Saturday, September 26, 2015

Is Rand Paul "More Libertarian" On Drug Policy Than the Other Republican Candidates?

Bob,
Here’s a Rand Paul quote on drug policy from the last GOP debate in which Rand distinguishes himself from the rest of the field: “I personally think that this is a crime for which the only victim is the individual, and I think that America has to take a different attitude.” My point in not that he’s libertarian or even near libertarian. Rather, he’s better than the other criminals on this issue. 
Warmly, Michael

My response: 

Dear Michael,

It is really like shooting fish in the barrel when I have to show that Rand is no different than the other candidates on issues (except that he is worse on taxes).

To your specific quote, actually, Rand continued during that part of the debate and said:
 I’m a fan of the drug courts which try to direct you back towards work and less time in jail.

During the debate, Carly Fiorina  said she agreed with Rand:
 [W]e must invest more in the treatment of drugs.
 I agree with Senator Paul. I agree with states’ rights.

And Trump has said (via Mother Jones):
[T]he only way to win the War on Drugs was to legalize drugs and use the tax revenue to fund drug education programs. As he put it, "You have to take the profit away from these drug czars." 

And Huckabee is completely in line with Rand:
 We’ve incarcerated so many of the people who really need drug rehab more than they need long-term incarceration.
In our state, we established over 20 drug courts, that gave people an alternative course, rather than just putting them in prison, giving them the opportunity to get what they really needed, which is off the addiction. We’ve got to quit locking up all the people that we’re mad at and lock up the people that we’re really afraid of, the people who are sexual predators and violent offenders. I would go for more drug courts and for a lot less incarceration of drug-addicted people.

There is simply zero chance that Rand would take an outlier stance on anything. He is not about principle, he is about positioning to get elected. The outlier scares him. Libertarianism, at the present time is about being a complete outlier.Rand and true libertarianism don't intersect.

Best,

 Bob

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