Should police enforce unjust laws such as marijuana prohibition?

[jllundqu]

I'm having a debate with friends about this topic. I would like to crystalize all sides of the topic.

What are the consequences of a police force that would stop enforcing such laws entirely even though they are still "on the books" so to speak?

Broad topic, I know, but i'm interested in your thoughts.

[jllundqu]

I would say it depends on the specific case. A person smoking a joint by himself is different from a person hauling 50lbs across state lines.

[torchbearer]

the only just use of force, whether personal or governmental, is in self-defense(Defense of your life and property)
if i use violence against you because you have a lot of plant material packed up on a pallet, then i have done something immoral towards you.

[fisharmor]

Fixed the question for you.

No.

[tod evans]

All involved would be indicted by the next group up the food chain.

There's just way too much money being made by every division of the "Just-Us" department to turn loose of this cash cow..

"Pry it from my cold dead hands" is aptly applied to drug laws and those whos incomes are dependent on them..

[jllundqu]

Fixed the question for you.

No.

So what then? Have a private security force following a pre-agreed upon set of communal laws that is not taxpayer funded? Even rothbard said using force is appropriate when defending a person or property but that government should not have a monopoly of such force.

[Christian Liberty]

Fixed the question for you.

No.

No police or just no taxpayer funded police?

[tod evans]

I'm going to elaborate a bit on my earlier post to clarify..

At minimum 1/2 of all LEO positions would be eliminated over night, more than 1/2 of the court and support staff, probably 60% or better of the prisons and county jails would close, counselors would be out of work due to no fed money etc....

In short ending the drug war in it's entirety is the only way to keep this sinking ship afloat for a while longer, ending the undeclared "wars" overseas would give it a fighting chance but at this stage it might be too late..

[Christian Liberty]

I think it depends on what you mean by "Saving the system." Paying the debt and the entitlements? Heck no. Defaulting on them and perhaps holding a strong enough military together to dissuade anyone from trying to come and take it by force? Maybe if we do it now.

[mrsat_98]

maybe the question should have been "should the police be allowed to treat society as a herd of animals ?"

iamnotananmimal.org

[erowe1]

Should you and I enforce unjust laws?

If we shouldn't, then the police shouldn't.

[Christian Liberty]

Erowe is correct, but I have a question.

There are circumstances where human instinct, even where there is no "Government complex" compels us to violate the NAP. For instance, if my friend was about to jump off a bridge, I probably wouldn't sit there and think about the libertarian reprecussions, I'd probably just save his life. But that's technically a violation of the NAP. Should stopping him from killing himself (Immediately, while present, I'm not talking about locking him up to stop him from doing it ever) be a crime? Would you let your friend kill himself?

There's no way I'd let him kill himself.

[erowe1]

Erowe is correct, but I have a question.

There are circumstances where human instinct, even where there is no "Government complex" compels us to violate the NAP. For instance, if my friend was about to jump off a bridge, I probably wouldn't sit there and think about the libertarian reprecussions, I'd probably just save his life. But that's technically a violation of the NAP. Should stopping him from killing himself (Immediately, while present, I'm not talking about locking him up to stop him from doing it ever) be a crime? Would you let your friend kill himself?

There's no way I'd let him kill himself.

I agree.

I don't think we can just start with the NAP and derive all of morality and ethics from it. Same thing with self-ownership.

That's another reason I don't call myself a libertarian. A lot of people consider something like that essential to the definition.

[dannno]

In my city, the voters passed a resolution that police make cannabis the lowest law enforcement priority. Considering they don't really enforce j-walking laws and a lot of bike laws around here, they certainly have an excuse not to.

Wish more places were like that.