Drug Policy

How a Former Drug Czar Debates on Twitter

John Walters praised Chris Christie's comments about tax dollars from legal pot sales being "blood money." Then things got...interesting.

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How does it end? Just as Hemingway once said that all true stories end in death, this one ends with blocking:

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Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason.

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  1. Mr. Meeseeks

    He had me at “Reaganesque Moral Clarity”…

    1. gaoxiaen

      For Reaganesque moral clarity you need to consult your astrologer.

  2. Kaptious Kristen

    You triggered him, Gillespie, you bastard! Microagressor.

    1. WTF

      Walters argues like one of our idiot trolls.

      1. SimonJester

        Walters = Tony

        1. Bronwyn

          You could say that again…

      2. SimonJester

        Walters = Tony

    2. JW

      THE POLITICS IS SETTLED!

      1. C. S. P. Schofield

        oh, but that’s the problem! The politics is UNSETTLED, and the uneasy footing is making his little tummy queasy.

    3. And what’s with this talk of “Black” markets? That’s racist. I feel like I’ve been microaggressed, I need a fainting couch.

      1. OneOut

        Reason needs a safe room with play doh and kittens.

        1. gaoxiaen

          Reason needs a safe room with kittens and a BB gun.

          1. bacon-magic

            What if you shoot the kittehs with the bb gun? Microaggressing the poor kittehs…next you’ll be stealing all the nap mats and building a hermit fort.

      2. Eman

        i dont see markets in color

  3. Kaptious Kristen

    OT: TSA behavioral checklist. This could be a fun game. How many of these behaviors can you display and still get through the screening?

    1. AlmightyJB

      We ahoukd pass a law that says terrorist should identify themselves at acreening.

      1. $park? the Swifty

        Rhat’s dor aure.

      2. “What kind of terrorist are you?”
        “A terrifying terrorist!”

    2. The Other Kevin

      One of my daughters has Tourette’s, and one of her tics is throat clearing. She does it more if she’s excited or stressed. Guess we will just drive everywhere from now on.

    3. Pope Jimbo

      Wait a minute. Did they just admit that they are racially profiling pale faces now?

    4. Bill Dalasio

      Honestly, it struck me that they pulled those behaviors out of a hat.

      Whistling? Complaining about the screening? Improper attire?

      Maybe it’s just me, but I would think the exact last thing a terrorist would want to do is things that would call attention to himself. I would expect he’d want to be the most nondescript traveler possible.

      1. B.P.

        Yeah, “wearing improper attire for location”?!! This is the airport, where everyone now dresses like they’re attending a slumber party.

        1. Bill Dalasio

          So watch out for the bastard in the suit! You know he’s up to something.

        2. C. S. P. Schofield

          Because they just might be!

        3. Notorious G.K.C.

          “This is the airport, where everyone now dresses like they’re attending a slumber party.”

          Which is quite rational if you’re stranded in the airport for the night.

          1. Ballz

            I find people in airports tend to dress for the place they just left. It was fucking cold in Washington when I flew to Palm Springs.

  4. MJGreen

    A Twitter “story” is harder to follow than an unthreaded comment board.

    1. robc

      We used to properly quote.

      Worse than unthreaded is limited threaded where we stop quoting and then cant tell who is responding to who.

      1. Bones

        …whom.

        Fucking animal.

      2. Auric Demonocles

        I also really liked how all the new comments were in one spot if I came back an hour later.

        Keep up the good fight, P. Brooks.

  5. Xeones

    SOMEONE got they butt hurt!

    1. Eggs Benedict Cumberbund

      * dey butt hurt!

  6. LynchPin1477

    I think all drug czars, DEA agents, narcotics cops, etc. should be required to try the most common drugs once before going on the job. And then they should get drunk and compare the effects.

    1. Steve G

      …then AFTER getting the job, it’s hookers all the way down

      1. OneOut

        “…then AFTER getting the job, it’s hookers all the way down”

        Not only hookers, but hookers paid for by the cartels for DEA agents.

        http://goo.gl/FjNZ5O

        Nobody could make this a movie plot and not get laughed at

  7. I just looked at his timeline on Twitter, and that guy is now just spamming articles at people who disagree with him from the Hudson Institute.

    Including this ridiculous one he wrote himself.

