The Drug War is Working!

[Heracles 417]

If a drunk driver kills someone, how do you know he wouldn't have killed that person had he been sober?

Because someone's ability and sense to drive decreases rapidly when they are drunk. Same way your chance of dying or killing someone rapidly rises every mile over 50. Same way the more passengers in a teenager's car, the more likely they are to kill themselves and others.

The US has one of the highest road fatalities per 100,000 in the developed world. Why? because the US has some of the most lenient laws and fines regarding driving in the developed world. The US has some of the crappiest roads in the developed world. In my experience, the US also has some of the most careless drivers in the developed world. People drive like they are driving in nascar tracks on German quality roads. Cutting three lanes of traffic to make an exit is the norm here but a $350 fine in AUS. Third time you lose your license for 3 to 6 months. Hence Australia's ridiculously low road fatality rate.

This is similar to people who use the guns don't kill people argument. that restricting guns will not have any effect. Wrong. In reality restricting guns does work and is the reason why only 59 people were killed by means of firearms in AUS compared to the 9,446 here. US has 14 times the population of Australia yet 160 times the murder rate by means of firearms. Which also says something considering Australians were convicts after all and sentences for murder can be as low as 3 to 5 years; compared to the 20 to death here.

Edited September 5, 2009 by Booyah!

[alienlovechild 75]

The US has one of the highest road fatalities per 100,000 in the developed world. Why? because the US has some of the most lenient laws and fines regarding driving in the developed world. The US has some of the crappiest roads in the developed world. In my experience, the US also has some of the most careless drivers in the developed world.

You forgot to add in that Americans drive far more than most other nationalities. When you consider that, Australia isn't that much better off.

Road fatalities per 1 billion vehicle-km

USA 9

Australia 7.9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_OECD_...ated_death_rate

[mRx 16]

This is similar to people who use the guns don't kill people argument. that restricting guns will not have any effect. Wrong. In reality restricting guns does work and is the reason why only 59 people were killed by means of firearms in AUS compared to the 9,446 here. US has 14 times the population of Australia yet 160 times the murder rate by means of firearms. Which also says something considering Australians were convicts after all and sentences for murder can be as low as 3 to 5 years; compared to the 20 to death here.

Wonder what percent of our murder rate is due directly to the War on Drugs?

You may not know this, but your Authoritarian utopia Australia actually has more lenient drug laws than the USA.

About gun restriction; look at Iraq. When the US ordered all Iraqi citizens to turn-in all automatic weapons in 2003, what happened? Well, all law-abiding citizens turned in their families only means of protection. All non-law abiding citizens did not. It was open season on the Iraqi population and the theft rate skyrocketed. This is backed up by facts.

Ultimately, people cannot count on the government or their agencies to protect them. They must protect themselves.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Most potheads aren't going around killing people and I've personally had more problems with drunks in my life.

Just saw on the News tonight that a drunk driver in his truuuuuck slammed into a family and killed them.

Sadly, a drunk driver kills someone every day.

Sober drivers kill people every day too. Don't blame alcohol.

Drinking and driving is preventable.

If a drunk driver kills someone, how do you know he wouldn't have killed that person had he been sober?

Keep drinking and driving and let me know how it works out.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

If a drunk driver kills someone, how do you know he wouldn't have killed that person had he been sober?

Because someone's ability and sense to drive decreases rapidly when they are drunk. Same way your chance of dying or killing someone rapidly rises every mile over 50. Same way the more passengers in a teenager's car, the more likely they are to kill themselves and others.

The US has one of the highest road fatalities per 100,000 in the developed world. Why? because the US has some of the most lenient laws and fines regarding driving in the developed world. The US has some of the crappiest roads in the developed world. In my experience, the US also has some of the most careless drivers in the developed world. People drive like they are driving in nascar tracks on German quality roads. Cutting three lanes of traffic to make an exit is the norm here but a $350 fine in AUS. Third time you lose your license for 3 to 6 months. Hence Australia's ridiculously low road fatality rate.

This is similar to people who use the guns don't kill people argument. that restricting guns will not have any effect. Wrong. In reality restricting guns does work and is the reason why only 59 people were killed by means of firearms in AUS compared to the 9,446 here. US has 14 times the population of Australia yet 160 times the murder rate by means of firearms. Which also says something considering Australians were convicts after all and sentences for murder can be as low as 3 to 5 years; compared to the 20 to death here.

