Republican Party Platform – the good, the bad, the ugly

I took a look through the Republic Party Platform

A mixture of stuff that absolutely makes me cringe, along with the occasional bit of material that seemed quite sensible.

Here are a few points that may be of interest to our group:

In its discussion of the Fourth Amendment, the platform completely ignores the abuses by the criminal justice system connected to the drug war, and instead focuses on things like the Foreign Tax Compliance Act, and the use of aerial surveillance on U.S. soil.

However, in its Fifth Amendment discussion, it does include this excellent bit:

Civil asset forfeiture was originally intended as a way to cripple organized crime through the seizure of property used in a criminal enterprise. Regrettably, it has become a tool for unscrupulous law enforcement officials, acting without due process, to profit by destroying the livelihood of innocent individuals, many of whom never recover the lawful assets taken from them. When the rights of the innocent can be so easily violated, no one’s rights are safe. We call on Congress and state legislatures to enact reforms to protect law-abiding citizens against abusive asset forfeiture tactics.

In the criminal justice section, it’s nice to see this acknowledgement:

Two grave problems undermine the rule of law on the federal level: Over-criminalization and over-federalization. In the first case, Congress and federal agencies have increased the number of criminal offenses in the U.S. Code from 3,000 in the early 1980s to more than 4,500 today. That does not include an estimated 300,000 regulations containing criminal penalties. No one, including the Department of Justice, can come up with accurate numbers. That recklessness is bad enough when committed by Congress, but when it comes from the unelected bureaucrats of the federal agencies, it is intolerable. The power of career civil servants and political appointees to criminalize behavior is one of the worst violations of constitutional order perpetrated by the administrative state.

To deal with this morass, we urge caution in the creation of new “crimes” and a bipartisan presidential commission to purge the Code and the body of regulations of old “crimes.” We call for mens rea elements in the definition of any new crimes to protect Americans who, in violating a law, act unknowingly or without criminal intent. We urge Congress to codify the Common Law’s Rule of Lenity, which requires courts to interpret unclear statutes in favor of a defendant.

But the section entitled “Combatting Drug Abuse” shows a complete lack of direction.

Combatting Drug Abuse

The progress made over the last three decades against drug abuse is eroding, whether for cultural reasons or for lack of national leadership. In many jurisdictions, marijuana is virtually legalized despite its illegality under federal law. At the other end of the drug spectrum, heroin use nearly doubled from 2003 to 2013, while deaths from heroin have quadrupled. All this highlights the continuing conflicts and contradictions in public attitudes and public policy toward illegal substances. Congress and a new administration should consider the long- range implications of these trends for public health and safety and prepare to deal with the problematic consequences.

The misuse of prescription painkillers — opioids — is a related problem. Heroin and opioid abuse touches our communities, our homes, and our families in ways that have grave effects on Americans in every community. With a quadrupling of both their sales and their overdose deaths, the opioid crisis is ravaging communities all over the country, often hitting rural areas harder than urban. Because over-prescription of drugs is such a large part of the problem, Republican legislation now allows Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans to limit patients to a single pharmacy. Congressional Republicans have also called upon the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to ensure that no physician will be penalized for limiting opioid prescriptions. We look for expeditious agreement between the House and Senate on the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which addresses the opioid epidemic from both the demand and supply sides of the problem.

That’s it. The entire section on drug policy.

Drugs are, however, mentioned again in a couple of other places (veterans and Mexico), again fairly cluelessly…

Over-prescription of opioids has become a nationwide problem hindering the treatment of veterans suffering from mental health issues. We therefore support the need to explore new and broader ranges of options, including faith- based programs, that will better serve the veteran and reduce the need to rely on drugs as the sole treatment. […]

We thank our neighbors in Mexico and Canada who have been our partners in the fight against terrorism and the war on drugs. The Mexican people deserve our assistance as they bravely resist the drug cartels that traffic in death on both sides of our border.

Not much to get excited about, that’s for sure.

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30 Responses to Republican Party Platform – the good, the bad, the ugly

  1. NCN says:

    Shameful and Ignorant.

