Unintended Consequences of Legalizing Drugs

Discussions of drug legalization or drug decriminalization have been appearing more frequently in the "mainstream media." There have even been a few glimmers of hope that the federal raids on California medical marijuana establishments would abate, but I doubt this portends any sea change in the War on Drugs. Most of these recent noises are in reaction to events in Mexico and Afghanistan. Yes, more people are realizing that allowing legal markets for drugs will reduce most of the violence and other problems which are the natural result of "black markets." But most advocates of legalization suggest taxing and controlling the market. Going by the government's track record on other legalized "vices," drugs will be no different. But it occurred to me that there is a more ominous possible consequence.

If the war is called off, what happens to the warriors and their weapons? What happens to the extra prison space?

Should we expect these people, who have grown used to having great power, with scant accountability, to hang up their jack boots and find other work?

I honestly can't predict how they will be used, in this world where satire has become impossible. As ridiculous as it seems to us now, could their new purpose be a War on Global Warming, a War on Sharing, A War on Fat, or a War on Guns?

The Drug Warriors are already quite used to sending in SWAT teams, terrorizing people, and killing pets for non-violent crimes, typically with no remorse for collateral casualties or getting the wrong house entirely. They're used to using dubious snitches, economic deprivations which skirt due process, and prosecutorial overzealousness. When they've already lost any respect for the rights and privacy of civilians, why would any of these new "wars" be any less authoritarian and tragic?

Land of the Free (1776-2008)

I made this picture just after Bush signed the Failure Reward Act. When even a Republican president and a congress with a relatively small Democrat majority could so easily steal nearly a trillion dollars in just a matter of days, it's time to call it. This isn't about Obama's impending election victory, either. McCain voted the same.

Election Horror

So much to say these days. Barack, Hillary, et al. are duking it out to see who can promise the most "free" stuff to voters. And, with all the socialism dripping from their every word, they are still awful damned close to being "mainstream" in this, the land of the free.

Then there are the Republicans, who are spineless at best, trying to tap-dance around the abortion issue, immigration, Iraq, etc.. Ron Paul is the only one making any sense (as much as a rotten, no good politician can), but he is widely dismissed for his radical views.

I'll be sitting out this election, like the last one—on principle. Still, it's hard to detach myself as the horror unfolds, and the masses clamor more loudly for these assholes to take control of their lives—or rather, to stick it to the others they don't like. How dare they be rich, immigrants, insufficiently pious! It's like a hurricane of outrageous lies and absurd demands, bearing down upon every last inhabitant. And, those of us who take notice of little things like freedom can only cringe, knowing that words like “mandate” and “will of the people”—all false—will be spoken in stern voices as our freedom crumbles away.

It's easier to be numb to it all (Update:archived).

This water belongs to you, except when we need it...

From The Payson Roundup: The U.S. Forest service took water from Fred Conway's privately owned ranch to fight forest fires. They never compensated him, even after he sent them a bill. When they came back, he fired a shotgun at the collection bucket.

[Jinx Pyle said,] "The Forest Service basically closed their permit and told them to take their cattle off, so they've got all their cattle on private land now and they use that water to irrigate as well as for drinking water. There's only so much water, so when the Forest Service comes along and starts dipping water it hurts their carrying capacity.

"When they did that last year, Freddy sent them a bill and they didn't pay it. So he told them, ‘No more,' and I guess he meant it."

Link via: Improved Clinch

Dangerous Lobster Ranchers

The Sierra Times provides this story about Bob Eddy, an entrepreneur who raised Australian lobsters to sell to people traveling between Las Vegas and Reno. He ran afoul of the law, since he sold this prohibited species live to people who didn't have permits, i.e. people with a boiling pot of water and a bowl of butter waiting.

The Nevada Division of Wildlife boys roared in this Thursday -- 10 armed game wardens, two of the plainclothes guys in black shoes and black sunglasses from the "Nevada Division of Investigation," assigned to take care of any troublesome neighbors, and two state biologists assigned to kill, seize and destroy all of Bob Eddy's crayfish.

Why?

For violation of his state lobster ranching permit, duh.

Link via: American Liberty.

Weekly Criminal

I strip away the old debris
That hides a shining car.
A brilliant red Barchetta
From a better, vanished time.
I fire up the willing engine,
Responding with a roar.
Tires spitting gravel,
I commit my weekly crime.

   —Rush, Red Barchetta

The song Red Barchetta is set in the future, when internal combustion engines have been outlawed. The narrator sneaks away each week to drive his uncle's beautiful sportscar through the countryside. He is doing what you probably do all the time: driving a car. And yet, he is a criminal. Every Sunday he commits his weekly crime. As governments increasingly control our lives with new laws and regulations, more and more decent people are made criminal just for trying to live their lives.

There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. 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. … —Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged