Comments on: On drugs

By: Adam

Adam — Tue, 02 Nov 2004 07:25:00 +0000

Oh, I don't know. I go to the movies frequently and my regular diet of both heroes and heroines has caused me no problems at all.

Wouldn't touch heroin, though. nasty stuff.

By: Phil

Phil — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 18:38:00 +0000

Most people are incapable of combining the consumption of heroine with a happy and productive life.

By: siaw

siaw — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 14:47:00 +0000

"the public are ignorant and stupid, which we knew already": Oh really? So what do you propose instead – dissolving the people and electing a new one, as Brecht put it (ironically)? or setting yourself up as dictator over the poor stupid plebs who aren’t as clever as you? Watch out: it’s surprisingly easy to slip into anti-democratic rhetoric, even with the best of intentions.
As for the specific issue of drugs, yes, the public are ignorant, but it doesn’t follow that they’re stupid, or incapable of becoming better-informed. And the evidence of opinion polls (FWIW) seems to suggest that, on this issue as on others, the public are actually less stupid and less ignorant than the mainstream politicians – which isn’t saying much, of course …

By: jamie

jamie — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 15:57:00 +0000

I think drug dealing can fall pretty easily within the enlightened spectrum of enlightened self-interest. It depends on the individual doing it. And it has the advantage that you don’t have to feel like a philanthropist to be euphoric bedfore you go to bed

By: Ista

Ista — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 15:33:00 +0000

There are only a few jobs that give those who do them the right to say they are really helping society. These would include things like nursing, aid work (some) or social work; jobs that people do because they truly want to help others even though they know full well they’re going to get paid shite and work lots. However, the majority of people take jobs that give them financial security, not because they really care about helping others, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

However, no need to push it by claiming you’re some sort of philanthropist and go to sleep with a warm, cushy feeling in your heart.

By: john b

john b — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 14:44:00 +0000

I’ve met a (reasonably) sizeable number of people purveying weed and pills who genuinely believe they’re performing a valuable public service. I mean, obviously they like the cash as well…

By: Ista

Ista — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 14:30:00 +0000

"many of the people who sell drugs are friendly and enjoy making people happy."

You make it sound like such an altruistic occupation.