Ron Paul to Bill Maher: America's War on Drugs Must End

[Ganjarden]

Congressman Ron Paul is the most conservative, grandfatherly man to ever be admired by America's marijuana enthusiasts. On Friday night's episode of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, he reminded those who may have been suffering an impaired short-term memory at that late hour why, exactly, they should like him.

Speaking live from Clute, Texas, the libertarian-leaning Republican did what few other members of Congress will and openly called for the United States' War on Drugs to be abolished.

"What about when FDR came to office in '33," asked Maher. "One of the first things he did was repeal prohibition. He said we can't afford this anymore. Well, we have prohibition in this country. ... When he was making radical changes he said look, we're serious now. We're going to make serious changes and people like liquor."

"Well, in this country, people like pot," said Maher to a wave of cheers and applause. "If we ended that prohibition, that would be a giant pooling of money."

"I don't like pot," said the congressman. "But I hate the drug war, so I would repeal all of prohibition. But, I wouldn't even bother taxing it. People have the right in a free country to make important decisions on their own lives. If they want to make mistakes, they can. They just can't come crawling to the government to get bailed out or taken care of if they get sick.

"I believe in freedom of choice in all that we do, as long as the individual never hurts anybody else. So that means I would get rid of all the federal laws. I would dispose with the drug war. We're spending tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars on this, then we march into places like California, override state law, arrest sick people and put them in prison."

"It makes no sense whatsoever," he insisted.

"Amen, stoner," joked Maher.


News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: The Raw Story
Author: David Edwards and Stephen C. Webster
Contact: The Raw Story
Copyright: 2009 The Raw Story
Website: Ron Paul to Bill Maher: America's War on Drugs Must End

 

[Paladin]

Well.....The constitution doesn't mention anything about the "right " to pursue happiness, but rather it is stated in the Declaration of Independance . The Constitution only has meaning if one works as an employee of government . The Constitution sets limitations on what government can and cannot do. If the Federal government were to actually follow the Constitution , as it's written , 95 % of the federal government would disapear along with the expense that it incurrs . Income taxes would not be needed as there would be no need to pay for intrest on money created from thin air ( Federal Reserve), true wealth would then be created along with the ability to live ones life as to how one envisiones it , not as to how some beaurocrat demands . Dr. Paul is correct in every way. However, for the nation to survive and prosper under the following of the Constituion , the people of the nation must be educated and have the will to actually be free. ....... Actual freedom means that the people have to take responsibility for their actions and to accept the consequences of such actions ....... something that has been all but eliminated from thought by years and years of government run indoctrination , er ..um .. I mean schooling! ... Dr. Paul is a truely rare individual .... a true Statesman , not just another politician. He's had my vote in the last election cycle and will recieve it again if he runs for office. How about it .....are you people ready to accept responsibility for your own lives ...or do we just keep sinking lower into the abyss?

 

[zolar]

money talks wonder if obama has balls enough to even get the idea of regulation fees and taxing on the table or even try a seven year experiment of legal regulate permit fees and taxes wonder what that would do to all the border violence....

 

[Paladin]

The problem with regulation ...is that sooner or later one finds oneself to be regulated out of business ....... just another means of legal theft of life and liberty.

 

[Bonehead]

There's going to be no talk of legalization without the government getting in on the money. A word to the wise. Ron Paul is right on when it comes to getting rid of the drug war but his total package is suspect. It would have to be a perfect world to apply Ron Paul's theories. Just my two cents.

 

[Shroeder]

You'd think most stoners if not all would be libertarian by nature?

 

[Paladin]

There's going to be no talk of legalization without the government getting in on the money. A word to the wise. Ron Paul is right on when it comes to getting rid of the drug war but his total package is suspect. It would have to be a perfect world to apply Ron Paul's theories. Just my two cents.

To have government perform only the functions that the people have authorized in the written Constitution is suspect ? ...... It would be my contention that when government authorizes its self to overstep the authorization granted to it by the people .... treason has been commited . To be sure this is not a perfect world ..... but then again , government enacting legislation that it has no authorization to do, only brings us farther away from liberty .. not closer to it .

 

[Paladin]

not sure how "natural" any political party is, and there are some things I don't like about every darned one of them!
If they had privatized social Security we would be in a worse mess then we are now. Something needs to happen to protect elders and stop the huge profiteering/theft by the drug companies. Maybe if people weren't so lawsuit happy we could get better medical care and cheaper medicines. It is an ugly world when a person has to choose between paying for heat and buying meds!

Once again the spectre of individual responsibility rears it's ugly ( ugly only to the irresponsible ) head . The Constitution has no provision for government to take charge of an individuals life or property as with social security , as if they knew better how to handle any individuals future . As for large corporations profiteering from the individual.... This is the result of government granting the same legal status to corporations as are endowed to individuals . Another case of government intrusion on the rights of the indivdual, which is how this mess came into being .