Regarding the next drug czar:
I'm all for treatment and ending the criminalization of addiction, but what, exactly, do "religious moralizing", human rights and "protecting people's privacy" mean?
I hear a lot or religious moralizing about a lot of things, but not so much about drug policy. I can't help but think that a little religious moralizing might help with access to treatment and the immorality of incarceration rates.
As for human rights and protecting people's privacy, are they working toward establishing drug use as a right? Again, I think incarcerating addicts for using is stupid and immoral, but do we want to establish drug use as a human right?
In spite of drug reform advocates rhetoric, their positions are not value-neutral and these are values that our culture won't share and would probably bring unintended consequences.
Let's hope that these goals get moderated in debate and some good comes of this agenda. Though I don't expect it, I look forward to an end to the drug war and hopeful that there will be movement in that direction.
Am I ,the only liberal that is maddened by the positioning of legalization and Vancouver style harm reduction as the liberal position on drug policy? I really see myself as a potential ally, but they push the agenda too far and embrace much of this just a little too enthusiastically.
Our goal is to get someone who supports treatment, not incarceration; science, not religious moralizing; and civil liberties, not punitive policies. We're also going to do some legislative Judo, flip the agency's budget on its head, and refocus it on health and human rights. Imagine a Drug Czar that is required by law to reduce the number of nonviolent offenders behind bars -- or required to implement policies that protect people's privacy.
I'm all for treatment and ending the criminalization of addiction, but what, exactly, do "religious moralizing", human rights and "protecting people's privacy" mean?
I hear a lot or religious moralizing about a lot of things, but not so much about drug policy. I can't help but think that a little religious moralizing might help with access to treatment and the immorality of incarceration rates.
As for human rights and protecting people's privacy, are they working toward establishing drug use as a right? Again, I think incarcerating addicts for using is stupid and immoral, but do we want to establish drug use as a human right?
In spite of drug reform advocates rhetoric, their positions are not value-neutral and these are values that our culture won't share and would probably bring unintended consequences.
Finally, we're going to launch a national campaign to highlight the fact that America cannot afford drug prohibition. We couldn't afford it when times were good and we certainly cannot afford it now that deficits are rising, tax revenue is shrinking, and the economy is teetering.Well, that's the sales pitch we'll be hearing.
Let's hope that these goals get moderated in debate and some good comes of this agenda. Though I don't expect it, I look forward to an end to the drug war and hopeful that there will be movement in that direction.
Am I ,the only liberal that is maddened by the positioning of legalization and Vancouver style harm reduction as the liberal position on drug policy? I really see myself as a potential ally, but they push the agenda too far and embrace much of this just a little too enthusiastically.
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