  2. DdC says:

    Well hells bells too bad the AMA didn’t teach more about faith-based programs to relieve pain. Send kids to reprogramming therapy and parents to porn rehabilitation. While the patients are in agony that the GOP believes is no doubt paying for sins. I think we should ban marriage and keep a separation between church and state. Or jail GOPerverts calling kids illegitimate and stigmatizing them as inferior, the same as they call Ganja Rx. Ban cops from practicing medicine. Ban preachers from teaching in schools. Ban unsafe conditions in the work place causing abortions, or the fields, or no more wars dropping bombs on pregnant women. Pro Life my ass…

    Apparently The Puritans Wrote The GOP Platform For 2016
    Like Sarah Palin On Acid

    ☛ Pornography is a public health issue
    ☛ No abortions for anybody… Deal with it.
    ☛ Marriage is only between a man and a woman
    ☛ Children should only be in homes with “traditional families.”
    ☛ A mother and a father that are both heterosexual,
    happily married, go to church every week.
    ☛ Proper education, under the Republican Platform
    includes a healthy education involving the Bible
    and a good understanding of the Bible.
    ☛ Parents can also force their LGBT
    children to go into conversion therapy,

    I haven’t found any direct drug policy. Trumps said medicinal was OK and he also said to escalate the war. At ontheissues every party and politician is referred to one page on drugs. This is part of it if you scroll down…

    Drug War Buzzwords scroll down

    * The biggest components of the drug debate is how to reduce drug usage: by prevention or by punishment.
    * Hard-line liberals and libertarians generally favor legalization. Look for buzz-phrases like “the failed Drug War” or “allow medical marijuana.”
    * Moderate liberals and libertarians will generally favor prevention of drug abuse. Look for buzzwords like “more treatment” or “reduce demand.”
    * Describing drug use as a health problem (instead of a crime problem) is a buzzword for treatment. Seeking to reduce “prison overcrowding” by means such as “drug courts” (as opposed to building more prisons) is a call for drug tolerance or legalization.
    * Conservatives and populists generally favor punishment for all aspects of the Drug War. Look for buzzwords like “death penalty for drug dealers” or “the scourge of drugs.”
    * Moderate conservatives and populists favor punishment while paying lip-service to other aspects of dealing with drugs. Look for buzzwords like “reduce drug supply” or “protect our borders.”
    * Centrists nowadays are Drug War advocates — the New Democrats (led by Clinton and Gore) support maintaining funding for the War on Drugs.
    * Equating alcoholism with drug abuse is a buzzword for marijuana legalization, as is pointing out the hypocrisy of respecting the right of self-harm with alcohol but not of self-harm with drugs.

    A Few (more) Buzzwords

  3. Servetus says:

    It’s not what is contained in the Republican platform, but what has been left out that Republicans favor—items which might have included a more specific format to provide a better picture of their favorite conservative policies: exploitation and social injustice, economic inequality, mass incarceration of the poor, increasing the power of corporations, more benefits for the upper classes, undermining democracy through voter ID schemes, an effective and deadly police state, and of course, opposition to the bulk of drug law reforms which would address many of the indicated problems.

    Forfeiture and vague federal laws can affect Republicans and others who are financially well-off, so some attention is being paid to these snags. Lip service is being paid to the opioid marketing situation, while avoiding implicating Big Pharma by itself.

    Overall, the Republican platform is a holiday wish-list for white Christian nationalists, the same types of people who voted the Nazis into power in Germany in 1933. Back in the bad old days of Hitler, Germans celebrating Christmas hung Christmas tree ornaments emblazoned with swastikas on their trees as part of the festivities. If Trump wins instead of Clinton, expect to see Donald Trump’s picture emblazoned on people’s Yuletide ornaments.

  4. free radical says:

    “The progress made over the last three decades against drug abuse is eroding, whether for cultural reasons or for lack of national leadership.”

    Translation: We’re not sure who to blame, these kids today, with their culture of permissiveness, or Obama!

  5. John says:

    Completely off-topic, but this news story is so bizarre I thought y’all might get a kick out of it. If it’s true I’ll be moving to Hugo!

    “Hugo water supply tainted with THC, Lincoln County Sheriff warns”

    http://kdvr.com/2016/07/21/hugo-water-supply-tainted-with-thc-lincoln-county-county-sheriff-warns/

  6. Furball says:

    Faith-based programs aren’t going to help me w/ my Tinnitus or blown Meniscus. They do nothing for the anger issues or my nightmares. I’ll keep my THC, thank you. I mean, what’re they gonna do now? Send me back to Iraq?

    • Doc says:

      EXACTLY what we used to say back in the day, and still obtains – nuthin’s changed.

      “What’re they gonna do – send me back to Viet Nam?”

