"HeyBub" wrote in message
news

People whose only crime is possession of a banned drug for their own
consumption don't belong in prison in the first place. If they're
holding up liquor stores that is another matter, but if all they're
doing is using a street drug then prison is a waste of public money. If
you have a couple of shots of Old Overcoat in the evening while
watching The Good Guys it doesn't cause society any problems, ditto
if you smoked a joint instead. Let's save prison for those who
actually harm others.

How do you think someone in possession GOT to be in possession? Did the
stuff miracle itself into his pocket?

He bought it from an entrepreneur, which according to you means a
Republican.

In all likelihood, he bought it. With money stolen from somebody else.

It's a safe bet that the vast majority of street drugs purchased in this
country are not bought with stolen money, unless you count Wall St. stuffed
suits buying nose candy with money from looted pension funds. If memory
serves over half the people in this country have tried cannabis, for
example, and it doesn't make sense that they all stole the money they used
to buy their weed. Even addicts to really crippling drugs like meth and
crack first have to drain their own resources before turning to crime.
Don't you ever watch COPS, there is always some guy getting busted for dope
crying that he's going to lose his job. In the past couple of decades I've
had several friends who used various street drugs, and every one of them has
been gainfully employed, so I have to think there are many millions more
like that. Heroin or meth addicts are another matter of course.

That stolen money or property is wealth taken out of the community.

Now you would probably argue that the money going to his dealer is put
BACK into the community when the dealer blings up his teeth, but this sort
of "broken window" economics, so beloved by Keynesians and Democrats, is a
flaw of gigantic proportions.

It's no more taken out of the community than money that buys some Made In
China product at Wal-Mart. The dealer is going to go buy himself a Big Mac
and a sweater for his mom. Because as you know, most low-level dope dealers
still live with their mothers. The boss will buy a big plasma screen and
some spinner wheels for his Escalade--money is always moving.

http://freakonomicsbook.com/freakono...pts/chapter-3/