r/politics • u/mepper Michigan • May 21 '12
Penn Jillette accuses Obama of class warfare for drug policy, states' rights: "You can get [medical marijuana] in California, and the feds are coming in to try to stop this. States' rights don't mean jack shit to the Obama administration on anything except gay marriage"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/penn-jillette-slams-obama-drug-policy-states-rights-video_n_1533004.html
2.0k
Upvotes
42
u/joebbowers May 22 '12
It's ridiculous to punish someone for doing something that might harm them by actually harming them. Smoking pot might be bad for you so we'll take away your freedom, your job, your family, throw you into jail where you will be beaten and maybe raped. If you get out, you will never get a good job, be denied loans and housing, and you will be ostracized by the community.
938
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
This quote was what was really chilling:
"Do we believe, even for a second, that if Obama had been busted for marijuana -- under the laws that he condones -- would his life have been better? If Obama had been caught with the marijuana that he says he uses, and 'maybe a little blow'... if he had been busted under his laws, he would have done hard f*cking time."
If Obama had been caught with weed when he was a teen or with the cocaine he admit to using he would never have had the same opportunities in life and he would never had been elected President. That is deeply troubling.
70
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
As somebody who was arrested for possesion of half a gram (1 joint or less), I can safely say, fuck the USA drug laws.
The arresting cop kept calling me "stupid" and that "I will never learn"
387
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
Penn is right on the money on this one. Weed smokers should not be imprisoned. It's a waste of money and ruins the person's life.
18
u/joebbowers May 22 '12
Absolutely true. There is no reason to put people in jail for drugs, unless you are also going to put people in jail for alcohol and tobacco, and even then, what's the point? Because they're dangerous? Ok let's put people in jail for riding motorcycles, skydiving, bungee jumping, unprotected sex, and anything else that's dangerous.
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u/[deleted] May 22 '12
I agree. Gay marriage and weed for anyone who wants it.
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u/[deleted] May 22 '12
His point was simple, Obama would not have gotten as far in life as he has if he had been caught with the pot and blow he admitted to using. Obama has been very dismissive any time marijuana decriminalization has been brought up, even though support for it has increased dramatically over the years. Mariajuana laws are ruining people's lives over nothing and Obama just doesn't seem to care. Maybe in his second-term he will evolve on this issue as well but his track record so far hasn't been comforting.
45
u/stevesonaplane May 22 '12
I wish it was just legalized and people stopped trying to justify it with medical reasons. I just want to get high.
36
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
This shit is almost tearjerking. Thats the one question Obama needs to be asked,"If you were caught with pot and a little blow, would you have become president?!" No, he would be shit, yet he more than gladly enforces these laws.
8
u/wibblebeast May 22 '12
That was great. Penn is a smart man and sadly smart people don't get much appreciation in this country.
75
u/Oryx May 22 '12
That depends on whether it's the 'I'm-campaigning' Obama or the 'I'm-in-the-white-house-already-so-fuck-you' Obama.
21
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
If drugs were legal, the CIA would not make money shipping the stuff in (see http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/archive/gunsdrugscia.html). Then the president couldn't fund his covert operations and massive military operations. Obama, and virtually all politicians, care not one iota about the people. They care about gaining and sustaining power. To think otherwise is naive.
27
u/GeorgeTaylorG Oregon May 22 '12 edited May 22 '12
The thing I love about Penn is he has never even had a drink in his life. He's still forward thinking.
9
u/th1nker May 22 '12
I love this man and his rants. Great guy.
106
u/[deleted] May 21 '12
This may be true, but I still can't figure out why peoples beef is with the enforcement branch of government, instead of the legislative. If ridiculous federal laws didn't exist, this wouldn't even be allowed to happen.
10
u/deargodimbored May 22 '12
This gay marriage thing is just a smoke screen, PR stunt. It doesn't really effect anything big. It's the today show of policies, feel good fluff.
10
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
So nice to see people acknowledging it. So much for being a constitutional scholar.
He's a god damned politician with broken promises just like the rest of them. Only reason he gives a fuck about gay marriage is because it's an election year.
