Decrim Petition

[shockmonster]

Increased tax revenues so the guvmint will lower my personal property taxes?

Or maybe a world that is worse off for my grandchildren.

[Play Angry]

Or maybe a world that is worse off for my grandchildren.

To be fair, if the boomers and gen x gave a rat's bootie about future generations they would not have racked up almost $60,000 in government debt per living human in the U.S.

The "me" generation inherited a juggernaut and treated it like they were 18 year olds blowing through a trust fund.

[shockmonster]

To be fair, if the boomers and gen x gave a rat's bootie about future generations they would not have racked up almost $60,000 in government debt per living human in the U.S.

The "me" generation inherited a juggernaut and treated it like they were 18 year olds blowing through a trust fund.

You sound Angry- If it makes you feel better, you can blame me for the current drug addiction problem too. Small amounts of drug use/addiction has gone on for generations but at one time it was looked down upon. Then it became fashionable for the youth of the 60's to use drugs, and have sex to feel good. Since then it has worsened until rationalization is the trend. It used to even be unfashionable for teens to have babies. Now, the government pays for mothers to have multiple babies by multiple fathers because they can't work. This is going on right now but you can blame someone else if you want because few spoke up.

Ask Robin Williams how it worked for him. He tried to end his unhappiness by using alcohol and drugs. Death is all too frequent because of these types of substances. Yes, I agree that part of my generation has been involved in all of it. But I won't rationalize that there isn't a serious problem with how drugs and alcohol are used today. The truth is, we are all part of the blame. I don't want to sound like an old fuddy duddy that can't relate to you but I call it SIN and sin is a problem for me too. But I do pray about it and try not to rationalize it.

One additional point: If you think that there is a golden tax at the end of the rainbow that will solve our huge government defecit problem because of legalizing drugs, you are being delusional.

[MoValley John]

Taxation as justification chaps my hide. Not just for legalization of drugs, but for anything. Taxation would and could be a side benefit, but it should never be a debate point for legalizing anything. Legalizing anything for the sake of taxation is usually horrible policy. Things should be legal or illegal because it's the right thing to do, not because the government gets another tax stream. These types of tax streams often hurt the weakest, most.

[Play Angry]

There seems to be an awful lot of broad generalizations and straw men in @shockmonster's post. In the end, it sounds like this really ruffles the feathers of your morality and that is why you are against it...and really, that is fine. If you have heartfelt convictions that this is one of many items on a laundry list of activities which the government should make illegal because of their innate sinfulness, then it's unlikely anything I say can sway ya since it all comes back to that. No worries.

I think we probably just have a very different view on the role of government.



Unrelated- I have received a message or two that were a little unusual and not at all complimentary because of this thread. The political threads here tend to feature little to no legitimate debate since most people who participate self select as being extremely, extremely conservative. I consider myself pretty conservative too, which apparently would very much surprise a few folks. Let's play nice and maybe embrace a chance to talk about stuff where there is thoughtful disagreement instead of getting weird about it.

[Kung Wu]

To be fair, if the boomers and gen x gave a rat's bootie about future generations they would not have racked up almost $60,000 in government debt per living human in the U.S.

The "me" generation inherited a juggernaut and treated it like they were 18 year olds blowing through a trust fund.

According to this Breitbart article, the people have very little to do with our country's policy -- sad as it may be:

The statistical research looked at public attitudes on nearly 1,800 policy issues and determined that government almost always ignores the opinions of average citizens and adopts the policy preferences of monied business interests when shaping the contours of U.S. laws.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/08/12/Study-You-Have-Near-Zero-Impact-on-U-S-Policy

Two pretty clear and recent examples would be stopping illegal immigration and the passing of Obamacare.

[Play Angry]

That was an interesting read. It doesn't necessarily mean that the government's path is contrary to what the electorate wants though- they are still aligned pretty often. 30 years of huge spending and historically low taxes (both personal and corporate) seemed to enjoy pretty broad support as a win-win for the electorate.

A lot of it depends on how the question is framed. This seems pretty typical among most folks I've known: Do you want a balanced budget? Of course I do. Would you be okay with across the board cuts for medicare, social security (later retirement age, lower payout) and defense spending (together, ~2/3 of the budget)? Heck no. Raising capital gains taxes? lol get out of here, over my dead body.

Cut whatever benefits you need to so long as they're not my benefits, basically.

[_kai_]

Why can't I find any cities who have decriminalized marijuana that have turned into Sodom and Gomorrah? It's always the paper thin statements with no factual basis that irritate the hell out of me. "It will make our city full of sin. Bless our children's future."

Same people preaching about no casino's in the city. Man, Mulvane has all those hobos and prostitutes running tricks in alleys now.

[SB Shock]

Why can't I find any cities who have decriminalized marijuana that have turned into Sodom and Gomorrah? It's always the paper thin statements with no factual basis that irritate the hell out of me. "It will make our city full of sin. Bless our children's future."

Same people preaching about no casino's in the city. Man, Mulvane has all those hobos and prostitutes running tricks in alleys now.

maybe you are already living in Sodom and Gomorrah?

[Kung Wu]

maybe you are already living in Sodom and Gomorrah?

I did notice you were looking pretty hot in those tight jeans, cowboy.

[Play Angry]

maybe you are already living in Sodom and Gomorrah?

Guess we know who to leave off the vegas invite list.

[SB Shock]

I did notice you were looking pretty hot in those tight jeans, cowboy.

Pogo told me you were looking at my butt...

[shockmonster]

I imagine that people from Sodom and Gomorrah just thought that it was a fun place to live. By the way, I was for the casino coming to Wichita.

[Play Angry]

Logical.

[Kung Wu]

I hate to go all @JJClamdip: on everybody but I am all for flooding Americans with as many drugs as they want. While I haven't taken drugs other than alcohol, I like the idea of a decent swath of people removing themselves as competition for my job. I also like the idea of my fellow Americans wasting their retirement on an addictive form of entertainment so that when I retire there are lots of cheap toys to buy from wastoids on craigslist. And I will make sure to offshore the headquarters of any company I start so I don't have to subsidize the increased welfare required to cover the new addicts. In fact, maybe I will get out ahead of this and start an offshore drug addiction clinic resort that accepts Obamacare! SWEET! Vote YES for drugs!