Machjo

Ah, now I understand. I expressed agreement in principle with Singapore's drug and gambling policies and you took that as support for everything Singapore stands for. Following that logic, since I prefer to eat vegan and so did Hitler, I guess that makes me a Nazi too.

Thank you. Now that I have a clearer understanding of how you define dictatorship, then yes, I guess by that definition, I do support dictatorship.

You accused me of supporting dictatorships because I support strict regulations. Then you said you have nothing against regulation yourself. So where do we draw the arbitrary line at which regulation becomes dictatorial?

How does that not make you a supporter of dictatorships then? Where do we draw the arbitrary line?

Would I describe Singapore as authoritarian? Somewhat, albeit more democratic than authoritarian but that always exists along a spectrum. Would i call Singapore a dictatorship? Nothing of the sort. Interesting though how you seem to want to avoid any discussion of any position in which you might hold more authoritarian views than I would like in trade and immigration. Why is something reprehensibly oppressive only when it involves regulating something you don't want regulated but it's fine if it regulates something you don't mind regulating?

Firstly, you're confusing dictatorship with authoritarianism. They are not the same thing. Secondly, you're ignoring that a spectrum can exist between authoritarianism and liberalism. Thirdly, different kinds of authoritarianism exists. For example, I'm for open borders, unilateral free trade, and free movement of people. If we compared ourselves on that front, I'm guessing you'd probably lean far more towards authoritarianism than I would. When it comes to addictive products and services, I stand far more towards authoritarianism than you do. So, who's more authoritarian between the two of us? I guess it would depend on what policies we're discussing, no? If you don't support open borders, does that mean you advocate for dictatorship?

Who's advocating for dictatorship?

Most gambling addicts don't experience physical withdrawals either, yet self-exclusion has still proved beneficial. Oh, by the way, self-exclusion does not prevent the non-self-excluded from entering. It would just require them to scan their ID card and fingerprint to ensure they are not self-excluded. Once confirmed, they could enter the shop and buy to their heart's content. It would just mean that those who do exclude themselves could not enter. Again, why are you against helping those addicts who might want help quitting?

I'm no enemy of addicts. I'm just trying to help them. Self-exclusion from gambling venues has benefited many gambling addicts in Singapore for example, so why not apply the same principle to recreational drugs? Do you not care about helping addicts?

https://www.projectknow.com/research/marijuana-overdose/

Projectknow doesn't appear to have taken a position on that. Why do you ask?

https://www.projectknow.com/research/marijuana-overdose/

People have overdosed on weed. It's not common but it happens. People have become hooked on it too. What would be so wronf about regulating pot similarly to how Singgapore regulates gambling whereby we could allow a person to exclude himself and require buyers ti scan their ID and fingerprint to ensure they're not self-exlcluded before selling to him?

So we have to legalize and deregulate absolutely everything to prove we're not a dictatorship?

I never proposed a police state. I proposed a democratic authoritarian state that could still guarantee a degree of privacy while still enforcing laws. For example, even though Singapore cracks down hard on traffickers to protect addicts, I'm not aware that it criminalizes participation in twelve-step groups. I don't see things in black and white wereby anything that sits on one side of some artificial line is a 'police state and everything else isn't, whereby we have a choice between anarchy and oppression and nothing can exist between these.two extremes. I actually lament the excessive worship of liberty above all else in our society.

How so?

I don't do drugs. As for your entire community.being vulnerable, may I propose Narcotics Anonymous. Making addictive substances more easily accessible just makes it harder for you to get the help you need.

To be honest, though born and raised in Canada, I admire Singapore's system and even its sensorship of online porn and its strict rules relating to gambling, drugs, and prostitution. Perhaps ironically, that might also be why Singaporeans seem more accepting of free trade and open borders than Canadians are: they know foreigners will behave in their country. In fact, my support for more open borders probably contributes to my more authoritarian views.

I recognize benefits to freedom in moderation, but I also recognize the harms of freedom to excess. I don't worship freedom as an end in itself. Though, I favour democracy, I also favour authoritarianism ti protect the most vulnerable members of our community and that includes addicts. In some ways, I see myself as a democratic authoritarian and see no irony or contradiction in that. Everything in moderation, and that includes freedom and democracy.

Why? Am I threatening your schoolyard business?

But there is till an expectation that the owner make the boundaries clear. If I buy a parcel of land in the middle of nowhere and raise not the slightest indication of my property limits, and someone crosses it thinking it was public property, I wouldn't have much to stand on since I could not reasonably expect that person to recognize that she was trespassing onto my property. I still have a duty to communicate my property's boundaries in some reasonable manner.

I don't know about you, but when I don't want someone to enter my bedroom or washroom, I close the door so as to make it clear to them that I do not want them in. I don't know, maybe it's different in the US where you leave the door wide open and then pull out your shotgun when someone dares to walk in from the living room.

So you tell me, how else does a person accidentally rob a bank. I'm out of ideas myself. Technical glitch I suppose if the ATM starts spitting money out and I'm chatting with my friends while collecting it so not paying attention at the abnormal amount of money coming out and then not give it anymore thought? Though I might be scratching my head the next day as to how I got all that money in my wallet.

I wasn't there. That's why I used the subjunctive. Another way I could see someone accidentally rob a bank would be if my car was a scrap heap, I parked in front of the bank, and the staff accidentally threw bags of money into the back of my car thinking the money was garbage and my car a garbage container.

I haven't visited the US in years, not because I don't like it, but because I have little need to visit there. Those who live closer to the border might need to cross the border for business or other reasons. Free trade after all. That said, if I lived near the border, I would appreciate a heads up when crossing the border. I'm not against crossing it, but I'd like to know when I am. If a chain-link fence is too expensive, then at least unravel some police tape along the border with the word border on it in a few languages. I hope we could afford at least that.