The politics of intoxication

[Al B. Fuct]

Let's be clear- the government isn't opposed to people using drugs. However, you have to use the drug that is controlled and taxed, and the one which is responsible for more violence, motor accidents and drug abuse related illness than any other.

 

Door opened to easing NSW liquor laws

 

Brian Robins

September 27, 2007 - 11:03AM

 

The door has been opened to easing the state's liquor licensing laws.

 

State Parliament has entertained debate on legislation by Sydney Lord Mayor and member of Parliament Clover Moore to make it easier for restaurants and coffee shops to sell alcoholic drinks.

 

Opposition members agreed to bring on debate, postponing other items of business so that the bill could be introduced to the lower house.

 

"It's very exciting," Ms Moore said. "This is a very combative environment for an independent

. My bill was fifth in the queue this morning, and the Opposition was extraordinarily co-operative. With the community support for this bill, they postponed their bills.

 

"It was a real response to the public support and the media coverage the bill is getting."

 

Now that the legislation is before Parliament, the Government has three weeks until the house sits again, to consider its response.

 

Just what we need, a pub on every streetcorner. How about some more drive-through liquor stores? Kerb service with coldies! Chicks on rollerskates delivering jugs of draught. Hell, put a keg on every right turn lane and get those homeless windscreen washers into the taxable system, making excise revenue.

 

Keep in mind that this is the same government which so believes its own propaganda as to pass laws based in zero-tolerance activist's talking points memos, not actual scientific or medical evidence.

 

This nonsense has to change.

[jojothepotfiend]

Hahaha, I love the hypocrisy, now i don't know what other bills got pushed to the back of the queue, but I'd hope there would be more important issues for them to discuss than making it easier for people to drink. Its already very very easy to get booze.

 

That said I'm no anti drinker so I'm fine with the bill passing, I just think the lower house's priorities are screwed(maybe some pollies just want to get on tv).

 

Edited September 27, 2007 by jojothepotfiend

[Al Fish]

"...How about some more drive-through liquor stores? Kerb service with coldies! Chicks on rollerskates delivering jugs of draught. Hell, put a keg on every right turn lane..."

 

These are fucking great ideas!

 

Big titted girls with ice-cold jugs; drive through liquor stores with poker machines; even free hard-spirit, top-shelf traffic light giveaways!

 

The chicks on rollers should be allowed to work naked - if they're on a right turn lane.

[Al B. Fuct]

Right-turn lanes could use a few pokies. NSW has more pokies per person than any other place in the world- and Iemma's gonna bloody keep it that way, too.

 

With the horses all under the weather, Dilemma's got to give the gambling addicts something to blow the mortgage payment on...

[WantDaChronic]

bloody hypocrits think alcohol is ok, so much so they want to make to easier to get access to, yet pot remains illegal i wish they'd do a side by side test to determine which has the greater impact on society

[pipeman]

It is a joke as most of us know.

 

I especially object to the pokies. Gambling should be something rich people do for entertainment, not the working man or pensioner to go broke on. And the pokies are definitely designed to strip the working class, they are not aimed at the rich. Thats why ya see em in all the pubs.

 

Its just another way to bleed the working class and its wrong. If the government were really interested in protecting their citizens they'd ban the fucking pokies. But of course that would upset too many business interests not to mention the tax revenue, so therefore its quite acceptable to rape the people and let them suffer.

[freddie]

There are few groups in society that benefit from cannabis remaining illegal. One is the liquor industry for obvious reasons. The other 2 I can think of are law enforcement agencies and organised crime.

 

I would love to see what politicians (state and federal) own shares in the alcohol industry. Is this information available to the public?

[jojothepotfiend]

It is a joke as most of us know.

 

I especially object to the pokies. Gambling should be something rich people do for entertainment, not the working man or pensioner to go broke on. And the pokies are definitely designed to strip the working class, they are not aimed at the rich. Thats why ya see em in all the pubs.

 

Its just another way to bleed the working class and its wrong. If the government were really interested in protecting their citizens they'd ban the fucking pokies. But of course that would upset too many business interests not to mention the tax revenue, so therefore its quite acceptable to rape the people and let them suffer.

 

You're totally right pipeman, pokies are terrible. I don't think there's anything more depressing than seeing some pensioner who's set up shop at the pokies for a couple of hours. And I don't think the rich bother with pokies because there are many more entertaining ways to gamble. And as you say pokies are here to stay. You've gotta wonder if there is such a thing as a political morals when it comes to big money industries like the pokies.

 

[Nooby]

See that's the part I dont understand. A re-legalised hemp industry would provide a windfall for the govt. Not only on taxes from recreational smokers but in taxes from all of the other uses as well. I suspect there would be HUGE savings on public health as well if people chose MJ over tobacco and alcohol as there relaxant of choice?

[Luke Skywalker]

Absolutely.

 

Read some interesting stuff about the narco economy recently. They were arguing that if you legalised drugs tomorrow, and had a regulated, taxed and organised industry that doesn't have black market markups and profit margins, (huuuuuge compared to just about any other industry legit or not) you would crash the stockmarket through the loss of capital investment by narcotics industry in laudering profits.... made a lot of sense really...

 

When someone in power points out there is an elephant in the room perhaps we'll get somewhere. Problem is you have to get one of the blind guys whos had their hands, legs, ears and nose chopped off to notice said elephant.