UK: "Scientists? On our Drug Advisory panels? FUCK THAT"

[Auschwitz Nazi Disneyland]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/12/06/science_advice/

So basically, the government is meaning to do away with the standard scientific advisory panel that is legally required to be present when dealing with drug policy.

Bonus:

The Nutt sacking led to a wider row about the role of evidence-based policy and the rights...

[Frankeh]

science has no place in modern politics

[Fractals]

I'm not surprised, why would politicians care what scientists think when their voters don't?

[DiStOrTiOn]

Originally Posted by Auschwitz Nazi Disneyland

So basically, the government is meaning to do away with the standard scientific advisory panel that is legally required to be present when dealing with drug policy.

as if scientists had any say before in drug regulation

if they listened to scientists then weed wouldnt be illegal

[Dandamano]

Scientists are just a puppet when it comes to things like this , there put there so the the public think "oh there scientists! They MUST know what there talking about! No way could they be bias!"

The goverment have gone past the stage of giving a fuck of what the public think about them and don't even bother trying to convince people that they are right.

There attitude now is "we are the goverment you will believe everything we say, and you will do exactly as we tell you , we do not need to prove anything to you"

The sad thing is 95% of the population have faith in them and there bullshit and believe what is told to them by the goverment without even questioning it

[Nero]

We're a disgraceful species. This isn't news.

[Dog]

"The UK..."

Enough said?

[Former_Member]

That's what you get when you start voting for a party that's essentially nothing more than a rag-tag alliance of the old aristocracy and the new bourgeoisie. Damn conservatives.

[Fractals]

Originally Posted by Ryan1711

That's what you get when you start voting for a party that's essentially nothing more than a rag-tag alliance of the old aristocracy and the new bourgeoisie. Damn conservatives.

I can really only speak for America, but a lot of politicians are antidrug simply because their voters are. Even California, probably the most pro-marijuana state in the country voted down Prop 19 to legalize weed. It's not that the government won't listen, it's that lots of the voting population wouldn't believe the scientists. It's too risky of a political move to follow the recommendations that the past 2 studies on the harm of drugs have made.

edit: shit, i just reread your post and i think i expanded on it instead of disagreeing with it... o well i guess its directed at the rest of the thread

[The Better Version]

Psssh. No one ever listens smart people. Just look at what happened to Socrates...

[tariel]

Originally Posted by Ryan1711

That's what you get when you start voting for a party that's essentially nothing more than a rag-tag alliance of the old aristocracy and the new bourgeoisie. Damn conservatives.

Oh, what about the Liberal Democrats? It's a coalition dumbass so don't just dump it on the Conervatives. The real reason is because policy says, drugs are bad. Therefor if scientists disagree with this, even if there is evidence, they don't like it and want to get rid of them. Thats why they got rid of David Nutt when he said alcohol and cigarettes are more dangerous then MDMA and LSD.

But please don't be misguided and think things would be any different under a Labour government.

[Former_Member]

Originally Posted by tariel

Oh, what about the Liberal Democrats? It's a coalition dumbass so don't just dump it on the Conervatives. The real reason is because policy says, drugs are bad. Therefor if scientists disagree with this, even if there is evidence, they don't like it and want to get rid of them. Thats why they got rid of David Nutt when he said alcohol and cigarettes are more dangerous then MDMA and LSD.

But please don't be misguided and think things would be any different under a Labour government.

Of course they would. Labour are bad, but they aren't this bad.
Case in point being, this is happening now and not last year.

[Bobitis]

I'm waiting for something to give in this country. I think it'll be about the same time people realise that every politician is the same (with a few exceptions, but they rarely get into positions of high power) and David Cameron will do just as bad of a job as Gordon Brown did. Of course, thinking about some of the people I know, that may never happen

[TaxonomicalPissingContest]

Originally Posted by Bobitis

I'm waiting for something to give in this country. I think it'll be about the same time people realise that every politician is the same (with a few exceptions, but they rarely get into positions of high power) and David Cameron will do just as bad of a job as Gordon Brown did. Of course, thinking about some of the people I know, that may never happen

You would be horrifyingly surprised at how tight The Man can turn the screw while the people just look on with supine apathy. The entirety of British History, from the beatdown of the Peasants' Revolt to the Restoration of Charles II to the Peterloo massacre and beyond, show just what a spineless heap of a nation we are.

