A very instructive, if somewhat depressing, interview. Thanks to both. I was fascinated to learn that marijuana is still so lucrative for Mexican smugglers. In this light (not to mention for many other reasons), I was a bit put off by Vanda's summary dismissal of the idea of the US legalizing marijuana. It would seem in the context of this discussion that we'd at least be removing some of the revenue stream from criminal gangs if the home-grown market satisfied demand. I was also fascinated to learn from Robert the related state of affairs in Kentucky. Sounds like, at least in that locale, that legalization would be a good instance of surrendering to the inevitable. I don't mean to emphasize this aspect of the diavlog unduly. It's just that I don't have anything useful to say about most of the rest.

I was fascinated to learn that marijuana is still so lucrative for Mexican smugglers. In this light (not to mention for many other reasons), I was a bit put off by Vanda's summary dismissal of the idea of the US legalizing marijuana. It would seem in the context of this discussion that we'd at least be removing some of the revenue stream from criminal gangs if the home-grown market satisfied demand.

I think she merely objected to seeing legalization as a panacea. Legalizing marijuana (and other drugs) is a very good idea, in my opinion, but as Vanda suggested, it's unlikely to put a significant dent in organized crime, any more than the end of Prohibition put an end to controlled-substance crime in the US. The mafias just shifted from alcohol to heroin. Now if you legalized everything -- making it possible to buy pharmaceutical cocaine, heroin, LSD, Ecstasy and marijuana in the local drugstore -- I think we all would have an enormous net win. Citizens would have to learn to live with freedom (horror of horrors!), but a good precedent is legalized gambling. Most people who live in Las Vegas do not spend

Could not agree more, Wonderment. Saying legalization isn't a panacea is like saying that penicillin isn't a cure-all: might be true, but it doesn't excuse ignoring what is probably the most obvious option.

Quoting Wonderment: I think she merely objected to seeing legalization as a panacea. [...]

Fair point.

I found the discussion very uninteresting. Listened to 5 minutes and exited. As a republican I have close to zero interest in FP. The only worry being the large numbers of republicans serving in the American military. In somewhat related news, I see the American President Obama thinks NK is only developing nuclear weapons.http://corner.nationalreview.com/ "...Is President Obama tracking the threat of nuclear proliferation? He denounced “North Korea's attempts to develop nuclear weapons,” which strikes one as a little odd since Pyongyang is well beyond the development stage and has moved on to testing. ..." Obama appears to be exceedingly delusional. Trillions in stimulus spending is needed to reverse the recession. American industry would be competitive in the world market if only greater deficits were run to provide everyone in the country with affordable health care. Democrat owned car companies can make money selling putt, putt cars.

http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/199...4:47&out=14:58

you're not interested in FP? there's more than a few ways other countries can directly affect us and there's a reason why our military has people in dozens of countries. what gives, steve?

Quoting I'm SO awesome!: you're not interested in FP? there's more than a few ways other countries can directly affect us and there's a reason why our military has people in dozens of countries. what gives, steve?

I dont think there is an "us" anymore. The democrats and the federal government are synonomous now. Let them stew in the poisonous vat of opportunism and self interest they have created. The NK nuclear program is enabled by China. But democrats need China's money to finance their handout programs, so the blame is not placed where it belongs. My latest thinking is that trade unions are the cause of much that ails the world. Because of the high costs that unions impose on manufacturing industries in Europe and the US, manufacturing is out sourced to China. The resulting need for global trade silences the moral voice concerning the exploitation of Africa and protection of those who rule NK.

Quoting DenvilleSteve: I dont think there is an "us" anymore. The democrats and the federal government are synonomous now. Let them stew in the poisonous vat of opportunism and self interest they have created.

This sentence sounds better if you do a Charlton Heston impression while reading it. Emperor Palpatine is also acceptable.

i guess.....they've only been there for, like, four months!

Quoting DoctorMoney: This sentence sounds better if you do a Charlton Heston impression while reading it. Emperor Palpatine is also acceptable.

That is hilarious. Spreading humor around the globe should be seen as the duty of all men and women of good will.

Mark Kleiman's solution w/r/t marijuana still seems the most sensible: allow grow-your-own & small coops, no sales. It shrinks the black market to almost nothing and prevents revenue that can be used for marketing. Unlike decrim, it also separates the millions of users from dealers of other drugs. It wouldn't bring in taxes, but Mark believes legalization probably wouldn't yield much anyway.

i guess the more you try to tell people to do something the more determined the become to do it.