The Libertarianz have been quick to issue a press release capitalizing on the tragic death of Senior Constable Len Snee. The thrust of their press release was that if all drugs were legalized, then Snee would be alive.
Oh really?
Putting aside the tastelessness of their epic media release*, let's look at their argument.
If we extend the thought that if everything was legal, then no laws could ever be broken, we are left with a rather naive view on how society would actually function. They are disregarding the reasonable thought that Policemen must be able to walk up to any house for a lawful purpose, without being murdered.
We don't yet know why Jan Molenaar flipped out and shot four people. However, making drugs legal is not a resolution of that problem.
It doesn't really matter if they were there to check for drugs, sell tickets to the secret Policeman's ball or ask for directions - let's live in a society where people are not killed for knocking on the door. If you want to quibble, lets not live in a society where police are killed for executing a search warrant, even a search warrant for drugs. Civilisation is based on the requirement we resolve issues in a civilised manner.
The Libz suggest this death was caused by prohibition. Rubbish. What next - being executed for a search warrant for a suspected child porn ring proves that prohibition of child porn only makes things worse?
Oh really?
Blaming the "war on drugs" on Constable Snee's death is classic blame transference characteristic of the left wing.
Perhaps the far right ends up on the left after all?
Related Link: Libertarianz lament another drug war casualty
*Tasteless AND epic.
This release has it all. They throw in a celebrity story; mention troops 'dying in foreign pest-holes'; a death in vain; and those who voted for National must shoulder the blame for Snee's death.
And the last line, which caps this tripe perfectly: Vote Libertarianz.
Ah, so this was just a political advertisement.
Epic and tasteless. Or have I said that already?
-ZenTiger
Note: In the comments I said: And then you have those damn weirdos who rabbit on about how important they *feel* it is to retrieve the dead and/or dying, insisting there is someway to plan and execute more quickly than the 36 hours or so it took. (No offense intended to those on the ground whose tales of bravery are emerging in the latest news reports.) and should have been clear I was poking fun at myself, because I ranted about this on an earlier post.
Oh really?
Putting aside the tastelessness of their epic media release*, let's look at their argument.
If we extend the thought that if everything was legal, then no laws could ever be broken, we are left with a rather naive view on how society would actually function. They are disregarding the reasonable thought that Policemen must be able to walk up to any house for a lawful purpose, without being murdered.
We don't yet know why Jan Molenaar flipped out and shot four people. However, making drugs legal is not a resolution of that problem.
It doesn't really matter if they were there to check for drugs, sell tickets to the secret Policeman's ball or ask for directions - let's live in a society where people are not killed for knocking on the door. If you want to quibble, lets not live in a society where police are killed for executing a search warrant, even a search warrant for drugs. Civilisation is based on the requirement we resolve issues in a civilised manner.
The Libz suggest this death was caused by prohibition. Rubbish. What next - being executed for a search warrant for a suspected child porn ring proves that prohibition of child porn only makes things worse?
Oh really?
Blaming the "war on drugs" on Constable Snee's death is classic blame transference characteristic of the left wing.
Perhaps the far right ends up on the left after all?
Related Link: Libertarianz lament another drug war casualty
*Tasteless AND epic.
This release has it all. They throw in a celebrity story; mention troops 'dying in foreign pest-holes'; a death in vain; and those who voted for National must shoulder the blame for Snee's death.
And the last line, which caps this tripe perfectly: Vote Libertarianz.
Ah, so this was just a political advertisement.
Epic and tasteless. Or have I said that already?
-ZenTiger
Note: In the comments I said: And then you have those damn weirdos who rabbit on about how important they *feel* it is to retrieve the dead and/or dying, insisting there is someway to plan and execute more quickly than the 36 hours or so it took. (No offense intended to those on the ground whose tales of bravery are emerging in the latest news reports.) and should have been clear I was poking fun at myself, because I ranted about this on an earlier post.
PS: Before you argue over the obvious, I totally get irony.
ReplyDeleteYes, my post was epic and tasteless. I've cunningly written it so that I gain the ire of both the Libz (here comes no more than 123 annoying emails) and the left wing.
So the more classic liberals don't get too upset - I'm not coming out against the argument of prohibition, nor am I coming out against the idea of decriminalizing marijuana. I'm simply saying that, IMHO, linking this with Snee's death doesn't fly my flag, float my boat or sink my putt.
It is amazing how all the old shibboleths pop up in an event like this. SO far we have had.
ReplyDeleteThe Police are stupid (Tumeke et al and Molenaar's mates)
The nice guy who snapped meme (Media apologetics)
Ban the Guns Lobby (Greens and the Left)
Legalise the drugs lobby (Libertarians)
All we need still is the animal rights people complaining about the abuse of police dogs and we'll have the full set of weirdos.
And then you have those damn weirdos who rabbit on about how important they *feel* it is to retrieve the dead and/or dying, insisting there is someway to plan and execute more quickly than the 36 hours or so it took. (No offense intended to those on the ground whose tales of bravery are emerging in the latest news reports.)
ReplyDeleteStill, I'm happy to draw a distinction between those commenting on the situation, and those using the situation to play point scoring politics.
The libertarians often have some good points. It is possible to argue against the current cannabis law. It is possible to argue that gun restrictions don't work.