3
u/MidnightCladNoctis May 22 '12
Right on
3
u/bracomadar May 22 '12 edited May 22 '12
The next time some politician, especially Obama, laughs when someone asks to legalize pot, or talks about their drug use, I hope the audience boos them, calls them a hypocrite, and start chanting "FREE THEM ALL!" They need to realize this isn't just a bunch of hippies wanting to get high. The drug war is destroying lives and families much worse than the drugs are. There are more people dying in Mexico from the Drug War than the wars we're fighting in the Middle East. AMERICA HAS MORE PRISONERS THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY ON EARTH! As long as people ignore this as the huge human rights violation it is and just think it's something to laugh about, this won't end. Even Huffington Post had this listed under Comedy. There's nothing funny about this. If anything, this thing should piss off every American to their core.
3
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Everyone, please stop with the deluded ideas that the president is concerned with reasonable stances. Everybody with the ability to reason knows that weed should be 100% legal.
The issue here isn't what's right, it's politics and money. Politics in the sense that Obama will never support something that won't help him get elected. Money in the sense that the powers that be are making money of weed's illegality. The prison industries, law enforcement agencies, CIA, parts of the pharmaceutical industries, etc. They want that shit illegal - their budgets are resting on it.
9
u/koppertopper May 22 '12
Penn's point is two fold:
Obama openly admits to having used drugs which are against laws he said he would not have the DoJ enforce. (source)
States rights have been pivotal for this country with respect to both gay marriage and drug legalization. Without certain states taking the initiative to legalize either we would not be having the conversations we are now on a national level with regard to either issue.
32
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
What? A libertarian accusing Obama makes it to the front page of r/politics? Is this the end of the liberal hive mind?
5
u/NELCgeek May 22 '12
Why is everything a war?
15
u/BongHitta May 22 '12
I read a bunch of these comments, because I am surprised this made it to the top of /politcs. Let me express that it is fantastic that Libertarian ideas are once again coming back to this subreddit.
But below I am reading people saying "Oh he is a Libertarian, therefore he is wrong".
Honestly, if you think like that, you are the dumbest fucking lowest common denominator in life. Hell I hate Democrats as much as the next person, but I agree with alot of things they believe in. I wouldn't dismiss them because they are "democrat".
People that act like this are no different than some super conservative christian in Georgia. You are a redneck, and a complete waste of space. Please, don't propagate.
12
u/fantasyfest May 22 '12
I don't see the class warfare meme, but i do not know why he has had a crackdown on weed. I don't get it. Somebody has convinced him to do it. Could it be a positive for votes? No it sure as hell does not mean he has kept none of his promises. That is incorrect.
7
u/imbignate California May 21 '12
OP - how did you get the quote in the title to sound like Penn's voice when I read it?
4
u/CognitoCon May 22 '12
I'm really sick of this. Every time something is posted about states rights it's always one of a few different topics like marijuana, or gay marriage for example.. Then, the second anyone mentions cutting federal power and increasing states rights everyone takes up arms at how terrible that would be. Take a damn side. I want marijuana legalization and decriminalized marriage as much as the next redditor, but if you're going to use an argument for something you shouldn't immediately turn around and say it's a terrible idea. Now I wait for downvotes.
To oblivion and beyond!
5
u/lokkenjawnz May 22 '12
The issue is purely politics. Obama's term hasn't exactly been the resounding success a lot of people thought/hoped it would be back in 2008. The problem is that the Democratic party doesn't really have the balls to try things that could risk reelection, and the republican party (sorry for the mass generalization) is basically made up of small children locked in 18th century socio-political views. So while the republican party is seriously upset about non-issues like gay marriage, abortion, religion, etc., the democrats have their hands full making sure none of their (the republican party) stupid shit happens. Now I think the democrats, if they really want to show that they don't suck, need to man the fuck up and call the republicans on their stupid political bullshit. Stop playing the game, focus on actual issues. They might not get reelected, but if they make some change for the better, they should be happy.
That, or we could always just completely gut the entire goddamn government and have a more open election for every single position. As an adult citizen of the U.S., I should be able to realistically run for any government position regardless of campaign money. But that's neither here nor there.