    Basically, his argument is that because bad shit is done with drugs in other countries, we cannot legalize it here. It includes this gem:

    “Controlled addiction happens elsewhere in the world, too. There is evidence that, in some places, suicide bombers, youth warriors, child sex slaves and even manual laborers are given drugs to keep them captive. Criminal drug dealers have long used such leverage to “own” their clientele.”

    You see, Afghanistani sex-slaves get hooked on opium, that’s why we can’t legalize weed for consenting adults.

    LOGIC

    1. Steve G

      Sumbody’s been watching too much “Taken”! (didn’t think it was possible)

    2. MJGreen

      If you say it’s legal to consume opium, you must also say that it is legal to kidnap others and force them to consume opium. Or are you going to talk some nonsense about how these two things are somehow distinct?

    3. Spartacus

      Actual sex traffickers are totally scared off of using drugs as a lever here in the U.S. because they are illegal.

      1. Pope Jimbo

        Just like the fact that turf wars between gangs over drug profits are now conducted solely with knives because of common sense gun control?

        1. Suicidy

          Knives, and choreographed dance numbers.

          1. DEATFBIRSECIA

            +1 Jets, Sharks

    4. Bones

      Walters and company really don’t have the brain function required to separate coercion from choice. If some free adult chooses to shoot heroine, it’s exactly the same as an abducted child sex slave being injected heroine. There is no difference for drug warriors because they’ve convinced themselves the drug is the worst thing in the world. Not the sex slavery, not the black market cartels, not the militant factions, not the prison resulting from drug arrests, not the murder of drug users (by gang or law enforcement, but I repeat myself)… No, even that is saving them from evil drugs so even murder can’t be the worst thing in the world.

      1. Episiarch

        Look, man, no one can take drugs willingly. They exert a completely supernaturally evil force that makes people take them. They have minds of their own!

        Ever note how many total scumbags are animists?

        1. According to John Walters drug legalization secretly makes everyone un-free.

          Also, there’s this brilliant and incisive bit of analysis:

          “One should no more conclude, as Vanita Gupta does, that the “war on drugs has been a war on communities of color” than to argue that the efforts to combat other crimes are a war on communities of color. The disproportions of arrests, incarcerations, and victimization that afflict many African American communities follow disproportionate crime in those communities.”

          According to him, when you throw black people in jail for a crime that harmed no one, it’s really for their own good.

          “Where there is racial injustice in the application of the law, we must seek to correct it. But dismissing the drug laws is a false solution. Drugs represent a burden on American life. The damage hurts most the weakest and at-risk. Drug use, and the violence and suffering associated with illegal drugs, robs Americans of their civil rights, perhaps as much, if not more than any other current social injustice.”

          Drug use hurts the weakest and most vulnerable and that’s why we need to throw the weakest and most vulnerable into prison.

          Wait…

          1. JW

            I always wonder what the mix if for people like Walters, between being a bumbling moron and drunk with power, leaving them so addled that they’re incapable of recognizing simple ideas like agency and choice.

          2. The disproportions of arrests, incarcerations, and victimization that afflict many African American communities follow disproportionate crime in those communities

            Well, they do when you determine how much crime is in a community from the number of arrests, etc. in those communities.

            Tautologies. How do they work?

            1. DEATFBIRSECIA

              We had to burn down the ghetto to save it.

              1. Hicks

                At least the charred, burnt ex-ghetto is drug-free.

          3. OneOut

            ” and the violence and suffering associated with illegal drugs”

            So, it’s illegal drugs that are the problem and illegal drugs are causing violence and suffering …?

            Well couldn’t you…?

            Nah that would be too easy.

    5. Bill Dalasio

      You know what, I bet child sex slaves are also fed bread. And water.

      So, clearly, both bread and water are the instruments of the international child sex slave cartels. We must clearly ban their consumption immediately (if not sooner).

      WON’T SOMEONE THINK OF THE CHILLLLLDRENNNNN!!!ONE1ELEVEN!

      1. pan fried wylie

        WONT SOMEONE THINK OF THE GLUTEN INTOLERANT CHILDRENNNN!!etc

        1. gaoxiaen

          I always give my sex slaves Doritos and tequila (and lemons).

  8. Sudden

    Nick, you let me know when you’re going to Colorado to drink and smoke and I’ll happily fly out there to enjoy with you and Hayek.

  9. robc

    I agree that alcohol taxes is blood money too.

    END ALL SIN TAXES.

    Its a win-win.

