the hero is the gun...

[cigar no baka]

The ongoing war on drugs has amazing similarities with Prohibition with one glaring exception: we decided to end prohibition. Prohibition had several major effects:

An increase in lack of respect for the law and the government.
A huge increase in criminal activity, and all the things that come with it, ie. violence
An upswing in corruption at all levels of society, especially in the government.
A concentration of money in the hands of some very corrupt, powerful and dangerous people.
A huge number of citizens ending up in jail for alcohol consumption and/or distribution.

And surprisingly, it did not result in reducing alcohol consumption by much. Illegal activity sprang up all across America and continued in back alleys, hidden locations and even peoples bathtubs for the entire 13 years of Prohibition.


And today, we have all of those things with the war on drugs. We are not winning the war on drugs, it costs our society all of the above and more. I'm for legalization of consumption, but war on distribution of all drugs except marijuana, but I'm fully aware that even that cutback in this War will still have large, detrimental effects on our society, but perhaps less than the full legalization of all drugs. And I support the legalization of marijuana, it is too pervasive, we need to concentrate our efforts. And stop locking people up for using.

Every time a society tries to criminalize behavior that a large portion of their society wants to engage in, look out, cause it's going to be a huge destabilizing influence.

[SuperChuck]

One of my favorite towns on this planet is Amsterdam. Most soft drugs have be decriminalized in the city of Amsterdam (they are technically illegal, but this is largely overlooked by local authorities). Prositution is legal in Amsterdam. Beer is the same price as soft drinks and available everywhere (movie theaters, falafel shops, etc.).

This has developed Amsterdam into the most lax community I've ever seen. Live and let live. If you want to smoke dope, go ahead. If you want to have a beer with your lunch, go ahead. As long as you're not harming someone else, they could care less.

This has led to the most amazing views on sexuality I've ever seen. Sexual orientation in Amsterdam is just a facet of who you are. It's no more important than, say, the color of your hair. I found this interesting in stark contrast to places we view as "gay friendly" in the United States, where sexuality tends to define people.

I remember sitting outside the supperclub, smoking a joint with the two gay bouncers... Ah, only in Amsterdam.

[Drake]

One of my favorite towns on this planet is Amsterdam. Most soft drugs have be decriminalized in the city of Amsterdam (they are technically illegal, but this is largely overlooked by local authorities). Prositution is legal in Amsterdam. Beer is the same price as soft drinks and available everywhere (movie theaters, falafel shops, etc.).

This has developed Amsterdam into the most lax community I've ever seen. Live and let live. If you want to smoke dope, go ahead. If you want to have a beer with your lunch, go ahead. As long as you're not harming someone else, they could care less.

This has led to the most amazing views on sexuality I've ever seen. Sexual orientation in Amsterdam is just a facet of who you are. It's no more important than, say, the color of your hair. I found this interesting in stark contrast to places we view as "gay friendly" in the United States, where sexuality tends to define people.

I remember sitting outside the supperclub, smoking a joint with the two gay bouncers... Ah, only in Amsterdam.

i've never had any desire to visit that place

[SuperChuck]

i've never had any desire to visit that place

I never did, either, but a friend of mine was working there for a few months. I got to crash on his couch for 2 weeks...

[Kayakinboy]

just that simple.