Comments on: Absurd anti-bikie laws do not stop bikies, but legalising drugs will

By: Peter Scruby

Peter Scruby — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I digest what you’ve written..couldn’t you have added to your argument by giving some idea of either prosecutions or non prosecutions in SA…Are these people being hounded or not?

By: AR

AR — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

No-one with two interacting neurones believes that drug prohibition prevents drug use.
Yet every blow hard polemicist rants on & on ad nauseam about Laura Norder, eradication and a drug free society/nation/world.
It cannot be pure stupidity therefore one must assume there is another reason for their overwheening ignorance.
If only they would seek treatment for their delusion.

By: Terry Wright

Terry Wright — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The debate over prohibition is over. Nearly every major media outlet in the western world has recently published an article questioning the logic of a drug war that has failed for the last 40 years. As they point out, one of the main effects of prohibition is organised crime utilising an artificial black market where money effectively grows on trees or can be manufactured in a caravan. Their clients are dedicated to the product with some to the point of addiction. A more lucrative market could not have been created if they actually sat down and planned it. And who are the main supporters of prohibition ... organised crime like bikers.

Do we want to end up like the US where gangs fight it out in the streets and the police are armed with machine guns? Do we want non violent users and small time user/dealers considered as dangerous as murderers or rapists? Are we going to write off innocent victims as "collateral damage" as they do in a war?

The big question is, why does someone taking drugs render them as dangerous criminals? Why do we go to so much trouble to catch drug users when it results in bikers murdering each other in public? The underlying answer is that it's a moral issue for so many who influence drug policy and it's misunderstood by the public after years of propaganda. In other words, common sense and logical laws are overlooked because of moral grandstanding regardless of the carnage inflicted on society.

So, why are our so called leaders not scrutinised more for their absurd decisions regarding illicit drugs? It appears that being "tough" on something equates to popularity and any suggestion to be rational and sensible endears you with the tag, "Soft on Drugs". We need to get past silly rhetoric like "sends the wrong message" and "tough on drugs", and confront the real issues.

By: Brad

Brad — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The SA government seems to want to create new profit streams for SA bikies. They have banned bongs and are moving to ban hydroponics equipment, so if anyone wants either, guess who they will have to talk to? And do you think someone getting hydro gear from a bikie gang will end up growing for them?

Their freedom of association laws are just having the effect of bringing SA bikies together in solidarity, although this recent incident might go some way of reversing that.

By: Ben Aveling

Ben Aveling — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

@Glenn, @AR

You both ask, why not legalise?

As far as I can tell, this is a 'totemic belief' for a lot of people.

By totemic belief, I mean that for some community, everyone knows that everyone knows it is true. So to criticise the belief is to criticise the judgement of everyone in the community. It becomes impossible to have an argument on the facts, because the decision is not being made on the facts.

By: Brian Ireland

Brian Ireland — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Legalise all drugs now. This will stop all the corruption now occuring. We, as a nation are spending $20 billion a year to stop entry of illegal drugs into this country, and failing! This money could build 2 or 3 new hospitals a year. Prohibition has never worked in any country ,for any product, at any time. But we will be the first? I don’t think so!

By: Bohemian

Bohemian — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I am just wondering what happens when we start up our own Organisation Against Govt Fascism group next year. I guess we’ll be banned as either criminals or terrorists. As for bikies, I thought we already had laws which are to protect us against criminal behaviour? But thank goodness for all the safety measures in place at airports these days. It has reduced the little old lady gangs to almost zero.

I am with you on decriminalisation. That will hit not only the disributors hard but also the real drug architects - the hidden arm - BIG DRUG who needs the hard cash available from drugs to fund their many programs.

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The politicians don’t wish to get rid of bikies. They love them there. Ben Aveling has it right There will be drunks in the pubs tonight on their soap boxes arguing about the evils of drugs and the bikies. The politicians are happy to have a populist position to take the attention away from the real issue which is Keystone Cops and that Mick Keelty deserves to be sacked for the disgraceful behaviour of his police; who even though an air hostess radioed ahead with a warning of trouble were off having tea.

There is no need for new laws and certainly the undemocratic laws that SA has brought in are those beloved of totalitarian regimes. Peter Scruby wants to know if they are working or not. Greg Barns goes into the reasons that the police have been reluctant to get too involved. In fact no-one knows if the laws work or not because it is to early to tell.