We have a whinge and a moan and a kerfuffle until Monty Python's Colonel comes out, tells us we're getting far too silly and sends us all away to bed without any supper. There never was any revolutionary spirit in Britain and until western civilisation collapses under its own dead weight, there never will be.

Just keep your fucking head down and don't come to the attention of the powerful.

[AdMech]

I'm so ashamed of the human race.

[Bobitis]

Originally Posted by TaxonomicalPissingContest

You would be horrifyingly surprised at how tight The Man can turn the screw while the people just look on with supine apathy. The entirety of British History, from the beatdown of the Peasants' Revolt to the Restoration of Charles II to the Peterloo massacre and beyond, show just what a spineless heap of a nation we are.

We have a whinge and a moan and a kerfuffle until Monty Python's Colonel comes out, tells us we're getting far too silly and sends us all away to bed without any supper. There never was any revolutionary spirit in Britain and until western civilisation collapses under its own dead weight, there never will be.

Just keep your fucking head down and don't come to the attention of the powerful.

Exactly, the problem is people think they have such zeal. But that is diverted to non-issues in the news to give people something to be mad about. I read the Sun most days at work because it's the only paper anyone buys there and it's quite funny to read. There's maybe 1 or 2 real stories in the entire paper and they're usually not given much space.

I don't think democracy is a viable system in any setting, it just turns what should be a very important position into a popularity contest. But having said that I can't think of any system that would work, people will always find a way to fuck it up in the end and democracy works well enough for now. I can imagine if democracy ever does fail, will it then be treated the same way Communism is now? Would there be people preaching against democracy on TV? XD

[TaxonomicalPissingContest]

Originally Posted by Bobitis

Exactly, the problem is people think they have such zeal. But that is diverted to non-issues in the news to give people something to be mad about. I read the Sun most days at work because it's the only paper anyone buys there and it's quite funny to read. There's maybe 1 or 2 real stories in the entire paper and they're usually not given much space.

I don't think democracy is a viable system in any setting, it just turns what should be a very important position into a popularity contest. But having said that I can't think of any system that would work, people will always find a way to fuck it up in the end and democracy works well enough for now. I can imagine if democracy ever does fail, will it then be treated the same way Communism is now? Would there be people preaching against democracy on TV? XD

I long ago reached the conclusion that if power cannot be eliminated it must be decentralised and devolved to the smallest units possible - that way the damage wreaked by one autocrat or oligarchy spreads as little a distance as possible.

[Mr.Happy]

Originally Posted by Dog

"The UK..."

Enough said?

Yeah dude, I wish we had a drug policy half as liberal, sensible and evidence-based as the USA.

Oh yeah, and your state carries an 8-year minimum sentence for sale of any quantity of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school or public housing.

[crazzyass]

It's basically going to take a politician with balls. Someone who is willing to take momentary heat...or maybe longer. History will judge them fairly though and they'll get credit where it counts.

[Figure-8]

I wonder what kind of message they're trying to send.

[TaxonomicalPissingContest]

Originally Posted by ate

I wonder what kind of message they're trying to send.

I'd take a guess at something like "we just watched the banks fuck the nation over and totally get away with it, now it's the turn of us politicians to do the same. We had no idea you were such suckers, lol".

[Trousersnake]

Originally Posted by Mr.Happy

Yeah dude, I wish we had a drug policy half as liberal, sensible and evidence-based as the USA.

Oh yeah, and your state carries an 8-year minimum sentence for sale of any quantity of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school or public housing.

This. The UK might suck but the US is many times worse.

[Dog]

Originally Posted by Mr.Happy

Yeah dude, I wish we had a drug policy half as liberal, sensible and evidence-based as the USA.

Oh yeah, and your state carries an 8-year minimum sentence for sale of any quantity of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school or public housing.

I wasn't implying that US drug policy is any better; it's much worse, in fact. I was just taking a dig at British government in general.