Justin Leans Libertarian

Here little libertarian, here's some pandering just for you:

Sporting a purple golf shirt, the rookie Grit leader seemed energetic and comfortable taking questions.

"I see my friend waving a sign about decriminalizing cannabis. I’ll take that as a question," he said, to some laughs. "I’m actually not in favour of decriminalizing cannabis – I’m in favour of legalizing it. Tax and regulate. It’s one of the only ways to keep it out of the hands of our kids because the current war on drugs, the current model isn’t working."

Has any reporter ever said that Stephen Harper looked competent and authoritative while taking questions? He does quite often. Sure what he's saying might be gibberish, but he speaks gibberish with great authority. If not quite the gravitas of a statesman, at the very least our PM emits the presence of a successful Chartered Accountant. The above article is accompanied by a series of photos showing Justin holding hands with his wife and playing with his kids.

For sometime the Liberal Party has bitched that the Tories have greater financial resources at their disposal. Except that the Liberals don't need the buckets of money. They have the MSM which is willing to shill for Justin in a manner that will make the original Trudeaumania look like objective appraisal.

Let's return to Justin's policy position on drug legalization which, if I'm not mistaken, is the first clear and concrete policy proposal he has ever put forward. Not something about the economy or health care, but a softball about marijuana. A question he literally sought from the audience. This either shows you his priorities, or his lack of thinking about political strategy. I'm in B.C. Let me say something nice about pot. When he gets to Nova Scotia perhaps he'll say something nice about the lobsters.

Long time readers will know that I'm anti-Drug War. Marijuana, even the more potent varieties floating around today, is harmless if used responsibly. Pot ain't my thing but freedom is. Leave the pot smokers alone, they're usually only a nuisance to their roomates. Unlike, to take a random example, public sector unions and crony capitalists who fleece the public for billions every year. But those types are honoured as public figures while Marc Emery sits in an American jail.

A man whose essential crime was becoming obnoxious to the American government.

This post, however, isn't about the Drug Wars, it's about libertarians who chase after politicians that pander to them. Admittedly the libertarian vote swings few ridings, at least at the moment, but they are wealthier, better educated and more vocal than average. On economic matters their somewhat uncomfortable home should be the Conservative Party. The Tories, however, aren't all that libertarian when it comes to economic matters. Then there are the so-con issues that libertarians are either hostile or indifferent to.

This means that, from time to time, libertarians take a look at the Liberals and NDP. So Justin, being Justin, decides to throw the libertarians a bone. It costs him nothing, makes the young kids like him even more, and peels off a few thousand votes. It won't win him the election, but elections are not won through a single act of pandering but through countless acts of pandering over many months and years. Promise a little something to everyone and hope enough of them show up on election day.

Needless to say he'll never legalized pot. Canada cannot unilaterally legalize any drug without at least the tacit consent of the American government. If we did go it alone, a legion of Congressmen would rise up demanding tighter border security, which in turn could cripple the Canadian economy. Whatever Justin's private beliefs, the Blue Liberals in the party would never let him commit a potential act of national economic suicide.

It's not dignified, it ain't moral but it sure is politics in modern Canada.

Those with weak stomachs should avert their eyes. 

 

Comments

[MikeG81]

I've noticed that many 'libertarians' are on board with Justin and his pot plan, which makes the whole thing funny as hell. Why?

Justin's 'tax and regulate' line. Essentially trading a war on drugs and its laws and regulations(and a 'tax' in the form of fines), for a different set of laws and regulations(and fines[taxes] for violating the same, PLUS more taxes) for a 'legal' drug. Instead of the police going after pot heads, you'll have revenue agents going after you.

Last time I checked, that trade off isn't a libertarian position.

[LAS]

"Needless to say he'll never legalized pot. Canada cannot unilaterally legalize any drug without at least the tacit consent of the American government."

Wrong. CO and WA states have already legalized the stuff. No response from DC. This excuse was asinine and thin before now it's a joke.

Given what years of Tory misgovernance has brought us, I'll take Justin Trudeau's pandering over Stephen Harper's unrelenting assault on freedom. It is clear-at least to those without blinkers stapled on-that Trudeau is a much better bet for freedom than Harper.

[Cytotoxic]

"Last time I checked, that trade off isn't a libertarian position."

Last time I checked, some stupid regulations was a lot more libertarian than throwing people in jail and encouraging gang warfare. So you're wrong the tradeoff is an obvious libertarian position.

[Mikeg81]

LAS comes along and makes my point.

[Mikeg81]

"Last time I checked, some stupid regulations was a lot more libertarian than throwing people in jail and encouraging gang warfare. So you're wrong the tradeoff is an obvious libertarian position."

How do you know that enforcing 'stupid regulations' won't result in people ending up in jail, forcible taxation by fines, or confiscation of property?

Oh, that's right, you can't, because it happens every single day with thousands of other 'stupid regulations'. The current enforcement situation is wrong, and stupid "tax it and regulate it" statements giving false impressions of freedom are also wrong.

You "libertarians" are cowards.

[John Chittick]

The Spawn is as libertarian as his father, a messianic statist poseur. He is simply pimping the vote on a single issue with popular support - Pot legalization. When it comes to the underlying question of whether it is the proper role of the state to prevent citizenry from experiencing adulthood, complete with responsibilities, consequences and free will, Trudeau is completely on side as is his conservative progressive adversary in the the PM's office.

Long before the first Canadian libertarian is ever elected to higher office, the Left will have cherry-picked Pot legalization/decriminalization from their basket of "goodies". In fact, libertarians are so ill suited to politics, their only likely means of achievement will come from incremental theft of their principles by an otherwise statist political class pressured by overwhelming populist support.

[Cytotoxic]

"Oh, that's right, you can't, because it happens every single day with thousands of other 'stupid regulations'. "

And it puts a lot fewer people in jail and causes lots less damage than the War on Drugs.

We aren't cowards. You people are just dumb. We operate at a much higher level than you.

[Mikeg81]

"We operate at a much higher level than you."

The son of a statist that is a statist that leads a statist party threw 'libertarians' a bone to get votes and you fell for more taxes and more regulation in the guise of freedom. That's operating at a higher level?

"And it puts a lot fewer people in jail and causes lots less damage than the War on Drugs."

Operating at a higher level would be knowing that the War on Drugs is unacceptable, and also knowing that stupid regulations that end up with people in jail is also unacceptable and be calling for the reduction in stupid regulations, not more simply to get your way with regards to pot.

But you can't do it, and that makes you a coward. Just another form of statist like most partisans. Have fun when Justin turns on you.