      Fuckin’ a…

    • Mouth says:

      Wow, another Iraq war Vet. I was in 8yrs but only did one tour and deployed with the Infantry, who were tasked out to guard ‘detainees’. The kind of people we (and the CIA) guarded opened my eyes to the global drug black market because of prohibition and the 1961 U.N. Single Convention. We had Asian Triad, Nigerian Gangsters, Russian and Italian Mafia, Saudi Bankers, Latin American drug Traffickers, Al Qaeda (many of which became ISIS) and a majority of the usual suspects: Sunni and Shi’a insurgents. “Organized Crime is why you are here” were the first words of our briefing, meaning because of the money organized crime makes, ‘Mission Accomplished’ never was achieved. I can only imagine how much more drug money plays a role in Afghanistan, with more than one of my friends talking about walking through acre after acre of opium and jungles of marijuana and laws making ‘eradication’ illegal. And because much of ISIS broke away from Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda makes enough dope money to be called a Drug Cartel legally, you just have to know that ISIS’ coffers are flooded not only with oil, taxes, extortion and ransom money, but drug money. Legalize all drugs and we can reduce the amount of chaos.

      Furball and Doc (and all the other vets on the couch–including Allan), may the Lord bless you with too many pounds of good weed, hash and concentrates and may the Feds and local authorities only offer you a lighter and clean pipes . . . the same for everyone on the couch.

      • darkcycle says:

        Thanks, bro.

      • Furball says:

        Thanks, man. I was there in ’03, with RCT-1, on a 240. There’s nothing like flying down a highway at 50 mph, riding in a Swiss seat and open to the wind. We took so much of the “energy pills” that our Corpsman gave us, that the concept of uppers makes me sick to think about. On a positive, it took doing the historical research for a (potentially, some day, published) paper on the deficiencies that we dealt with in the Invasion Period, through the Transitional Periods of OIF.

        At some point, Congress will have to answer to our injured vets, and explain to them why a law enforcement bureaucracy has been allowed to write, lobby for, and then enforce the laws they want passed.

  7. Duncan20903 says:

    Enforcing medical marijuana law proving to be difficult in Lansing

    /snip/
    6 News spoke with Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero who says right now there are not enough police officers on the streets to monitor the industry.

    “The police department has a job to do answering 911 calls. I don’t have an extra force of 20 people to put on a marijuana Gestapo to shut down these dispensaries,” said Mayor Bernero.

    • primus says:

      They always underestimate the size of the cannabis market, both medical and non-medical. That is why they are always surprised at the number of merchants that it takes to service that market. Why is it that they ALL underestimate the size of the market? Is it because they have listened to the government’s talking know-nothings for too long? I believe (correct me if I am mistaken) that the legal market in Colorado and Washington is larger than projections, and there is still a black market in operation at this point. Once the black market is all but gone, the real size of the cannabis market will be known. Until then, we are operating with insufficient data.

      • Duncan20903 says:

        .
        .

        It’s very difficult to make accurate estimates of anything when you have your hands over your eyes, ear plugs inserted and singing “lalalalalalala….I can’t he-ee-eee-ear you!” at the top of your lungs. Damn primus, I thought you had that figured out. ;-}

        Seriously, it’s easy to underestimate the size of the market. In particular if you subscribe to the notion that if you can’t see it then it doesn’t exist. But I certainly had it underestimated by several orders of magnitude until the California Board of Equalization started to make medicinal cannabis vendors collect and remit sales tax. For all practical intents and purposes those taxes were voluntary back in that day. When reported gross revenue came in at over $1 billion I was flabbergasted. Presuming that those reported sales were voluntary what’s a good percentage of actual sales to figure were actually reported? How does one quantify a clandestine market? Well you’re guess is as good as mine. Mine was 5-10% of the total market which quantified the total California market between $10 billion and $20 billion. IMO more likely closer to the $20 billion based on the fact that people hate paying taxes. At 12% of the population we can then extrapolate a nationwide market pushing $200 billion a year. Now that was circa 2008 with some very significant changes in the character of the nationwide market but if the nationwide market isn’t still in excess of $100 billion I’ll eat my proverbial hat.

        All of that being said the reason I pointed out the incident was because it sure sounded to me like Mayor Birg doesn’t see the dispensaries as a problem. Also very amusing because instead of “task force” he said “gestapo.” Michigan authorities do dearly love their multi-jurisdictional “drugs” task forces so I don’t think that I’m presuming too much when I think that he was being purposefully disrespectful towards those task forces.
        https://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/2016_Multijuridictional_Task_Forces_FINAL_492860_7.pdf

  8. Uncle Albert's Nephew says:

    OMG they said that merry wanna and heroin are on the opposite ends of a “spectrum”. That sends a mixed message to the children that merry wanna isn’t as evil and dirty rotten as heroin. End snark.

