Hillary Clinton: Legalization is not the answer to the drug war
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that she did not believe that domestic drug legalization was the answer to the cartel violence that plagues Central America as a result of the drug trade. …
“I respect those in the region who believe strongly that [U.S. legalization] would end the problem,” Clinton said Thursday at a Washington D.C. forum hosted by Foreign Policy magazine. “I am not convinced of that, speaking personally.” …
“I think when you’ve got ruthless vicious people who have made money one way and it’s somehow blocked, they’ll figure out another way,” she said. “They’ll do kidnapping they’ll do extortion.”
Speaking about the two states that recently legalized marijuana, Clinton repeated the Obama administration position that they haven’t formulated a response yet.
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There goes the yoot vote for 2016.
Bishop on November 30, 2012 at 1:03 PM
Stop pussyfooting around with these people then. MOAB them, their land, their homes and anything associated with them. You stop them by making it very unattractive to do what they do.
darwin on November 30, 2012 at 1:04 PM
She’s just another big government statist…many of you neocons will love her.
MoreLiberty on November 30, 2012 at 1:08 PM
She’s Obama in a skirt. Why would anyone love her?
darwin on November 30, 2012 at 1:13 PM
Big Government lovers rejoice.
mythicknight on November 30, 2012 at 1:17 PM
You hear that, stoners, Obama and Co. are not your friends. And yet you let him beat Romney. For shame.
thebrokenrattle on November 30, 2012 at 1:24 PM
Frankly Hillary, I don’t give a damn about what you think. Your “smart policies” in the Middle East have been an utter disaster.
SC.Charlie on November 30, 2012 at 1:25 PM
people learn nothing from history ….
the 18th amendments worked so well … oh wait ….
conservative tarheel on November 30, 2012 at 1:26 PM
If she thought they could actually collect a significant amount of taxes on it she’d be for it in a minute. But viewing the tobacco taxes it’s clear that lots of tax revenue from drugs is a pipe dream.
Rocks on November 30, 2012 at 1:27 PM
Now is our chance to come out strongly in favor legalizing marijuana.
Conservative think on this, what has been a major focus by the statist democrats (and independents/conservatives as well) of late? Food Control! Wanting to ban sodas, sugar, sweets, you name it, all because it is “bad” for you. Now it will be much harder to make that argument if you are for legalizing marijuana.
I say conservatives should come out for legalizing marijuana and also for tasty food all because it is clear the statist (control freaks) in the democratic party want to use this limiting bad foods as an avenue to limit other freedoms in this country.
William Eaton on November 30, 2012 at 1:31 PM
Yes, legalizing alcohol after probation wasn’t the answer to the black market and organized crime problem, was it?
Get your statist tentacles out of our lives, you fraud.
Good Lt on November 30, 2012 at 1:36 PM
Apparently she doesn’t want Bill to start inhaling.
changer1701 on November 30, 2012 at 1:39 PM
Many of you neocons love big government, at least that’s how you vote. Many of you all love to tell others how to live their lives via the force of government just like big government progressives.
MoreLiberty on November 30, 2012 at 1:42 PM
I have no idea what you’re babbling about.
darwin on November 30, 2012 at 1:43 PM
Then maybe you should inform yourself about the history of alcohol prohibition, Hillary, so that you won’t sound like such an idiot in the future.
FloatingRock on November 30, 2012 at 1:48 PM
I’ll give her credit there — she’s exactly right.
KS Rex on November 30, 2012 at 1:48 PM
She probably meant:
“Legalization without federal taxation”
ProfShadow on November 30, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Will the feds continue raiding medical marijuana distributors, ya think?
DeathtotheSwiss on November 30, 2012 at 1:48 PM
Talking about “drugs” in the aggregate suggests to me that she is not serious about redress to this issue.
Capitalist Hog on November 30, 2012 at 1:52 PM
Thank you, hillary, you’re right. Although wingnut pubs and kook paulians don’t think so.
tommy71 on November 30, 2012 at 1:55 PM
What is it Glen Reynolds is always saying? Something like “If you don’t know who the mark is, you’re the mark.”
A lot of morons just found out they’re the mark
dczombie on November 30, 2012 at 1:59 PM
There is no marketplace for kidnapping and extortion. People who grow and use MJ aren’t committing violence against other people and violating their rights, all they’re doing is voluntarily engaging in a voluntary marketplace. It’s because people enjoy MJ that there so many people willing to sustain the marketplace, and the more that jackboots crack down on the free market, the higher the prices go and the more incentive there is to thwart the jackboots. That is why the war on MJ can’t be won without totalitarianism.
But unlike the voluntary MJ market, there is no marketplace for kidnapping and extortion. The people who engage in those activities are not doing anybody but themselves any favors. That’s why the organized crime bosses didn’t go into kidnapping and extortion after alcohol prohibition was ended. If such practices are organized, the people at the top and be found out and eliminated and everybody will celebrate.
FloatingRock on November 30, 2012 at 2:00 PM
There is already a big problem with kidnapping and extortion in Central and South America, Hillary. You’d have to be incompetent not to know that! The governments of those countries should concentrating on going after the real criminals and leave farmers alone.
FloatingRock on November 30, 2012 at 2:03 PM
fix
FloatingRock on November 30, 2012 at 2:05 PM
Ya, and this from someone who said this not to long ago….
“There’s just too much money in it” – Hillary Clinton on why not to end war on drugs
Ozprey on November 30, 2012 at 2:07 PM
“There’s just too much money in it” – Hillary Clinton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXLkQVcpjmY
Ozprey on November 30, 2012 at 2:12 PM
Well let me ask you this, are you aware that establishment republicans love to vote to raise the debt ceiling? If not please go back through the years and you will see. Just as recent as August 2011 more republicans voted to raise the debt ceiling just like their progressive partners.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/60453.html
And lets not forget the redistribution of American $$$ to foreign governments, such as billions to Pakistan, Israel, Egypt, Libya, and many many nations.
MoreLiberty on November 30, 2012 at 2:26 PM
What does that have to do with Hillary Clinton?
darwin on November 30, 2012 at 2:31 PM
My point, if you read the thread, was that many big government neocons , as if there is a difference, should love Hillary. She loves to spend money, raise the debt ceiling, she loves endless foreign interventions and loves to redistribute our $$$ via foreign policy. She’s against federalism, as this article implies, as are many establishment republicans.
MoreLiberty on November 30, 2012 at 2:47 PM
Oh I know, just look at the Kennedys.
WeekendAtBernankes on November 30, 2012 at 3:00 PM
I guess Al Capone’s empire would have been just as massive even if Prohibition never happened, eh, Hillary?
She was, is, and always will be a freaking idiot.
Anti-Control on November 30, 2012 at 3:00 PM
Seems to be a disconnect between the terms “neocon” and “establishment republicans.”
davidk on November 30, 2012 at 3:10 PM
Hillary got mixed up. It’s not the answer to evil people looking for an angle. Its the way to stop throwing good money after bad to no purpose except exacerbation of an economic bad.
It is certainly the answer to reducing net harm of interdiction of drugs.
SarahW on November 30, 2012 at 3:29 PM