• retrospectology@lemmy.world
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    5 months ago

    It’s a great illustration of how unnecessary the liberal notion of “slow progress” is. Marijuana laws have ruined lives and even after decades of everyone knowing pot isn’t harmful, conservatives are still dragging their feet like this trying to save face by pretending there was some past justification for why they clung to this issue for so long.

    • makeshiftreaper@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      The only thing they’re “pretending” about is the reason. They’ve never been opposed to weed for public health, moral, or historical reasons. They’re aware that Marijuana is significantly more popular among minorities and liberals. By criminalizing it and and enforcing zero-tolerance laws they simultaneously create a source of cheap slave labor (which is still legal for prisoners under the thirteenth amendment) while simultaneously disenfranchising their opponents. That’s the reason the right opposes weed reform, and they have clearly demonstrated those are still their priorities. Add to the fact that democrats are by any reasonable definition a center right party, and you understand why it’s been illegal in America for so long

      Also I find it cute you think the right cares about saving face. I’ve watched Ted Cruz phone bank for a man who openly insulted him and his wife. Basically every republican who “condemned” Trump (but wouldn’t impeach him) is back to campaigning for him. They don’t care how their actions represent them because they can tell their base anything and they believe it

      • retrospectology@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        No real argument with you there. When I say the “right” I’m referring to the Biden admin here with their “It’s not as bad as we thought…” schtick, as if it just dawned on them that pot is not harmful.

        I think we’re in agreement on this for the most part.