Typical duck by Obama. Every day he seems more like a mix of Carter and Bush — against civil and economic liberties.
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He didn’t answer the question. Interesting how people laughed. The student mentioned how he’s studying criminology. Maybe he should apply for a Federal Grant for $18 million to create a website called criminology.gov and have these different areas listed in the site with an uncensored blog.
I get that you hate Obama. Got it. No problem there.
But, as President of the United States, what the fuck was he supposed to answer?
Maybe he gave an answer, I couldn’t tell. Over deafening sound that hope and change makes, it’s hard to understand what the question-dodger-in-chief has to say.
What politician is gonna touch that question? The media would eat him alive.
I’m not all convinced that legalizing drugs will bring net tax flows to the government.
When the pro-drug crowd make this argument, they never EVER factor in the societal costs of exponentially increased drug use and abuse.
Worse, they are so naive (or intellectually dishonest) that they will even deny that drug use will go up, if legalized.
Until they admit this, their advocacy is a joke and can’t be take seriously.
This is what the GOP brought to townhall like forums during the health insurance reform debate – wise guys looking for attention.
At the Congressional level you have the Joe Wilson’s of the world setting the example.
At the campaign level, Swift Boat antics.
Don’t you just want to hug and then smother them?
I see no difference between him and Bush in the way they can’t actually talk when their responses aren’t written down on paper.
There is a simple way he could have answered the question: By simply saying he was opposed to legalized prostitution and legalizing drugs. I don’t think the media would attack him for that.
It seems very odd to me that he couldn’t bring himself to answer the question and felt he had to jump to a pre-scripted answer about how we’ve moved from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy to an information economy.
5. You fail to realize that the objective of the legalization advocates is not to increase government revenue; it’s to stop the government from destroying the lives of non-violent ‘criminals’. It is a flawed argument, but they feel that having to pay a tax increase would be to far better situation than the alternative we have currently: ruining lives by throwing people in jail.
I bet he’s really good at Dodgeball.
Joe Wilson was simply stating what all who are conscious know.
Kerry lied and the truth died.
In the UK we have those discussions a lot where I work (law enforcement) and I can safely say a lot of people in that industry would prefer to focus on serious crime and simply control the less serious crime. Legalisation of Drugs & Prostitution makes sense and makes it all safer for the sellers and the users of those products and services. Gambling is legal here for the most part.
That student makes a great deal of sense.
#5:
“When the pro-drug crowd make this argument, they never EVER factor in the societal costs of exponentially increased drug use and abuse.”
But the anti-drug crowd assumes the cost of enforcement and violent crime from the black market cost us NOTHING?
That makes even less sense.
You guys should spend some time teaching high school or 1-2 years of college.
#8 Agreed, He could have said, “The American people are opposed to this,” or even “I’m opposed to this,” and gotten more support than flack. He didn’t. That leaves one wondering what he really thought.
Okay maybe he really can’t think on his feet. The last time he spoke extemporaneously he ended up having to invite a couple of guys over for a beer.
#6 The people who don’t agree with you can do math and understand cause and effect starting with this basic concept that seems beyond you ability to understand: If you spend more than you make you eventually go bankrupt and people stop loaning you money or selling to you on credit. The other truth is any government that pulls too much money out of the private sector ends up killing its economy after which the social safety net everybody depends on fails.
Obama does seem to have the worst traits of Bush and Carter.
I would even go so far as to say, like Marx, Obama sincerely wants to make the world a better place but he doesn’t have a clue how to actually do that in the real world where you do what works or you fail wretchedly.
To much theory and not enough pragmatism. I don’t claim that something is good just because it works. Many things that work aren’t good at all and should be avoided.
I do say that if it doesn’t work you need to do something else and Obama and company are trying to make the world better running on economic theories nobody has ever gotten to work.
A lot of his supporters, not all, are from the Chamberlain school of foreign policy which is another set of ideas that didn’t work. Kissing up to a bully won’t buy you piece in your time. It just tells the bullies where the pickings are easy.
Of course Obama doesn’t have a lot of good options right now but then as Truman said, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
Regarding foreign Policy I think Clinton said it takes a couple of years to learn the rules and at first you make a lot of mistakes.
Obama thought his charm and kissing up would win his causes the support that Bush lost. So far I call it a complete failure. He started off by snubbing our friends. Acting without consulting others and kissing up to some of the worst people on the planet.
I think George Bush Sr. was vastly better at getting and showing real respect and consideration for other nations than Obama is going to ever be which is why when Bush Sr.tried to get cooperation he often succeeded.
Yeah I know Bush Jr. didn’t have clue expect maybe in Africa.
Past time for me to shut up.
# 8 chuck said, “There is a simple way he could have answered the question: By simply saying he was opposed”
There is an even simpler way to answer the question: Law governing gambling and prostitution is not a function of the US Gov. That’s why it’s leagal some places and not others.
As for drugs, he could have come away heroic by mentioning how he instructed the Justice Dept not to go after “medical” marijuana users and how he would seriously consider any legislation presented to him that would decriminalize “soft” drugs. He could have then taken a hard stance against hard drugs.
Instead, he laughs at the question(er) and begins a lecture on a topic he doesn’t understand.
Hell, I’ll take 2 out of the 3.
And while these fucktard students get high, someone else will get the jobs because the dopeheads aren’t up to par.
It’s true that Obama didn’t answer the question.