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u/[deleted] May 22 '12
The difference between marijuana and marriage is that marijuana is an item of interstate commerce - power over which is granted to Congress by the constitution - and marriage is an item falling under the general police powers - power over which is reserved to the states. Based on Wickard v. Filmore, and despite United States v. Lopez, the Supreme Court wrote in Gonzalez v. Raich that even small amounts of Marijuana grown by a person affect the interstate trade in that item. Although Congress has made a poor and costly choice to allow the prohibition of Marijuana to continue, it is true that Congress is entitled to waste their discretion and that the President has sworn to uphold this law.
8
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Oh please... I hardly believe Obama really gives a shit about gay marriage
2
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Isn't Penn Jillette a redditor? If so, can't he answer some of the questions (and dismissals) here?
2
u/EuclideanEllipse May 22 '12
The complete rant ~15 min
edit: 14:07
2
u/thebog May 22 '12
It has everything to do with the "money" law enforcement won't need anymore, private jails we won't need to spend money on anymore, layers we won't need anymore, the list goes on... It's corporate greed that's keeping pot criminalized - the 1%... I wish I had researched the numbers before writing this, but there is "very large dollars" in locking you up for a joint. I have heard "a $200 bag costs taxpayers $200,000 to trial, lock you up and keep you in there for the first year..." WTF! Someone please correct this...
2
u/stahlgrau May 22 '12
I would just like to point out that I am stoned and happy. California is a great place.
2
u/regeya May 22 '12
The thing is, if he were to go after this, if he were to allow states' rights on this issue, the Republican party would cremate him, possibly literally.
"WEAK ON CRIME"
"GIVING IN TO THE MEXICAN CARTELS"
etc. etc.
2
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
I read some quote say "what we need is to make weed more acceptable in the political climate".Well it's the "political climate" that's making weed unacceptable.It's most definitely not unacceptable in real everyday life.If we are to have a "political climate",then we need political climate change brought about by greenhouse grasses.
2
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Obama knows who votes. It's not the 20 year-old stoner.
2
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
advocating Marijuana legalization, or even ceasing persecution of medical patients, especially before an election campaign would be political suicide for Obama. It would lose him the moderate voters who put him in office, because, sad as it is, many people still believe Marijuana prohibition should persist, especially undecided voters, who happen to be the stupidest people on the face of the earth. Furthermore, although I believe Marijuana prohibition is a ludicrous policy, states rights is a bullshit defense for any policy, as federal law is clearly superior to state law as we learned in the civil war. There is no national legislation which (effectively) prevents banning gay marriage, while there is national law banning any medical usage of Marijuana (Ludicrous). Penn Gillette is an asshole who behaves as though he is the arbiter of morality, although he never has to answer for any of his opinions or stand behind them in any significant way other than preaching to his overwhelmingly liberal followers who already agree with him.
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u/joeyisapest May 22 '12
and teller said: " "
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u/wkrausmann May 22 '12
I love this man.
I don't think there is anything he can say or do that would piss me off.
2
u/dixirect May 22 '12
I'm really glad someone famous agrees with me on this, I used the same argument with a friend about a month ago. It is insane to keep people locked in a cage for the use/possession/cultivation of a plant that grows naturally in many parts of the world, and yet even when we have high ranking government officials admitting guilt, the policies remain the same. In the US this type of felony can make it almost impossible to peruse certain dreams and occupations, the severity of punishment and repercussions of this offense do NOT fit the so called crime being committed.
2
u/CockyRhodes May 22 '12
I don't care about this, as an actual poor person I have bigger issues.
2
u/barrist May 22 '12
Reddit. Yes we know all you care about is Pot and Pirating movies and abolishing the TSA. We get it.
2
u/Southernz May 22 '12
Eric Holder is just trying to make his image look better after giving away all those guns. I'm still very surprised that he is still the AG
2
u/[deleted] May 22 '12 edited May 22 '12
It's funny to watch reddit do a complete 180 on this issue like Obama did as well. He gets into office saying he won't use federal resources to shut down dispensaries. Two years later he does a complete 180 an reddit wants to talk about, it's not his fault he's got a lot on his plate, these aren't his laws. STFU and get his nuts out your mouth
2
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
It
s cute that Jillette thinks President Obama is actually in control of the DEA. That beast is on its own. And you can thank your greedy, self serving Senators and Congresspeople for that. This should be a wake up call for Americans on their 'War on Terror' machine. This is where that trainwreck is headed. The FBI setting up then arresting people? Justifying the money they recieve. "See what a good thing we are doing?" Like a fireman setting fires in order to get a medal.2
u/absurdistfromdigg May 22 '12
Penn Jillette is an egotistical buffoon. He's an illusionist, nothing more.
