be a considerable factor. Another factor is complacency on the part of those that would have voted to remain: polling leading up to the referendum showed a clear remain win. (I should point out that I'm not suggesting that the result of the referendum isn't pro-Brexit, but that the numbers don't support the case for a so-called "hard Brexit")
        rusk 8y ago
        Yes, as time goes by it seems as though sense is starting to sink in, though it is still quite close. A year ago I wouldn't have been confident at all. [0] https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/if-there-was-a-referendum-on-britains-membership-of-the-eu-how-would-you-vote-2/ https://whatukthinks.org/eu/questions/if-there-was-a-referen... [1] https://yougov.co.uk/news/2018/03/29/where-britain-stands-brexit-one-year-out/ https://yougov.co.uk/news/2018/03/29/where-britain-stands-br...
rusk 8y ago
Well there's been plenty of polls, analysis and investigation since the Brexit result trying to slice and dice and determine what was behind the result and sorry but that's the picture that has emerged. For what it's worth, I don't think it's as a result of any innate quality of the English psyche, indeed as the birthplace of liberalism and one of the most ethnically diverse populations in Europe such could hardly be the case. My hot take is that it's emerging from most ordinary people's frustration at how the UK economy has been steered in such a way as to ensure that the benefits of globalisation go to a few while most everybody else has to deal with any negative consequences. Very telling that the core economic hubs were anti-brexit and the "forgotten" parts of the UK were pro-brexit. Scotland notwithstanding of course who would've left the UK a few years before only for the issues of staying in the EU ...
superflyguy 8y ago
I live there.

rusk 8y ago

I would add to this, that there's probably a lot of lobbying at work as well. In my country at least, the lobby groups for that "other recreational drug", alcohol, and the pharmaceutical industry are both very powerful. There are vested interests in not seeing (a) popular recreational use and (b) promising medical applications take hold, precisely because it's something that can just be grown and is difficult to control and profiteer upon. I'll be accused by many people of spouting conspiracy theories but it doesn't require any mental backflips at all to render it plausible so I'm claiming Ogham's.

mito88 8y ago

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/ http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/