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A comment on Oregon Decriminalized Hard Drugs. Parent comment

Re:Oregon Decriminalized Hard Drugs by brightlancer on Tuesday August 01, 2023 @07:36PM (#36964808)
> Is criminalisation really the only hammer the gov has?

Of course. What else could they have?

Every government "hammer" exists only through the threat of force, which is violence.

Don't pay your jaywalking ticket? They will arrest you. Resist arrest? They will, uh, FORCE you to comply.

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Re:Oregon Decriminalized Hard Drugs by tremon on Thursday August 03, 2023 @05:11AM (#36983291)
There's quite a bit more hammers in the government's toolbox. Off the top of my head, the government can use taxation, education, propaganda and mental health policy to address drug addiction. None of those need the judicial system to operate.
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Re:Oregon Decriminalized Hard Drugs by rightbyte on Friday August 04, 2023 @04:49PM (#37005684)
That seems like reductionist reasoning. How about, all power comes from the Sun. Government violence is the mandate of the Sun.
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