Why? Because:
Obama the brand appears liberal.
But Obama the person is conservative.
#17:
“And while these fucktard students get high, someone else will get the jobs because the dopeheads aren’t up to par.”
Do you drink? I mean, that kills more brain cells than smoking dope. But I don’t ever hear these accusations hurled at casual drinkers.
We outsource because it’s cheaper, btw. Not because it’s higher quality. (I know. I debug outsourced software for money.)
#19 – brm
Don’t worry… your position will soon be outsourced as well.
What are you guys talking about? He answered the question by saying “that won’t be part of my jobs strategy”.
Saying “No” is not ducking the question.
Obama should have answered as follows:
“.. I’m in the executive branch, not the legislative branch. If legislators decide to change the laws on drugs and prostitition, I’ll weigh the pros and cons at that time. Are you a stupid republican retarded spawn? Do you know who you’re talking to? Are you trying to impress your friends? What moron picked you out of countless bright students with a real future to even be here? “
Everyone was laughing.
He was talking about non violent crimes, And many of his peers laughed. Did they not understand the question? Non violent offenders wasting away in tax payer funded prisons. All these young people can do is laugh it up. Obama the stooge laughs too. Jailor In Chief.
I am Currently serving year 5 of 9 as a felon under Marijuana laws. 2 years probation served. 3 of 7 years lived before I might be able to get my felony expunged. Until then I am on a virtual Do not hire list.
>> brm said, on December 4th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
>> But the anti-drug crowd assumes the cost of enforcement and violent crime from the black market cost us NOTHING?
Nonsense. We in the “anti-drug” crowd understand that drugs and fighting drugs is costing society a mint.
The cost is fairly simple in theory.
With drugs illegal, there is a huge cost enforcing the laws and from the criminality of the drug trade.
If drugs are legalized, THOSE costs go down but the costs of common and widespread drug addiction goes way up. (Offset to some degree by taxes.)
This is what happened when prohibition ended. Our cost of chasing rum-runners went away (although the gangs certainly did not.) but now we pay the endless costs of drunken brawls, beer fueled spouse abuse, drunk child molesters, date rapes, thousands of people killed by drunk drivers and a long list of other alcohol related crimes and tragedies.
Are all these combined really cheaper than fighting Al Capone? I doubt anyone has calculated it — but I have wonder.
It’s the same thing with drugs– yes the drug wars are really expensive. But unrestricted and common use of crack, meth, heroin, roofies, blow, Oxycontin, LSD etc etc etc is going to cost us a helluva a lot of money, too. Vast amounts of money spend and lost.
Before we legalize all this crap, someone should at least run the numbers.
I’m shocked by the number of people here saying Obama didn’t answer the question. The question was, would Obama use drug, prostitution, and other “non-violent” (aka white collar) crime legalization as a means of stimulating the economy. His answer: “That will not be my jobs strategy”. Thatanswers the specific question that was asked. Legalization will not be part of Obama’s economic plans. Period.
It seems to me that most of the people here aren’t interested in what was actually asked, but in the *overall* merits of legalization (which was *not* part of the question). If you don’t like his answer, fine, but don’t pretend he didn’t answer at all, if it’s just that you didn’t like the answer he gave.
Who are these idiots? Seriously?
How is legalizing vices going to prepare the US to compete in the future? How are we going to compete again the Chinese and the Indians 20 years from now. Sitting around selling each other pot is not the answer. How is that going to cure cancer? How is that going to protect our earth from environmental damage? How is that going to make sure we have the infrastructure we need 20 years from now?
The president, no matter who he/she is, has a lot more important tasks on their plate than worrying about this crap. Compared the our GDP, and what we are capable of doing, this is pocket change. We are the only country on the planet that has put a man on a moon. And now we think we can stay ahead by legalizing and tax pot? My God, how far have we sunk?
Please. Think bigger, and past simply where your next high is coming from.
If I were him, I’d have answered, “It’s been long known that allowing unrestricted hedonistic practices is not good for any society. People who have little control over their pleasure seeking impulses all too often become a quite negative and unproductive burden to themselves and everyone else.
“If we opened the floodgates, yes, there probably would be a lot of money flowing along with those things, too…but I must ask: At what price in the end?
“And by the way, total self-denial turns out not to be very good for a people, either. It’s very tough to figure out where to draw the line, especially in an environment where individualism is encouraged.”
If he made that part of his jobs strategy, someone else might ask about legalizing voluntary contracts between doctors and patients.
#28, Warden,
Obama knows a lot about selling drugs.
And what, pray tell, does Obama know about selling drugs? Are you now accusing him of being a drug dealer?
Please, give us some evidence Obama knows about selling drugs.
… and usher in more republicans to stop this mad man from reshaping the USA into a failed form of France.
It seems to me that France has a higher life expectancy, lower child mortality, higher standard of living, and less unemployment. Not to mention better culinary pleasures and far less obesity. Religion is tolerated but not allowed to wag the dog. And France has contributed troops, expertise, and money to rebuilding Afghanistan.
Damn, those French must be doing something right.
It’s called Free Will.
You put someone in jail if they harm someone else, right?
So, what is the difference between putting them in jail if they are stoned or sober?
Some people think restricting vices reduces crime. It does not. It makes the vices appear more attractive to the thrill seekers.
The War on Drugs has failed miserably. It is time to rethink our whole strategy.