As you pointed out he DEA certainly does have the capacity to enforce federal laws across legalized states, but with trends of legalization and decriminalization being expressed around the country how long could it be sustained over time? It seems unrealistic to continue such policies but based on the points of your post they are likely to continue as long as they can. That doesn't however make their ultimate goal, legalization or not, any more attainable. Its clearly a messed up system. I'm just hoping that legalization will help sway overall opinion and ultimately change these policies on a federal level. Stretching out DEA resources even further in a bad economy may be one way to do that.
That's the point basically. If a few states legalize without fed approval and then the feds crack down hard all it will do is further erode public support for feds by infuriating the 'state rights' people and most reasonable people in general. Also it doesn't matter if the feds do crack down on a bunch of growers and sellers(like they do now). There's big money to be made and they'll just keep popping up. It'll basically be a war of attrition and how long will it be before the DEA runs out of funding without the support of the states? Anyway I'd like to hear a better plan. Violent revolution? Vote for Ron Paul? Hope Obama actually makes good on his original cannabis reform thoughts if he gets a second term? The current federal government we have is basically doing whatever they want regardless of common sense, facts and logic, the will of the people or state law. You see it in their crackdowns against states trying to enforce EXISTING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAW. It's quite clear that the feds don't care about reform and simply do whatever they want with no accountability to anyone but their masters. It's easy to be pessimistic and bash other people's ideas without adding any viable ideas of your own. If everyone had a pessimistic 'give up and die' attitude we'd probably still have segregation and women wouldn't be able to vote.
Visionary, I assume your refer to me when you say "if everyone had a pessimistic give up attitude...." and buddy you have got me wrong. I have a realistic attitude. So what to be done. Obviously a violent revolution over drug policies is not a good plan as the government has better armed troops and we don't have that kind of public sympathy. This part of the discussion started by my saying the initiative process of it's own "didn't mean shit" However, along with the initiative process, and hopefully finding electable citizens for the state and federal legislature(s) who are willing to write and pass laws to decriminalize or legalize, maybe issue centered demonstrations and the boycotts of companies that fund politico's that are our enemies might be a plan. How is that for a viable idea? Whats yours?