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To an outside observer, the US is a place of wild contradictions. On the one hand, you have a (perceived) high aversion to "government overreach". On the other

To an outside observer, the US is a place of wild contradictions. On the one hand, you have a (perceived) high aversion to "government overreach". On the other hand, you have....this. I know that it's an enormous country with an extremely heterogenous political landscape, but it boggles the mind that this situation could be allowed there.

standardUser 5y ago
What's truly remarkable is the homogenous attitude towards these issues despite the enormity and diversity of the country. During the 1980's and 1990's, there was a near-universal agreement that civil rights could be violated in pursuit of drug crimes and that penalties for those crimes would be harsher than even violent and sexual crimes. Many of the most aggressive laws were passed by liberals in Congress and in liberal states. If people ever wonder why there is such a backlash against "Boomers", the drug war and the completely insane laws that came with it are a huge part of the reason.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
syshum 5y ago
Disinformation, and a huge number of families decimated by a massive drug addiction problem in the US Law Enforcement, and the Policing for profit supporters have massive budgets to convince victims of drug addiction that law enforcement is the proper place for the "war" on drugs to be fought As such while under normal circumstances American's do have high aversion to government overreach, Americans have allowed massive amounts of overreach under the guise of protecting people from the surge of drugs However after nearly 50 years of this "war", all we have to show for it is higher and higher drug addiction rates, and a Militarized police force that is more fitting for dictatorship than a democracy
- everforward 5y ago
  > As such while under normal circumstances American's do have high aversion to government overreach, Americans have allowed massive amounts of overreach under the guise of protecting people from the surge of drugs I would rephrase that to "Americans have a high aversion to overreach exercised on people like them". The Patriot Act was popular when it was passed, and only became unpopular when people realized it was being used on them. Civil Forfeiture only really came to light when it started impacting "normal" people. We're largely fine with overreach when it only impacts foreign citizens, criminals (especially drunk drivers, drug dealers, terrorists and pedophiles, but excluding white collar crime), and undocumented workers. I still see very little concern for how the judicial system places enormous pressure on criminal defendants to take plea deals. CBP has enormous extra-legal authority when near the border. We've really only ever been concerned with overreach that's likely to impact us as individuals.

standardUser 5y ago

What's truly remarkable is the homogenous attitude towards these issues despite the enormity and diversity of the country. During the 1980's and 1990's, there was a near-universal agreement that civil rights could be violated in pursuit of drug crimes and that penalties for those crimes would be harsher than even violent and sexual crimes. Many of the most aggressive laws were passed by liberals in Congress and in liberal states. If people ever wonder why there is such a backlash against "Boomers", the drug war and the completely insane laws that came with it are a huge part of the reason.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

syshum 5y ago

Disinformation, and a huge number of families decimated by a massive drug addiction problem in the US Law Enforcement, and the Policing for profit supporters have massive budgets to convince victims of drug addiction that law enforcement is the proper place for the "war" on drugs to be fought As such while under normal circumstances American's do have high aversion to government overreach, Americans have allowed massive amounts of overreach under the guise of protecting people from the surge of drugs However after nearly 50 years of this "war", all we have to show for it is higher and higher drug addiction rates, and a Militarized police force that is more fitting for dictatorship than a democracy

everforward 5y ago
> As such while under normal circumstances American's do have high aversion to government overreach, Americans have allowed massive amounts of overreach under the guise of protecting people from the surge of drugs I would rephrase that to "Americans have a high aversion to overreach exercised on people like them". The Patriot Act was popular when it was passed, and only became unpopular when people realized it was being used on them. Civil Forfeiture only really came to light when it started impacting "normal" people. We're largely fine with overreach when it only impacts foreign citizens, criminals (especially drunk drivers, drug dealers, terrorists and pedophiles, but excluding white collar crime), and undocumented workers. I still see very little concern for how the judicial system places enormous pressure on criminal defendants to take plea deals. CBP has enormous extra-legal authority when near the border. We've really only ever been concerned with overreach that's likely to impact us as individuals.