zlacker

> But prosecutors, in their memo, argued that praising Silk Road for “harm reduction measures” was “akin to applauding a heroin dealer for handing out a clean needle with every dime bag: The point is that he has no business dealing drugs in the first place.”

Lovely.

>>serve_+(OP)
Mistaking some delusional world of zero crime doesn't do any good for people living in reality. That 'moral dealer' who hands out clean needles would be doing good. I guess the moral high-ground is ignoring the number of users who die or contract diseases from dirty needles? That's a pretty fucked perspective.

I see an issue with treating drug users (esp. recreational drug users) as somehow "less than human" because of their choices. If a heroin user dies or contracts disease from using a dirty needle, that is a sad thing and I would applaud a dealer who hands out clean needles to his clients to prevent it. Regardless of my stance on drugs and drug users.

>>Nadya+b4
Yes exactly, the reasoning proceeds from this silly world of "shoulds" which does not actually exist. In the actually-existing world, people buy drugs, and so there is value in addressing that demand as safely as possible. Instead we have cynical people like these, talking about how the real right thing is to just not sell drugs at all.

(And that's not even getting into the issue of whether we should be allowed to have drugs as supposedly free people)

>>serve_+i6
I originally read the parent quote in a non-sarcastic tone and thought you were supportive of their line of reasoning.

(Libertarians say hi.)

>>Nadya+b4
> I see an issue with treating drug users (esp. recreational drug users) as somehow "less than human" because of their choices.

The justice system only sees them as "less than human" until they can conveniently be used to create an emotional scene which can be used as ammo against someone the government doesn't like.

See: the poor defenseless kid who would still be alive today if it weren't for the silk road forcing him to buy drugs and take them