    1. HEAR HEAR!

  10. Auric Demonocles

    He blocked the alt-text, too.

  11. Road Warrior

    When you can’t win the argument, just block your critics! Pathetic. Like libs with trigger warnings. Can’t have others get in the way of your narrative that props up your existence, no matter how asinine it is.

  12. Libertarian

    You smarty pants libertarians think you know everything. But everybody knows that you CAN’T legalize pot — there’s too much money in it.

    1. Eggs Benedict Cumberbund

      Close. Legalizing pot will result in a different set of people making money off of weed.

  13. scareduck

    I cannot read this. At all.

    Storyfy is horrible and should be banned.

    1. OneOut

      There is a link to a safe room around here somewhere.

      It’s got pictures of cookies and kittens and some Barry Manilow in the background.

      You should be OK there.

  14. Anonymous Coward

    John Walters seems like a…really terrible person. I mean, the type of guy who just ruins people’s lives, claims they brought it on themselves, then goes to the hotel to bang a diseased tranny hooker.

    1. GET UN-SIMPLE

    2. Pope Jimbo

      “Diseased tranny hooker”, I think you are thinking of John Waters there AC.

      Of course, John Waters is great. Even though he disturbed a young Father Jimbo with Pink Flamingos, I dont’ think that makes him a “terrible person”

      1. DEATFBIRSECIA

        +1 Butthole dance.

      2. Invisible Finger

        Might be a good way to ruin John Walters – start attributing everything John Waters did to John Walters. Sounds like an honest mistake, repeat it enough times and eventually people will simply ignore John Walters anti-drug shit because everyone’ll just associate him with debauchery and consider him a hypocritical douchebag. Facts aren’t stopping the disgusting piece of shit, so maybe actual disgusting shit will make him give up.

        If nothing else it at least promotes John Waters films.

        1. gaoxiaen

          Isn’t John Walters the guy who was filmed eating a dog turd?

  15. Billy Bones

    Excellent job, Nick. I am envisioning Walters cowering in the corner of his “Safe Space”, balled up in the fetal position, fingers in ears, singing, “La-la-la-la-la-la”. It amazes me how a self-purported “know-it-all” runs from a logical debate as soon as someone smacks them in the face with facts.

    John Walters–You are my Douche-bag of the Day winner. Come accept your award.

    1. Pope Jimbo

      He probably had to break out that bottle of scotch that he keeps hidden in his desk drawer and have a few belts to calm his nerves.

      But that is OK because booze is what real he-men use. Not like those dope smoking fiends.

    2. Billy Bones

      And just read the article Walters kept trying to cite in his tweets. Nothing but a BS opinion piece. No facts. No citations. Nothing. Mr. Walters, if you wish to convince me that your opinions are correct, and mine are not, you’ll have to use a better argument than, “Because I said so.”

      My favorite comparison of alcohol and marijuana goes like this: Your teenage daughter is going out with friends tonight. You know she will over-indulge. Would you rather she over-indulge on alcohol or on marijuana? I have yet to find anyone answer alcohol.

  16. sloopyinTEXAS

    What the fuck is a “twitter”? Is that a method of communication people use to avoid actually writing paragraphs and using proper syntax and grammar?

    Seriously, soon we’ll all be wearing Zubas and flip flops, using a series of grunts and pointing of sticks to communicate.

    1. rts

      Seriously, soon we’ll all be wearing Zubas and flip flops, using a series of grunts and pointing of sticks to communicate.

      You say that likes it’s a bad thing.

      1. sloopyinTEXAS

        But if everybody else starts doing it, how will we be able to pick out the other libertarians?

        1. *waves hands, grunts*

          *scratches nuts and readjusts Zubas*

          1. Pope Jimbo

            You didn’t use your hands to scratch your nuts did you Swiss?

            I’m picturing you carefully folding out the nut scratching utensil from your Swiss Army Zubaz(SAZ) for that job. Then using the bottle opener in your SAZ to pop the cap off a bottle of Miller High Life.

            Did you get the simple set of SAZ? Or one of the fancy ones that come with everything?

        2. Pope Jimbo

          I’m wearing my Vibrams to work today. Am I OK, or do I have to pay some sort of penalty for not having actual flip flops?

          I swear that when it warms up, I’ll break out the Invisible Shoes!

          http://xeroshoes.com/shop/diy-kits/diy-feeltrue/

          1. OneOut

            Warms up ?