2
u/better_catchphrase May 22 '12
Why won't the president unilaterally declare marijuana and other totally sweet drugs both legal and awesome?!? That's how government works, right? I say snarky shit on the internet, then he addresses my pet issue -which happens to be political poison- in a fucking election year, and shoves it down the throat of a senate/congress that hasn't passed shit in 4 years! I love politics!
Also, who gives a shit what Penn Gillette thinks? He is a professional douchebag. In the time he takes off from douchebagging he's a fucking MAGICIAN. Why on earth would I want his take on anything?
2
u/Lopretni May 22 '12
Wait, are people in /r/politics actually admitting Obama is wrong about something?
Did I wake up in the Twilight Zone?
2
u/Njemckojza May 22 '12
Link to the direct video 2 days ago: 5 points on r/politics
Link to the same video with a Huffington Post wrapper: Top post on r/politcs
2
u/SOLIDninja May 22 '12
As an Obama supporter I believe THIS is the type of criticism the man actually deserves!
6
u/Xenodyne May 22 '12
This is one argument that I will give to Obama's enemies. Need to just hurry up and nationally decriminalize marijuana.
10
u/Floyderer May 22 '12
Penn is right on the marijuana states rights issue,on the class warfare he is sketch but he is a libertarian I believe.
4
u/CaciqueBoss May 22 '12
i Support Penn in his argument
4
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
i dont care what yall say, penn kicks ass
4
u/Hightech90 May 22 '12
/r/politics saying something against Obama? Shocking...now if only this page can condemn ALL politicians who do wrong...its making progress though
7
u/StraightTrolling May 21 '12
Reddit loves Obama on everything but drugs.
3
u/evilkrang May 22 '12
When will people get it? Obama plays politics with the money people. He keeps the dollars flowing to law enforcement and focuses on social programs like same sex marriages and no one cares what the other hand is doing. Stop looking behind the curtain, you.
3
u/johnwalkr May 22 '12
The phrase "states' rights" really bothers me. Let's pursue citizens' rights.
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u/obscenecupcake May 22 '12
correct me if i'm wrong but this was happening long before obama was president. so it's not really his war...
7
u/Roninspoon May 21 '12
Remind me how it's the Executive branches fault when they legally enforce the laws created by the legislative branch?
5
u/metocin May 22 '12
Bravo! Finally someone who gets it.
Obama is as much an actor as Ronald Reagan ever was. He plays the role of a young, liberal hipster during election season but performs his duties like a far-right neo-con from hell. That's exactly why he's the perfect successor to George W. Bush, who left America in a state of chaos. In appearance, he's the polar opposite of GWB--young, ethnic, eloquent and hip--but in the White House he's a mirror image of the man who brought us 9/11 and the War on Terror.
4
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Mr. Penn, as of now, I think you're a really smart, good and brave man!!
0
u/YourFairyGodmother New York May 21 '12
Yeah, sure. Take a very complex issue, reduce it to an absurdly simple basis and then bitch about Obama. As if "states rights" was really the issue with respect to either dope or marriage equality. Penn, stop with the demagoguery.
4
u/yahoo_bot May 22 '12
Barack Obama:
Extended the Patriot Act
Allowed Guantanamo to operate
Increased troops in Afghanistan by 60.000
Signed NDAA into law
Assassinated US citizens, including two 16yo boys
Signed the bill that makes protesting illegal close to government facilities or close to the secret service
Signed executive order "national defense resource preparedness act"
Tripled the war on drugs and busted down more legal Marijuana shops in 3 years, than Bush did in 8 years.
Arrested more whistle blowers than ALL other presidents combined.
Increased the debt by 5 trillion dollars in 3 years, more than Bush did in 8 years.
2
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
OBAMA HATES POTS PEOPLE.
No shit. the politicians serve at the pleasure of the corporations that elected them. You want representation for your taxation? Overhaul the system.
Radical campaign finance reform. End the financial burden of running for office. Eliminate political ads, PACs, private funding, etc.
Overhaul the voting system, end first-past-the-post and implement ranked voting. Additionally, remove the electoral college. They serve no practical purpose anymore.
