Debating Bush's drug czar on legalization Salon / Glenn Greenwald / 11,15,2011 Last Thursday at Brown University, I debated former Bush drug czar John Walters on the virtues of drug legalization, and the video is below. The aspect of [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Justice-Some-Equality-Powerful/dp/0805092056/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319483454&sr=8-1"]With Liberty and Justice for Some[/ame] that has received the most attention is the shield of immunity for elite lawbreaking, but the other side of that rule-of-law evisceration - the incomparably harsh and sprawling penal state America has created for its ordinary citizens - is at least as important, and it is the Drug War that personifies the worst abuses of that punishment system and accounts for much of it. I began the debate by presenting a 25-minute argument, which was followed by Walters' doing the same, and the next hour was composed of a quite contentious question-and-answer session with the audience of roughly 300 people. This was a vibrant and confrontational debate that, I think, really underscores the key issues in the controversy and will be worthwhile for anyone with an interest in these questions: Video
I find it quite obnoxious that all these politicians and lawmakers agree "Yeah, it's a health concern and not a criminal problem and putting people in jail is not the answer," but no one is making any effort to acknowledge this or make a change. They stop dead at agreeing with something sensible. Another thing is when John Walters said that not everyone get's caught or arrested for possession. But what about those who do get arrested? It's easy to say that a percentage isn't that much, but what are the numbers? A small percentage could be quite a large number when looking at a population. So these people don't matter because they only represent a small percentage of a whole? Overall, badass debate dude.
ex-drug czar is a blubbering fuddy dutty idiot..couldnt listen for more than 1:30 after he starts explaining the changes in the brain from drug exposure... Great opening by Greenwald hes obviously on a book tour for promotion, but he didn't stumble in his speech like this fool ex-czar. Some genuine feelings behind Greenwalds' arguement not regurgitated propaganda like this fool ex-czar.
Yeah. He made it sound like "Drugs change you and make you not have control over how you act because you are addicted." Lack of control is just one of the few things like "think about the children's safety" they use to induce fear.
I just finished watching the video. Greenwald brought up some very interesting points and actually gave me an entirely new perspective on the potential impacts of legalizing all drugs. His arguments were very concise and he was obviously quite knowledgeable on the subject. Walters' arguments paled in comparison as he simply droned on with the usual boring statistics about drug addiction and dependence. The questions at the end were definitely the best part and is definitely when Greenwald's intelligence really shined through. Great watch, thanks for posting.
No doubt, drugs result in a lack of control. Drugs make you act like THEY do not have control over how you act. This is true and rightly so. Protecting the children? Compare the number of children killed by drugs vs the number of children arrested for drug crimes. I know many people who have quit childhood "addictions". In fact, I would say that most do - addiction is just another of life's trials, most face it eventually in one form or another. I don't know anyone who has managed to quit a criminal record. Protecting our Children with arrest and incarceration. Keep up the good work guys!