ReplyDeleteBut when you get people like Blair Mulholland saying: "Molenaar is not a villain, but a martyr.", they have just made classical liberals look like idiots.
Then when anyone else tries to argue sensibly for freedom, their job is even harder, as they first have to convince people they aren't a crazy nutcase too.
Sometimes I just despair.
I can tell by reading the shallow drivel here that none of you have ever been raided by the police!
ReplyDeleteYou would not have a clue to how bloody Jack booted Nazish it is!
Families violently invaded. Their lives put into turmoil!
You sit in your cosy little seats by your PCs drinking red wine writing this hypocritical, bigoted fascist guile while good people are being dragged off to jail!
Having their lives destroyed all by the Thugs you employ to purge society of recreational drug users!
Thousands of Kiwi suffer this oppression at the hands of your puritanical depravities without resistance. Here the Police met one guy who snapped. He didn’t want to submit to Your brutality.
If the Police were not going around there because some looser narked on him for pot.
If we had legalized pot by now this whole thing would not of happened, thousands of Kiwi would have their rights back and be free of such jack booted police, who could instead go kick real criminals in the arse!
Are you all so consumed by your own hypocrisy as to be blind?
Dont try and sanitize your guilt in supporting this murderous war against your own friends and neighbors!
You are Fascists!
Tim Wikiriwhi Libertarianz Party!
It is crazy over-the-top comments like that that detract from all the good ideas the Libz have and make you look like a bunch of nutters. And I don't like seeing this, because I think you have some good points to make.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to argue for cannabis to be legalised, go ahead. You can make some very solid-sounding logical arguments for your case (whether we necessarily agree or not is another matter).
But when you just call those who disagree with you "hypocritical", "bigoted", and "fascists", and argue in support of a murderer, do you really expect anyone to take you seriously?
By the way, if you want to convince people that cannabis is ok, check your spelling and grammar before publishing. If it reads like cannabis has messed up your brain, you just come across as a crazy pot-head. But if you can write something well-reasoned and professional, someone might listen.
I'm trying to be helpful here mate.
Tim, thanks for the feedback.
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to reconsider my comment:
I'm not coming out against the argument of prohibition, nor am I coming out against the idea of decriminalizing marijuana.
Zen - the press release wasn't any more tasteless than most of the other comments around the traps. Especially those saying police were too slow to resolve the situation. A few people went without a shave for a couple of days and some cats had to fend for themselves...so what.
ReplyDeleteLibz problem boils down to rudeness and incivility. It's that simple. As the blogger "Anonymous Liberal" said
The problem is not the ideas, but the attitude...You have to act civilly.... Those who are left in the party are ultra-partisan and utterly convinced of their own infallibility and moral righteousness. Until they lose that attitude and general combativeness, it won't matter what their ideas are. They'll just keep turning people off.
Spot on Ruth, that's just what I've noticed about them. It's a great shame, they could be a decent lobby group at least if they were a bit more courteous.
ReplyDelete". A few people went without a shave for a couple of days and some cats had to fend for themselves...so what."
ReplyDeleteoh, and there's just the small matter of an officer gunned down (who may or may not have been dead) left for over 30 hours....
Thank you for your reply Zen,
ReplyDeleteIt is very hard trying to get across both the heinousness of the injustice regarding the war on drugs and the urgency with which reform is needed.
People are dying. Thousands suffer persecution.
As a Libertarian, My enemy is PC Nanny State.
It is the characteristic of PC Wowzers to grizzle about our forthright defense of Individual Liberty and self responsibility saying they wont listen to our ideas no matter how good they are because we come across as if we stand on the higher ground!
Its Pathetic.
I must pour heavy blows down upon this sickness!
Just remember the average Genocidal Fascist in the1940s thought himself a man of culture, a Patriot of the Volk, Loved their own children, and enjoyed the finer things in life.
But they also brutally oppressed a minority of their own people driven by the most wild lies and delusions…
To be Anti- Semitic was to be a conservative.
Hitler did not invent it, he got elected upon it!
Their mania had the sanction of the state and society in general.
Yes the average Fascist is clothed in the garb of an upstanding citizen.
Beware all you who would bring in the Jackboots to impose your personal convictions upon your neighbors!
Tim Wikiriwhi
One of my favourite arguments against drug laws is this. Let's enforce them strictly, and make anyone who knows someone has taken drugs to be legally obliged to report that person to the Police. Let's put all of the students and middle class people who have smoked cannabis in prison - have a real war on drugs.
ReplyDeleteNo? OK keep the one focused on the poor in rural and provincial areas, and see how amazingly successful it is.
and that's before I argue that what adults put in their bodies is their own business, but what the adults do with others is the business of others.
Tim:
ReplyDelete"It is the characteristic of PC Wowzers to grizzle about our forthright defense of Individual Liberty and self responsibility saying they wont listen to our ideas no matter how good they are because we come across as if we stand on the higher ground!"
I point out how you come across because I think you have some good points and wish you wouldn't turn everyone off them like you seem hell-bent on doing.
Although I don't support the Libz personally I'd love you to have a seat or two in parliament, to present an alternative perspective on issues (as I'd love the Christian conservative parties to be represented too).
But that will never happen if you just rage on about how everyone who opposes you must be a "PC wowser", a "Fascist" or some other new term of abuse. You don't gain many supporters that way.