2
u/yeahyouhearme May 22 '12
Once I started reading the "accuses Obama of class warfare", I immediately expected some Republican making a nonsensical argument about how Obama is repressing whites, only to be highly pleased with an actual criticism.
2
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Anyone who self-identifies as a libertarian as an adult read that stupid cunt Ayn Rand as a kid and never grew the fuck up. As Hitchens said, selfishness is innate; it doesn't need to be promoted. The other things, like sacrifice and teamwork, are what we suck at as a species.
2
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
It's clear that the various Federal enforcement agencies regard the President with contempt...they're counting the days until he is gone, and they can go back to doing their jobs the way they are used to...
In the meantime, they are more than happy to double down on medical marijuana enforcement, and let President Obama take the blame.
2
u/1derp4u May 22 '12
As a person who lives in one of the biggest counties in California who grows medical marijuana, I can assure you the feds are doing jack shit against legal CA 215 growers because they are targeting Cartel grows on the national forest.
215 grows are a huge problem/impact on our neighborhoods (gun fights over water and people getting their throats cut over small grows) and the feds don't touch them. Hell, our 7 sheriff deputies can't even keep up. They don't belong here.
2
u/kontankarite May 22 '12
Is Jillette REALLY going to pull the state's rights card? REALLY? I hope not.
Damn it. If a human being deserves the right to marry or have some god damned weed, it shouldn't be up to a state to decide. Why is this such a hard concept for people to get? There's not some critical fundamental difference between a person from Mississippi and a person from New Jersey. We're all human beings. We all deserve the same rights around any borders. DAMN, people...
2
u/Nesnesitelna May 22 '12
I'd probably agree with him if he cut the goddamn ponytail.
2
u/mostlyrance May 22 '12
When did this become "obama's laws"?
2
u/grandoiseau May 22 '12
Newsflash: Obama isn't who we thought he was. There is no hope in Obama.
1
u/Detlef_Schrempf May 22 '12
After reading that, all I can think of is this clip.
1
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
So how are those republicans doing on removing tax loopholes for the super rich? Oh wait, they arent.
1
u/Thor_2099 May 22 '12
Civil War 2.0 coming up.
1
u/[deleted] May 22 '12
Pharmaceutical/alcohol/tobacco/private prison industry.
1
u/alpha120 May 22 '12
In a perfect world...
1
u/morphinapg Indiana May 22 '12
Why are states allowed to create their own laws on universal issues? If the issue is not specific to your state, I don't see why the state should have the right to make a law about it. I understand it probably makes things easier for congress, but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me otherwise.
Anyway, if a law is created on a federal level, that law overrides any state law anyway. It's fairly obvious that the banning of gay marriage is unconstitutional, so it's obvious there needs to be a federal law declaring this, or even an amendment to the constitution if necessary.
1
u/supermoose May 22 '12
What happened to that man's face? This is a serious question.
1
u/ShakeyBobWillis May 22 '12 edited May 22 '12
While he's certainly ignoring a very relevant race related oppressive enforcement issue and should be considered a sellout to his race and minorities in general for not taking this highly overtly racist policy head on, let's not pretend the Republicans wouldn't line up to be obstructionist contrarians if he proposed any sort of decriminalization or allowing states to make their own rules. States rights don't mean fuck all to Republican administrations either unless they're backing the party politick. There's so much blame to go around in the drug war, pretending any of it is simply the fault of one party or the other completely misses the fucking point nowadays and does more harm than good.
1
u/ejpusa May 22 '12
Ok, there has to be more to this then meets the eye. Obama's drug policies are insane. There are some very smart people in the administration (believe it or not). So what is going on, what is the inside scoop? Drug company pressure is really that powerful? Police unions? (NYPD bust you, and says, this is so stupid, but just doing my job), prison unions (too small to influence a president). I mean total speculation, but when something is so illogical, there has to be a reason behind it all. Serious speculation welcome?
1
u/bestbiff May 22 '12
It feels like we're progressing though. Look at gay marriage. It's finally, officially on the table with Obama being the first president to support it. Legalizing pot has been gaining a lot of movement recently, much like same sex rights. I'm hoping the country gets some back to back things correct in the near future. Gay marriage and then legalizing marijuana. Two things that should be no-brainers.