  9. Mouth says:

    Wishful thinking plus hope: Donald Turnip would be so disastrous that both parties would start working together and more and more of the average citizen would rise up, serve their communities/country and write to their politicians and vote upon different standards. The generation of Americans who went to school and or began early adult life under the dot.com crash, 9/11, War on Terror, War in Iraq, 2008 Financial Crisis, Gov bailouts, drone wars, Increased Militarized police forces, and social media broadening the scope of black and Latino citizens being harassed by cops will pick more democratic and constructive paths. Hillary Clinton: meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Does Johnson have over 1/3 of the voters in his pocket?

    No rebuilding the nation until the bricks and mortar of career politicians and bureaucrats have all been toppled down.

  10. O.B.Server says:

    re: “We call for mens rea elements in the definition of any new crimes to protect Americans who, in violating a law, act unknowingly or without criminal intent.”

    “Mens rea”? But what about womens?

    Well then, just let me signal my virtue: I believe in equal rights for the mens and the womens.

    But seriously, ignorance of the law, or intent, is only exonerating for government police.

    But for you, you sniveling serf: ignorance of The Law is no excuse.

    Think otherwise? Here, have a few thousand taser volts to induce a grand-mal seizure or cardiac fibrillation. (And don’t tell me the government never gave you anything.)

    Are you still twitching from the grand mal seizure? I mean, resisting arrest? Well, you sniveling non-person, the goodly Officer Friendly told you to “Stop Resisting!”, and those involuntary induced grand mal seizure ictal twitches count as “resisting”. So here: have a few rounds of hollow-point, at point blank range to help you settle down and not resist arrest.

    Government is sure you were guily of something, at least.

  11. DC Reade says:

    Trump’s VP pick, Mike Pence, made his bones as a Congressman as a more-hardline-than-thou Drug Warrior

    https://img.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_1484w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2016/07/15/National-Politics/Images/Pence_drug_Ad_1988_composite21468605731.jpg?uuid=Qr73PEq2EeaNrAxuSszFsQ

    recent move by Pence, as Indiana Governor:

    2016 Indiana General Assembly
    Pence reinstates mandatory minimum prison terms for some drug crimes

    Dan Carden dan.carden@nwi.com, (317) 637-9078
    Mar 21, 2016

    http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/pence-reinstates-mandatory-minimum-prison-terms-for-some-drug-crimes/article_7438d356-3c54-54aa-b68a-8b0b7c3c640e.html

    • B. Snow says:

      Didn’t he also allow a “temporary” reinstatement of a needle exchange program in Indiana because of the rather severe resurgence of cases of HIV & Hepatitis?

      Scary enough for him to do this and be praised for it by citizens = Most of who would have previously lynched him for such a “transgression” of excepted Republican-flavored Social Conservative orthodoxy?

      I’m not a fan of Mike Pence = But, acts showing a grasp of pragmatic thought beyond political perception are a bit of hope that they might go with additional rational policies in the future.

      Like ending the Drug War because its too damn expensive – and some Conservatives would rather spend that cash on sending their kids/family/friends to rehab programs.

      I suspect that’s the same reason they decided needle exchanges weren’t the (figurative) “End of the World”…
      Nope, because you see = That “End of the World” scenario in their reality, Is when HIV & Hepatitis threaten their kids, family, and friends…

      You know people they actually care about, Not just pretend to in an Authoritarian manner – as a pretense for them to have power over these “other people”.

      When it comes down to brass tacks, That’s when they occasionally go with the most pragmatic and logical route or strategy = When they start to worry less about maintaining their position(s) of Authoritarian Power and act like humans with hearts = if only conditionally, and Only after they’ve exhausted all other options they believe might work…

  12. jean valjean says:

    If Trump wins it will be because of this sort of corruption on the part of the Clinton campaign. And you know what? They deserve to lose.

    http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/chaotic-start-dnc-wasserman-shultz-resigns-disgrace-only-be-elevated-clinton-key

  13. Civil War 2.0 says:

    Too bad so sad about comrade Bernie selling out.
    Poof go the fresh new ideas from a 74 year old Bolshevik seltzer man.
    Don’t worry globalist Hillary feels your pain in her $12,000 Armani jacket.
    She will end the drug war and disband the DEA because her wall street pimps demand it.
    Keep telling yourself that and you might even start to believe it.

    • jean valjean says:

      “Keep telling yourself that and you might even start to believe it.” I don’t think many here are telling themselves anything like that.

    • Frank W. says:

      I knew the real Berry Goldwater, sir, and you’re no Berry.
      Oregon Rules Everyone Drools
      GOLDWATER KESEY 2016

      • Vert de Ferk says:

        You knew dingleberry Goldwater? Well isn’t that special.
        Pepperidge Farm remembers Bartles and James wine coolers and Max Headroom but no one cares about any of that either.
        Oh and Colorado shits all over Oregon.

