why does everyone have to be a liberal or conservative?

[fletchisrhsm]

Ending 21st century Prohibition is most certainly the biggest elephant in the room for most elected officials.

My colleagues who are lobbyists in Washington and at the state level tell me that for the past ten years the most consistent "off the record" response they get from elected officials and/or their key staff is that Prohibition is a counterproductive and destructive public policy to our communities.

But then they (the officials) caution that they don't dare speak it publicly or they will be lambasted by the small minority of staunch Prohibitionists.


Meanwhile, to his credit, Obama has publicly pledged that when elected President he will order the pigs at the DEA to cease and desist with their paramilitary raids on state-legal medical marijuana providers and patients.

Or is the War on Drugs just another in the long list of congressional cash cows that keep the US government that largest employee in the world and that doesnt even include all of its vendors and sub contractors....almost everyone.

 

[levistep]

Kinda like the bailout bill that "had to be done" puppeted by almost every elected official on either side of the spectrum (that is of course for you know who)?

I know this property manager that is personal friends with Christopher Shays (R, House of Reps) and he told me that Shays received calls 100:1 against the bailout but he still went ahead and voted in favor of it; so much for representative democracy.

 

[barman]

Or is the War on Drugs just another in the long list of congressional cash cows that keep the US government that largest employee in the world and that doesnt even include all of its vendors and sub contractors....almost everyone.

The WOD does not particularly increase federal government employee base as they are less than 10,000 DEA.

Though it has certainly increased the federal prison employment base with over half of federal prisoners being marijuana law offenders.

The biggest impact of the federal insistence on maintaining Prohibition is that they dole out a shitload of cash to the states and counties

 

[fletchisrhsm]

I know this property manager that is personal friends with Christopher Shays (R, House of Reps) and he told me that Shays received calls 100:1 against the bailout but he still went ahead and voted in favor of it; so much for representative democracy.

Yeah its a fucking sham. Just like immigration. 75% want something done yet nothing is done. And if i remember correctly about 65-80% of the population wanted no part of this bailout either and like you said, it goes through anyway, pointing to Shays as example. The funny part was when the media started this drivel about peoples pensions and 401 k's potentially being destroyed if they didnt put this through, then all of a sudden people weren't so against it. Typical...the American population has brought this all on themselves, and i could cite a million quotes about this as im sure you and others could as well. People just assume freedoms and liberties are won and preserved just during wars.