That's an interesting perspective that I had never been exposed to before, Truean. So thanks. I would need a bunch of time and extra reading to absorb this before I could even think about arguing.
Always a pleasure Salmon. [tips hat]
You don't see gang and cartel wars over alcohol anymore. Legalizing it severely cut down on the violence.
Corporations, evil as they are, are less evil than cartels. They do their fighting in court and with bribes. That's WAY better than doing their fighting with guns (and bribes).
Drugs being illegal does jack shit in keeping people away from them. I live in a quiet suburban neighborhood, but could definitely get some drugs if I wanted. Several kids are known for it around here. If we wanna fight drugs in a way that's not just symbolic, we should first minimize the damage done by distribution, then focus on education. People will still use them despite knowing the danger of course, but at least they're idiots and/or masochists, not just ignorant.
Seeing as my 3PM appointment also failed to show up.... God damn it people doesn't my schedule mean anything to you.... (no question mark).
No question legalization cuts down on violence related to distribution.
Alcohol is still a major factor in perpetration of other violent crimes though. DoJ says 40%, whatever. Moreover it is a drug of incompetence whereby its addiction and abuse leads to massive damage (drunk driving cases pay my bills).
As for corporations, be it one of them or a sole proprietor (an actual person, screw you Scalia), while I will admit that bullets are not a good substitute for a syllogism and reasoning, that's just a symptom of the disease. You've traded one symptom (abuse by firearms) for another, admittedly lesser symptom (abuse by debt and market and client disability). Imagine Heroin incorporated. Hell, imagine Meth incorporated. Even the pretensions we have about a free market revolve around voluntary purchase. Addiction is a compulsion that overrides volitional choice. Shit, I'm addicted to alcohol and I know the idea of my not drinking is laughable. You can't stop purchasing the addictive substance.... (or if you can, then it's a massive effort the likes of which few people can, and it certainly isn't easy).
How do you reconcile a product that disables its clients ability generally and client's ability not to purchase it? So my contention is that something doesn't have to be illegal just to spawn organized crime and weaponry that goes with it, but addiction seems to be the common denominator.
Just like how they used to smuggle tea and paper all the time, and they shot lots and lots of people and broke lots of laws over that stuff!
Violence and weapons are a side effect of black markets. And black markets aren't about addiction so much as desire and artificial (easily overcome) obstacles. When the benefits of operating in the daylight are less than those of operating in the shadows, even counting the violence, you're going to have yourself a black market.
And once you're operating outside the law, well... LEGAL businesses aren't friendly entities. Illegal ones have significantly less inclination to behave in a publicly acceptable manner.
A certain amount of black market business is to be expected anywhere - it's the quantity and accumulation of power the drug war has caused that's led to the REAL problems - most booze and tobacco smugglers aren't heavily armed lunatics taking hit's out on each other's groups and beheading people and whatnot.
My perspective is unavoidably altered given the sheer amount of criminal defendants I deal with on a regular basis, so consider that a point for me being biased. Not in favor of the current "War on Drugs," or really any "War on [insert in tangible idea here]."
Let's give you the benefit of the doubt and say weapons are a product of black markets. Fine, why are markets black? I say in the case of drugs and gambling, they are black because of addiction. Please see my response to kaijyuu above....
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I think I'll start a side project concerning stonesense and furniture placement. It's more fun than arguing. I do that too much.