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Enforcing laws that result in the criminalisation of a huge proportion of the population seems like bad governance if you ask me.

by panacea 15y ago

rwmj 15y ago
It's bad governance, but many governments have "previous form". About 5% of the population of the UK are regular cannabis users, with many many more being occasional users.
- estel 15y ago
  Woah, 5%? Do you have a citation for that?
  - DrJokepu 15y ago
    I hate to be that person who points it out, but a trivial Google search will yield plenty of sources: http://www.google.com/search?q=uk+cannabis+user+population http://www.google.com/search?q=uk+cannabis+user+population
    - rwmj 15y ago
      OK, it seems higher than I thought. The number I had was "more than 3 million" (from [1]) which would be 5%. But it seems the number may be higher. This is regular users. Occasional users and people who have tried it in the past, are both much higher figures. [1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2923647.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2923647.stm
chopsueyar 15y ago
“Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them broken. You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against—then you’ll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We’re after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you’d better get wise to it. There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there it that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted—and you create a nation of lawbreakers—and then you cash in on guilt. Now that’s the system, Mr. Rearden, that’s the game, and once you understand it, you’ll be much easier to deal with.”
- sheffield 15y ago
  By Ayn Rand. http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand

Enforcing laws that result in the criminalisation of a huge proportion of the population seems like bad governance if you ask me.

by panacea 15y ago

Enforcing laws that result in the criminalisation of a huge proportion of the population seems like bad governance if you ask me.

rwmj 15y ago

It's bad governance, but many governments have "previous form". About 5% of the population of the UK are regular cannabis users, with many many more being occasional users.

estel 15y ago
Woah, 5%? Do you have a citation for that?
- DrJokepu 15y ago
  I hate to be that person who points it out, but a trivial Google search will yield plenty of sources: http://www.google.com/search?q=uk+cannabis+user+population http://www.google.com/search?q=uk+cannabis+user+population
  - rwmj 15y ago
    OK, it seems higher than I thought. The number I had was "more than 3 million" (from [1]) which would be 5%. But it seems the number may be higher. This is regular users. Occasional users and people who have tried it in the past, are both much higher figures. [1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2923647.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2923647.stm

chopsueyar 15y ago

“Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?” said Dr. Ferris. “We want them broken. You’d better get it straight that it’s not a bunch of boy scouts you’re up against—then you’ll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We’re after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you’d better get wise to it. There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there it that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted—and you create a nation of lawbreakers—and then you cash in on guilt. Now that’s the system, Mr. Rearden, that’s the game, and once you understand it, you’ll be much easier to deal with.”

sheffield 15y ago
By Ayn Rand. http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ayn_Rand