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Author Topic: Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread  (Read 1286022 times)

Nadaka

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3975 on: November 10, 2012, 11:47:56 pm »

Plenty of countries have gun ownership but low gun crime. Much as I have a strong distaste for firearms (I come from a culture where they're only really owned by police, military or criminals) it's not gun ownership in itself that's the cause of gun crime in the US.

It's because Americans can't fight using their fists like REAL MEN ;)

The term "gun crime" is a loaded phrase. GUN MURDER is no worse than KNIFE MURDER! or HEFTY STICK MURDER!!!111

A better vetting and re-qualification system would probably cut down on the number of accidental gun deaths (and the non-fatal incidents as well, of course), though, which are pretty far from non-zero. All I'm really after in the realm of US gun control is better pre-ownership training and an occasional checkup to make sure folks haven't forgotten what the hell they're doing. I've mentioned it before, but my own experiences with gun ownership and licensing haven't exactly filled me with confidence in the system as-is.

It wouldn't hurt, though you would have to be a bit careful with periodic tests what with the widespread conspiracy theories of the gubment comin' to take yall guns for the UN's one world gubment run by a computer called SATAN! On second thought, those might be the people who shouldn't have guns.
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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3976 on: November 11, 2012, 12:27:07 am »

I don't really care about banning gun ownership so much, but I would like to see more gun regulation. Right now it's far too easy for a gun that's purchased legally in the US to just magically slip out of the purchaser's hands and then wind up on the black market where it makes it's way into, for example, a Mexican drug cartel's hands. And there is rarely if ever much of anything done to prevent this kind of stuff.

I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a certain degree of accountability for guns in the US. With a few simple measures that most gun owners would barely, if at all, feel the effect of, I think you could do a lot to curtail this kind of thing.
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Kilroy the Grand

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3977 on: November 11, 2012, 12:51:06 am »

I don't really care about banning gun ownership so much, but I would like to see more gun regulation. Right now it's far too easy for a gun that's purchased legally in the US to just magically slip out of the purchaser's hands and then wind up on the black market where it makes it's way into, for example, a Mexican drug cartel's hands. And there is rarely if ever much of anything done to prevent this kind of stuff.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: November 11, 2012, 12:56:23 am by Kilroy the Grand »
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MetalSlimeHunt

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3978 on: November 11, 2012, 12:57:59 am »

The cartels wouldn't even be a problem if we ended the war on drugs.

Speaking of that, I bet they're shaking in their boots about Colorado and Washington right now. 70% of cartel profits in 2011 came from marijuana, according to the DEA report on the subject.
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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3979 on: November 11, 2012, 01:05:21 am »

It does seem pretty damn popular. In high school I don't think I met a single person who had used meth, herion, or any of those drugs (at least, any that I knew of), but I knew at least a half dozen people who smoked marijuana, or had smoked marijuana in the past and told me about it.
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penguinofhonor

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3980 on: November 11, 2012, 01:49:36 am »

I think half the people I know smoke at least every once in a while. Varying amounts do the middle stuff like E or LSD, but I don't know anyone who would do heroin/meth. I know some people who used to do heroin, but they got caught up with it when they were too young to know what they were getting themselves into. It's a really shitty drug.
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kaijyuu

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3981 on: November 11, 2012, 02:04:32 am »

I'll actually admit to being a person who wouldn't of smoked weed when it was illegal, but am now considering it.

Assuming anyone here actually cares that people might be encouraged to try it now, anyway. I'm betting most people here don't, but those shouting "usage will rise!" are at least probably right in my case.
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Scelly9

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3982 on: November 11, 2012, 02:06:24 am »

I think it'll rise for a bit, then people will realize that it's not all it's chalked up to be, and it'll drop to normal levels.
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misko27

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3983 on: November 11, 2012, 02:13:10 am »

I tend to think of marijuana as like cigarettes and alcohol. Ban it, and watch shit go down. Let people have, but know what the consequences are.
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Reelya

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3984 on: November 11, 2012, 07:59:00 am »

I don't really care about banning gun ownership so much, but I would like to see more gun regulation. Right now it's far too easy for a gun that's purchased legally in the US to just magically slip out of the purchaser's hands and then wind up on the black market where it makes it's way into, for example, a Mexican drug cartel's hands. And there is rarely if ever much of anything done to prevent this kind of stuff.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Kilroy, you should know better. NOBODY bought guns and "gave" them to cartels. The cartels sent guys to buy guns. Guys who were LEGALLY allowed to buy guns. The ATF merely didn't stop them buying them.