What baffles me is how someone could be so stupid to live in a country and complain about it 24 hrs a day when they hail from the promised land. Seriously, you can't be too bright.

[Heracles 417]

You forgot to add in that Americans drive far more than most other nationalities. When you consider that, Australia isn't that much better off.

Road fatalities per 1 billion vehicle-km

USA 9

Australia 7.9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_OECD_...ated_death_rate

How about this from the same site (per 100,000):

Australia 7.7

USA 14.7

[spookyturtle 9,465]

You forgot to add in that Americans drive far more than most other nationalities. When you consider that, Australia isn't that much better off.

Road fatalities per 1 billion vehicle-km

USA 9

Australia 7.9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_OECD_...ated_death_rate

How about this from the same site (per 100,000):

Australia 7.7

USA 14.7

Better head home and increase your odds.

[Heracles 417]

Wonder what percent of our murder rate is due directly to the War on Drugs?

You may not know this, but your Authoritarian utopia Australia actually has more lenient drug laws than the USA.

About gun restriction; look at Iraq. When the US ordered all Iraqi citizens to turn-in all automatic weapons in 2003, what happened? Well, all law-abiding citizens turned in their families only means of protection. All non-law abiding citizens did not. It was open season on the Iraqi population and the theft rate skyrocketed. This is backed up by facts.

Ultimately, people cannot count on the government or their agencies to protect them. They must protect themselves.

It's great an all that you are using Iraq as an example, how ever why not try using some of the other developed countries. You know, those same countries you pretend that don't exist even though their nominal GDP per capita is better than the US. I am still waiting on an example that I asked you a few months ago of?

Drug laws might be more lenient but they don't have such a huge problem with drugs. US has one of the highest use in the OCED.

Keep drinking and driving and let me know how it works out.

One of the lowest out of the OECD.

I guess it shows that some people are not only dumb but cannot drive for sh-t.

[mRx 16]

Wonder what percent of our murder rate is due directly to the War on Drugs?

You may not know this, but your Authoritarian utopia Australia actually has more lenient drug laws than the USA.

About gun restriction; look at Iraq. When the US ordered all Iraqi citizens to turn-in all automatic weapons in 2003, what happened? Well, all law-abiding citizens turned in their families only means of protection. All non-law abiding citizens did not. It was open season on the Iraqi population and the theft rate skyrocketed. This is backed up by facts.

Ultimately, people cannot count on the government or their agencies to protect them. They must protect themselves.

It's great an all that you are using Iraq as an example, how ever why not try using some of the other developed countries. You know, those same countries you pretend that don't exist even though their nominal GDP per capita is better than the US. I am still waiting on an example that I asked you a few months ago of?

Iraq is a perfect example that blows your "gun ban causes decreases in gun violence" theory to bits; Post hoc ergo proctor hoc, my friend.

What example are you looking for, Booyah? You want an example of a holistically free society? Well, sadly I cannot deliver, and you know that. But unfortunately, that doesn't qualify as a logical refutation of any points that I've made, and I think you know that too.

Drug laws might be more lenient but they don't have such a huge problem with drugs. US has one of the highest use in the OCED.

Hmmm. Don't you think it's possible they don't have such a huge problem because they are more lenient? You have your cause and effect reversed.

[NickD 202]

Can't help but feel the number of people making damn good money from drugs, alcohol, divorce in the legal area. Gets to the point where you are more weary of a guy wearing a thousand buck suit than meeting some scumbag in a dark alley.

In my stupid state, why in the hell am I living here we have the highest drunker driver rate in the nation. Have a law where you can't even buy a beer or a bottle of wine after 9:00 PM to bring home. But can go to any of a zillion bars until 2:00 AM with the only means of getting their is via a personal vehicle and get plastered. Made quite an issue of this fact with a letter to my editor that everyone agreed to, even the editor did a full article on this. But like anything else, nothing was changed and it blew over.

Cops, prosecuting and defense attorneys, and judges all make a good living from these offenses. And what is a judge? Just another crooked attorney. My fellow USC's are sheep, so screw them. If I want to buy a bottle of wine, just do that at 9:00 AM instead of PM.

If I am driving after 9:00 PM, can always find a cop hidden in the bushes waiting for some sucker, it's a game. It's okay to get plastered in a bar and kill someone, but with the latest law, can't smoke in there, that is considered harmful.