Privacy and marijuana?

posted by [identity profile] overconvergent.livejournal.com at 06:34pm on 03/06/2003
I wonder if there's a correlation between "uses cannabis" and "agrees privacy is important". I'm not going to ask people who uses what, for obvious reasons, but those who do smoke it have a really good reason for wanting strong privacy laws, in my opinion.

I should say that although I don't smoke it it seems kinda stupid to keep it illegal when it could be legalised and taxed heavily (tobacco, alcohol). I don't want to spawn a huge "legalise pot now" debate/agreefest here.
[parent entry] [link] [reply]
 

Re: Privacy and marijuana?

posted by [identity profile] purplecthulhu.livejournal.com at 12:12am on 04/06/2003
No correlation here for me, and I think you are being somewhat simplistic.
[link] [parent] [reply]
 

Re: Privacy and marijuana?

posted by [identity profile] overconvergent.livejournal.com at 01:52pm on 04/06/2003
I think I was being a bit simplistic, but cannabis users really *do* have something to hide, from the police if nothing else. So pragmatism alone might suggest privacy as being a good idea.

Maybe one way to really break the privacy coalition would be to legalise cannabis? Some people who supported privacy strongly beforehands might then support it more lukewarmly or not care any more.

The idea of breaking the opposing coalition is an artifact of studying US politics, I think - the two main parties are *really big* coalitions which are roughly balanced, so if you can detach even a small bit of the other side's coalition and keep yours together then you can win quite effectively ...
[link] [parent] [reply]
 

Re: Privacy and marijuana?

posted by [identity profile] yonmei.livejournal.com at 02:44pm on 04/06/2003
Maybe one way to really break the privacy coalition would be to legalise cannabis? Some people who supported privacy strongly beforehands might then support it more lukewarmly or not care any more.

I doubt it. I think once you come to the realisation that the government really is not on the side of ordinary people like you and me, nothing can stuff the genie back in the bottle. For many straight white middle-class people, the realisation may come because they're cannabis smokers. But once you have that realisation, well, it's there. You can't unknow what you know.
[link] [parent] [reply]
 

(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] overconvergent.livejournal.com at 05:38pm on 04/06/2003
Fun as arguing with you is, I think that we may be generating more heat than light. I think our basic assumptions are fairly contradictory (you assume Government is the enemy, I don't) and therefore we're not going to be able to resolve this anytime soon.

Maybe I'll have my epiphany about the Government one day.

- overconvergent, signing out.
[link] [parent] [reply]
 

(no subject)

posted by [identity profile] yonmei.livejournal.com at 11:21pm on 04/06/2003
Maybe I'll have my epiphany about the Government one day.

If you were living in the US through the witch-hunts for Arab immigrants, and still think that government is basically benign, I doubt that you ever will until a government does something that directly affects you. More and more, I think my quote from Pastor Niemollar was the right one for you.

Bye.
[link] [parent] [reply]
 

Re: Privacy and marijuana?

posted by [identity profile] gaspodog.livejournal.com at 10:05am on 04/06/2003
There is a strong correlation amongst people I know, but I don't think it's a particularly important point.
[link] [parent] [reply]

December

SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
  1
 
 2
 
 3
 
 4
 
 5
 
 6
 
7
 
 8
 
 9
 
 10
 
 11
 
 12
 
 13
 
14
 
 15
 
 16
 
 17
 
 18
1
 19
 
 20
 
21
 
 22
 
 23
 
 24
 
 25
 
 26
 
 27
 
28
 
 29
 
 30
 
 31