            Hell it was almost 80 yesterday.

            1. Whahappan?

              I’m going skiing tomorrow! Take that!

    2. $park? the Swifty

      There’s nothing wrong with giving every retard on the planet a place to spout their stupidity, it’s the people who assign anything there meaningful value that mystifies me.

      Twitter should be like the zoo, you go and watch the animals do cute/funny/stupid things, then you go home. You don’t try to reason with the animals.

      1. John Galt

        Twitter should be like the zoo, you go and watch the animals do cute/funny/stupid things, then you go home.

        Except I don’t mind going to a zoo once in awhile.

        1. MikeP

          Zoos don’t actively drain your mind of thought. Twitter does. You can feel your intelligence seep away as you scroll down the thread of pointless short bursts badly hinting at larger ideas that don’t fit in 140 characters.

          We fought Twitter, remember? But we grew so tired. Our minds so blank, so open, that any thought it placed there became our thoughts. Our minds so empty, like a sponge needing thoughts, begging, empty. Loneliness. So lonely to be sitting there empty, wanting any tweet from it.

    3. Suicidy

      Too late.

    4. John Galt

      “Zubas.” Are they official gear for Tweidiots?

  17. John C. Randolph

    John Walters: idiot, or mendacious prick?

    I’m guessing that he probably knows that he’s lying.

    -jcr

    1. sloopyinTEXAS

      Basically, you asked a question where there cannot be a wrong answer.

      Kinda like what the SAT questions will probably be like in another 5-6 years lest “intellectually disadvantaged” people be made to feel inferior.

  18. “Then things got … interesting”? If you want interesting, include John Walters out. During his tenure as drug czar, well, you did a heck of a job, Johnnie. The U.S. would have been so better off with John Waters as drug czar.

  19. MikeP

    Then things got interesting.

    Am I the only person in the world who thinks “Twitter” and “interesting” don’t go together?

    “Twitter” and “Neural Neutralizer”: those go together.

    1. $park? the Swifty

      See my comment above.

    2. John Galt

      Not into Twitter or anything like it. The only reason I ever made a Facebot account was one of the daughters wanted me to look at pictures of the baby.

  20. John Galt

    You been cockblocked. Well, maybe not exactly. Something like it.

  21. John C. Randolph

    Blocked on Twitter is the new “LA LA LA LA LAAA I CAN’T HEAR YOU!”

    -jcr

  22. John Galt

    Waters says to tell you you’re “blocked for being a cock.”

    1. pan fried wylie

      blockcocked!

  23. DrGonzoAtNight

    Guy who made his living fighting the drug war and now makes his living promoting the continuation of the drug war says drugs are bad. Shocker.

    Like internet trolls, this former “czar” should simply be ignored.

  24. Clusterfunk

    This guy’s arguments read like the same tired arguments of gun control advocates. No substance. No forethought. No ability to grasp numerous intervening factors.

  25. @whothefuckever twitter is dumb

  26. Well, anyone who assigns “moral clarity” to the Adipose Avenger from New Jersey can safely be dismissed a drooling hack moron person.

  27. Notorious G.K.C.

    He keeps promising the quit the debate, then he debates again. Classic addict behavior.

    1. OneOut

      Who was it around here that posted about 20 times that this last post was going to be “his last post eva ” ?

      He skipped one post I think and was then right back to trolling the joint.

      When called to task for his actions his defense was “that he had the right” to post here .

  28. HeteroPatriarch

    “Debate” is not the right word, here.

  29. Start working from home! Great job for students, stay-at-home moms or anyone needing an extra income… You only need a computer and a reliable internet connection… Make $90 hourly and up to $12000 a month by following link at the bottom and signing up… You can have your first check by the end of this week……..

    http://www.Jobsyelp.com

  30. Lesdouche

    I *think* NG just called us out to Colorado? Where we can choose to smoke our effin brains out? I can’t look at that diaper-faced old MJ-hating dude when I’m high though, shit like that is a buzzkill.

  31. JMatt

    The ole “I’ll pretend you’re simple so I don’t have to address your points” ploy. Excellent tactic for whenever you are too emotionally invested or don’t want to trifle with facts, data, and logic. Touch?!!

  32. TimothyZ

    That last one really says it all, doesn’t it? I was auto blocked from the National Review site for much the same reason (not, incidentally, for the greatness of offense).

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