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I have mixed feelings about drug politics and its societal impact. My main confusion stems from the fact that, while drugs are pervasive in contemporary culture

by wslh 3y ago

I have mixed feelings about drug politics and its societal impact. My main confusion stems from the fact that, while drugs are pervasive in contemporary culture (such as in the electronic music scene), they remain a taboo topic, no addressed openly by mass media. This lack of a real discussion extends to drug usage, its effects, and dangers. I also consider alcohol as a drug, and I'm alarmed by the level of alcohol consumption among teenagers and young adults, which would even shock my relatives from Kiev. I believe the primary issue with drugs is their ability to alter perceptions of reality. This aspect makes them inherently dangerous to political and societal systems, regardless of their health impacts.

ok_dad 3y ago
> I believe the primary issue with drugs is their ability to alter perceptions of reality. This aspect makes them inherently dangerous to political and societal systems, regardless of their health impacts. While using weed, I’ve come to many realizations that I’m not sure I would have been open to normally. Most of those realizations were of the kind that those in power would like to tamp down, in general, to prevent unrest. I agree with your assessment in that last paragraph.
ronald_raygun 3y ago
> I believe the primary issue with drugs is their ability to alter perceptions of reality. This aspect makes them inherently dangerous to political and societal systems, regardless of their health impacts. Perhaps with the crazy amount of school shootings, homelessness, wealth inequality, political corruption, etc. the ability to rethink reality might be a feature and not a bug...
lebean 3y ago
Using drugs as such isn't a crime, you're hurting nobody but yourself. An addict may steal to feed their habit, but it's their theft that's the crime, not having shot up that morning. It's clear that the act of taking drugs, however hard, is victimless. The enforcement of laws against victimless crimes attracts bullies to the police force, and that's a huge problem. As bad, if not worse, than the damage done by petty thieves feeding their habit. Because now we have a culture where the drugs are a crime worth breaking into strangers' homes, guns a-blazin', to punish and prosecute. And it's hard to convince the public and the lawmakers to reverse course when the common argument is that people should be able to do drugs if they want to, or that maybe some are ok because they aren't as hard, etc.

by wslh 3y ago

ok_dad 3y ago

> I believe the primary issue with drugs is their ability to alter perceptions of reality. This aspect makes them inherently dangerous to political and societal systems, regardless of their health impacts. While using weed, I’ve come to many realizations that I’m not sure I would have been open to normally. Most of those realizations were of the kind that those in power would like to tamp down, in general, to prevent unrest. I agree with your assessment in that last paragraph.

ronald_raygun 3y ago

> I believe the primary issue with drugs is their ability to alter perceptions of reality. This aspect makes them inherently dangerous to political and societal systems, regardless of their health impacts. Perhaps with the crazy amount of school shootings, homelessness, wealth inequality, political corruption, etc. the ability to rethink reality might be a feature and not a bug...

lebean 3y ago

Using drugs as such isn't a crime, you're hurting nobody but yourself. An addict may steal to feed their habit, but it's their theft that's the crime, not having shot up that morning. It's clear that the act of taking drugs, however hard, is victimless. The enforcement of laws against victimless crimes attracts bullies to the police force, and that's a huge problem. As bad, if not worse, than the damage done by petty thieves feeding their habit. Because now we have a culture where the drugs are a crime worth breaking into strangers' homes, guns a-blazin', to punish and prosecute. And it's hard to convince the public and the lawmakers to reverse course when the common argument is that people should be able to do drugs if they want to, or that maybe some are ok because they aren't as hard, etc.