William Bennett was the "Drug Czar" for Ronald Reagan. He was famous for launching the "War on Drugs", which gave the Federal Government unprecedented control over State Law Enforcement and individual freedoms.
Bennett just authored a book entitled "Going To Pot", which makes the argument that the States should not have the right to control their own destiny and legalize marijuana. He argues that "Washington Experts" know what is best for the individual, and that the States should not trust free citizens to understand the issue and vote for something that could potentially harm them. Bennett basically makes the argument that the nanny state needs to protect the individual from himself.
His view is widely shared by Republicans in power, who have long viewed the war on drugs as a way to criminalize the lifestyle choices of political opponents (e.g., the student Left, inner city African Americans, etc).
In my experience, Republican voters tend to support their leadership, choosing to obey the party platform rather than support the principle of State's Right or individual freedom. They tend only to support individual freedom when the party's official message system supports it.
The beauty of individual freedom is that the individual has the right to make choices and suffer the consequences. If you smoke cigarettes, you accept the potential consequences of getting lung cancer. If you drink too much alcohol and drive, you accept the potential consequences of killing someone. If you smoke pot, you accept the potential consequences of giggling too much and getting the munchies.
George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Obama all smoked pot.
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates smoked pot.
Jeb Bush - likely our next president - smoked pot.
So here is my question. Why do Republican voters so overwhelmingly support their party's desire to put the Federal Bureaucracy in charge of this issue? Why don't Republican voters trust the States or free individuals to decide this issue for themselves? Why do they think that Government knows best?
Reagan was elected party because of an appeal to State's Rights and expanded individual choice. But, once in office, he created, through the War on Drugs, one of the most powerful, expensive and incompetent Federal Bureaucracies in existence, second only to the Department of Homeland Security and the wider intelligence & law enforcement web of the Bush terrorism/surveillance state. And like all Federal Bureaucracies, these big, sprawling, unaccountable, money-sucking agencies never die; they continue to grow no matter which party is in office.
Obama did not make one change to the Bush Surveillance State. Nixon didn't make one change to the Liberal Welfare State. These men just watched as these federal agencies got bigger, more expensive and more incompetent.
So tell me Republicans. Where does the issue of recreational pot use belong? Should this be a matter for each state, to be decided by free individuals? Or, should this be a matter for the Nanny Government, who must protect the States and Individuals from harming themselves?
What say you Republicans?
(FYI: we know that Liberals want to give control to Washington, but Republicans are supposed to be a counterbalance. So why are they always giving Washington more money and power than the Democrats? At what point does the Republican voters have to turn off FOX News and stand up to his political party?)
Bennett just authored a book entitled "Going To Pot", which makes the argument that the States should not have the right to control their own destiny and legalize marijuana. He argues that "Washington Experts" know what is best for the individual, and that the States should not trust free citizens to understand the issue and vote for something that could potentially harm them. Bennett basically makes the argument that the nanny state needs to protect the individual from himself.
His view is widely shared by Republicans in power, who have long viewed the war on drugs as a way to criminalize the lifestyle choices of political opponents (e.g., the student Left, inner city African Americans, etc).
In my experience, Republican voters tend to support their leadership, choosing to obey the party platform rather than support the principle of State's Right or individual freedom. They tend only to support individual freedom when the party's official message system supports it.
The beauty of individual freedom is that the individual has the right to make choices and suffer the consequences. If you smoke cigarettes, you accept the potential consequences of getting lung cancer. If you drink too much alcohol and drive, you accept the potential consequences of killing someone. If you smoke pot, you accept the potential consequences of giggling too much and getting the munchies.
George W Bush, Bill Clinton and Obama all smoked pot.
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates smoked pot.
Jeb Bush - likely our next president - smoked pot.
So here is my question. Why do Republican voters so overwhelmingly support their party's desire to put the Federal Bureaucracy in charge of this issue? Why don't Republican voters trust the States or free individuals to decide this issue for themselves? Why do they think that Government knows best?
Reagan was elected party because of an appeal to State's Rights and expanded individual choice. But, once in office, he created, through the War on Drugs, one of the most powerful, expensive and incompetent Federal Bureaucracies in existence, second only to the Department of Homeland Security and the wider intelligence & law enforcement web of the Bush terrorism/surveillance state. And like all Federal Bureaucracies, these big, sprawling, unaccountable, money-sucking agencies never die; they continue to grow no matter which party is in office.
Obama did not make one change to the Bush Surveillance State. Nixon didn't make one change to the Liberal Welfare State. These men just watched as these federal agencies got bigger, more expensive and more incompetent.
So tell me Republicans. Where does the issue of recreational pot use belong? Should this be a matter for each state, to be decided by free individuals? Or, should this be a matter for the Nanny Government, who must protect the States and Individuals from harming themselves?
What say you Republicans?
(FYI: we know that Liberals want to give control to Washington, but Republicans are supposed to be a counterbalance. So why are they always giving Washington more money and power than the Democrats? At what point does the Republican voters have to turn off FOX News and stand up to his political party?)