"Operation Don't Do Anything" would have seen even MORE guns get into cartel hands, with less way to track them.

Stop spreading blatant propaganda. And I'm sure you know damn well that it was a Bush era ATF idea, there's no demonstrable evidence that the idea came from, or was endorsed by, Holder, and the agent in charge was the same agent running the show under Bush.

Not stopping gun sales is the conservative dream. And by NRA logic, they wanted guns and would've got them one way or another.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATF_gunwalking_scandal
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Don't blame the Feds for the Phoenix ATF repeating dubious operations which were their own idea.
« Last Edit: November 11, 2012, 08:33:59 am by Reelya »
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scriver

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3985 on: November 11, 2012, 08:57:35 am »

The cartels wouldn't even be a problem if we ended the war on drugs.

This isn't really true. Ending the "war on drugs" (which I support the end of, by the way) and/or legalising certain drugs would boost the sales in the US and as such boost the income of the cartels, because they are the only providers in place. Within a decade or so their business would probably have gone down as other corporations take over the distribution, but until then they're still going to be the one's profiting from the market.
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Reelya

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3986 on: November 11, 2012, 09:05:18 am »

Not right at all:

- Cartels are not the only provider, there are legal growers and medical marijuana sellers already in place.
- the laws provide that you can home-grow up to 6 plants in colorado, i think, so that will reduce a lot of the "trade", or at least create millions of micro-providers

The likely result is that prices will plummet and the cartel distribution network will disintegrate starting with front-line dealers and working back.
« Last Edit: November 11, 2012, 09:09:48 am by Reelya »
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ChairmanPoo

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3987 on: November 11, 2012, 09:07:36 am »

I don't think that's their main product.
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Reelya

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3988 on: November 11, 2012, 09:10:49 am »

I don't think that's their main product.

Actually, it is their main product. Marijuana is by far the biggest selling illegal drug, although not the one with the highest profit margins per kilo. Still, that one drug is over 50% of cartel profits.

http://tucsoncitizen.com/view-from-baja-arizona/2010/09/05/mexican-marijuana-fuels-drug-cartels/

Quote
One of the major sources of income for the Mexican drug cartels is the smuggling of marijuana into the US. The marijuana is grown in the Sierra Madre, then hauled over the border in many devious ways, and sold on the streets of the US.

US pot heads are providing the cash flow to fuel Mexican drug cartel violence.  Some estimate that as much as 60% of the revenue to the drug cartels comes from marjuana.
« Last Edit: November 11, 2012, 09:16:18 am by Reelya »
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Cthulhu

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Re: PoH's Calm and Cool Progressive Discussion Thread
« Reply #3989 on: November 11, 2012, 09:33:58 am »

Yeah, I'm not sure legalizing marijuana is going to mean shitty Mexican pot is going to be all you can find at first.  Kentucky's number one cash crop is marijuana, I can't imagine it's much different in places like California.  So much of their workforce was paid under the table at one point it was putting noticeable dents in tax revenue, I wouldn't be surprised if that was pot-related too.

The pot thing's not over yet, we'll need somebody to play Scopes and get it taken to the Supreme Court first to get the DEA off everybody's backs, that'll be interesting.  If it gets legalized in Ohio and there's no risk of going to jail I might light up just because I can, but as has been mentioned, all the evidence shows legalizing drugs only temporarily increases usage.  Once the novelty wears off it goes back down to pre-ban levels.

I had something relevant and not weed-related the other day but I forgot.  :/

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