Harper: "Legalize It"

[Fireblade]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/04/15/pol-milewski-harper-war-on-drugs.html

News conferences with Canada's Prime Minister don't happen every day — which, of course, increases the likelihood that, when he does hold one, he'll make news.

But it's even rarer that you'll hear Stephen Harper concede that the war on drugs is a failure.

It happened, though, after two days of listening to Latin American leaders explaining just how costly, and bloody, the war is.

Harper met Canadian journalists at the summit in Cartagena, Colombia, on Sunday and readily admitted there are differences among the leaders over the exclusion of Cuba from the Latin America summit. He admitted, too, that there was a disagreement over British rule in the Falkland Islands.

But Harper was not ready to agree that the division over drug policy is so clear-cut. Rather, he insisted that there is much agreement. Then came the most interesting quote of the day.

"What I think everybody believes," Harper said, "is that the current approach is not working. But it is not clear what we should do."

This would be intriguing from any prime minister. From Stephen Harper, whose government's crime bill ratchets up the penalties for drug possession, it was startling.

Lest anyone think he'd undergone a conversion in Cartagena, Harper quickly added the other side of the story.

Drugs, he said, "are illegal because they quickly and totally — with many of the drugs — destroy people's lives."

Was marijuana the exception he had in mind? We never got to ask. But perhaps that was enough eyebrow-raising for one day.

..So how does one go about getting Canadian citizenship? Because I'm totally down with monarchy and poutine.

[Valmy]

BB suddenly screamed out in horror.

[Fireblade]

BB suddenly screamed out in horror.

Yes, I'm sure the Albertan Hillbilly Brigade will begin their talk of secession again after they read this. 

[Jacob]

..So how does one go about getting Canadian citizenship? Because I'm totally down with monarchy and poutine.

Live here legally for five years (some exceptions for certain classes of visa), and you qualify.

Best way is to get a job in a category there are shortages for (and thus get a work visa), marry a Canadian or have qualifications there are shortages for.

I wouldn't expect Harper to roll back the laws on weed, however. It's not in his character. But you could smoke up pretty hassle free in most places, I believe.

[Fireblade]

..So how does one go about getting Canadian citizenship? Because I'm totally down with monarchy and poutine.

Live here legally for five years (some exceptions for certain classes of visa), and you qualify.

Best way is to get a job in a category there are shortages for (and thus get a work visa), marry a Canadian or have qualifications there are shortages for.

I wouldn't expect Harper to roll back the laws on weed, however. It's not in his character. But you could smoke up pretty hassle free in most places, I believe.

Well shit, I don't have many marketable skills and I'm already married. Guess I'm stuck in my third world shithole of a country.

[KRonn]

Meh, I couldn't live in Canada. I don't even speak the language.   

[grumbler]

I wouldn't expect Harper to roll back the laws on weed, however. It's not in his character. But you could smoke up pretty hassle free in most places, I believe.

But it is the laws, not the practice, that enriches the drug lord scum.  It would be ironic if Harper chose the path that most benefits the drug lord scum:  a legal ban for high prices, but practical tolerance that enlarges markets...  unless, of course, the criminal scum is the group Harper most wants to help in this area.

[grumbler]

Well shit, I don't have many marketable skills and I'm already married. Guess I'm stuck in my third world shithole of a country.  

But at least the gays cannot marry there and so ruin your own marriage. 

[Fireblade]

Well shit, I don't have many marketable skills and I'm already married. Guess I'm stuck in my third world shithole of a country.  

But at least the gays cannot marry there and so ruin your own marriage. 

Yeah, after TES got married up in Iowa, the sanctity of my marriage was instantly ruined.

[Jacob]

But it is the laws, not the practice, that enriches the drug lord scum.  It would be ironic if Harper chose the path that most benefits the drug lord scum:  a legal ban for high prices, but practical tolerance that enlarges markets...  unless, of course, the criminal scum is the group Harper most wants to help in this area.

Yeah. I don't think the Hells Angels are big Conservative supporters (they could be, though), so I'm willing to give Harper the benefit of the doubt on that; I don't think he's actively looking out for the interests of drug cartels. Mostly, I think he's just punting on the issue. I expect he'd like to crack down a bit more, mostly on principle, but it may not be a vote winner.

[Malthus]

Well, insofar as Harper agrees that the current approach isn't working, that's encouraging. But methinks his instincts are not to go the extra step and realize that more of the same will also not work, and change direction.

But who knows? I've been surprised before. Harper is more pragmatist than idealist. Thing is, he tends to demonstrate his pragmatism by turning a blind eye to stuff he's supposed to be ideologically against (like gay marriage) rather than actively changing stuff. Can't do that with the drug war, even if the cops can. 

[crazy canuck]

That story is one of the worst examples of the CBC taking things out of context in some time.  And that is saying something for the CBC.

During the conference the South and Central Americans pushed for some form of movement toward legalization.  From new reports the US and Canada were opposed to such a move.  Instead, as a compromise, everyone agreed that the issue of the drug trade be further studied (ie very much the do nothing option).  The one concession made by the US and Canada was that all aspects of the issue was to be studied (including the possibility of some form of legalization).

Will this report end up on the same dusty shelf all such reports inhabit?  I dont see any reason why this will be any different.

[Barrister]

What a non-story.

"The current approach isn't working, but there's no agreement on what the proper approach should be."

Well d'uh.

[Josephus]

From new reports the US and Canada were opposed to such a move.  Instead, as a compromise, everyone agreed that the issue of the drug trade be further studied (ie very much the do nothing option). 

In a nutshell.

[Jacob]

Steady as she goes.