        • DdC says:

          Changing your moniker doesn’t cure your trollness Ferky.
          Or make it a surprise you’re an expert on dingleberries.

          Or typically slobbering troll droplets about Pepperidge Farm? Wtf do they have to do with Bartles and James or wtf does wine coolers have to do with drug policy reform? Or candidates? Just because you’re a nobody with no experiences doesn’t mean you’re entitled to spew crap as if it had meaning. Its troll droppings. Unsubstantiated Trumpspeak.

          Fear mongers and suck ups getting paid to cheer. From the looks of it you’re stuck in an 80’s Rayguns time loop. Skip the next round of coolers, you’re slurring your words kid. Not that any of your spewtoms makes sense, but how does a state shit on another? Like OK and NE tried on CO?

          Besides in mho CA’s citizen’s initiative trumps all incrementalistic state legislation’s letting politicians and cops write the initiatives. Dispensaries for any CA resident for any reason to use. even delivers. Just like it should be in all states and countries without the politicians tweaking it for tax revenue.

          But that will take more than trolls spewing nonsense. What are they paying trolls to disrupt and divert message boards? Just think when Hilzy passes a federal living wage you might even afford rent and move out of your parents basement.

          Goldwater was the last republican. Then the Neoconstipated took over with Nixon Bush and Kissinger. Then Bush and his puppet Rayguns like Cheney and his puppet Junior. Ford’s claim to fame is burying research after finding cannabis reduces brain tumors. Nancy’s propaganda using SWAT to brainwash kids in Daryle Gates DARE bullshit.

          Junior paying off Haliburton in Iraq and Afghanistan costing tax payers 5 trillion dollars for two wars, two bankster bailouts and a trillion wasted by braindead sluts arresting 30 million Americans for pot possession, inhaling or not.

          Goldwater was for legalizing and as I said, not a corporate sell out like the GOPers worship. The biggest problem of the democrats is looking too republican. That says a lot for gopers thinking republicans aren’t fascist enough. Then jerk that plastic MalWart’s flag made in China calling each other patriots. Chumps.

          Barry Goldwater Ganja & Twelve US Presidents
          http://endingcannabisprohibition.yuku.com/sreply/401

    • DdC says:

      Civil War is an Oxymoron.
      Unlike Rush Limbaugh, a Moron on Oxy.

      Bernie went beyond his own expectations and the policy has shifted from the Neoconartists agenda. So you must be a troll. Ideas never go poof You really should get off of the notion Hilary is running for the position of God. Or the Poutesters pissed the party is too far right so they’re not voting or giving Stein a wasted vote. Johnson has a chance at bringing ideas to the debate for Drumpf’s voters.

      The DNC and GOP are Neocons with no allegiance to any country. Is there an echo? Just business in the global economy. The base is different. Limbites verses Realists.

      Wall St runs the drug war, Fat Pharma and Fat Ag, Fossil Fools, Dead Trees, crude plastic, chemical cotton, exported meat and mostly Prohibition Inc. all making tidy sums perpetuating the WoD. Why in anything but Newt doublespeak would they not fight to keep it? It’s more rehab vs prison profits.

      Bernie got it on the platform but I haven’t heard much lately. His message was politically corrected from the initial wording in his issue list. Kaine is more of a threat if you’re comparing mosquitos to the GOP based Neocon war itself. With a fox ditto base in lock step to the fatherland.

      Caucasian men and women are afraid of changing ratios on the color wheel. Many colors of men fear women in power, and site the bible and Carly, Whitman Thatcher as proof power corrupts without bias. Deregulating the checks and balances causes it. Defunding oversight and paying politicians campaigns as corporate employee legislators. The thought of reversing the tables after 500 years of slavery. Churned up by fear mongers.

      Haven’t heard of one Stoner caring who smokes a joint. What color or party. All are welcome. Use the hemp instead of Iraqi crude. Or clear cutting or blowing up mountain tops. Sucking up water in droughts exporting.

      “You’re enough of a pro,” Nixon tells Shafer, “to know that for you to come out with something that would run counter to what the Congress feels and what the country feels, and what we’re planning to do, would make your commission just look bad as hell.”
      – Richard Milhouse Nixon

      Feeling vs Fact

      Trolls are so damn boring.

  14. Pingback: Democratic Party Platform « Drug WarRant

  15. Other welcome statements in the platform include replacing family-planning programs with abstinence education, and endorsement of Bible-as-literature courses and study of original founding documents in history and civics classes.

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