NationStates Jolt Archive

You are all members of the UN. As a member of the UN you have the right to vote on proposals that are being considered to be adopted as serious issues for the rest of the Un. I have submitted a proposal called "The Right of Happiness." I ask you to read and review it. If you believe it has potential please vote for it. This is a democratic system, and I need everyones help.

Thank you.

Drugs have historically and documented caused incredible problems in health care costs, injury and accident cases and crime based those that can not afford to get their fix of such addictive items. For the good of world health, the united nations should be discouraging the use of drugs and sanctioning those countries that are actively distributing them across national bordered.

Not only shall I oppose this proposition but I shall actively campaign against this and any other proposal that violates our national sovereignty to try to legalize such misery.

Drugs are already legal in my nation.

Link to proposal: http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/page=UN_proposal1/match=happiness

The Right to Happiness

Category: Recreational Drug Use; A resolution to ban, legalize, or encourage recreational drugs.
Decision: Legalize

Proposed by: Hot topic sucks


Description: My proposal is short but significant.

For too long many of our brothers and sisters have done completely idiotic things to get a few seconds of pure happiness. For too long politicians have tried to stop access to easy, safer drugs, such as marijuana and ecstasy. Without the legalization of these recreational drugs our citizens will die of overdoses of such products as liquid paper and Drano.

I propose we save our precious tax money and use it where it needs to be used. Stop trying to hopelessly prevent the use of recreational drugs and lets focus our money on something else, more important. Once we legalize recreational drugs the moral of our citizens will rise and we will all be able to get those six hours of pure happiness.

I want to be happy.
I want my friends to be happy.
I want my family to be happy.
Do you??
Don't be selfish, legalize all recreational drugs.


Voting Ends: Mon Feb 16 2004

You're an idot! Drugs are drugs for a reason, they alter human though, and brain functions. What you claim to be happiness is simply a state of incoherence. And come on "safe drugs like ecstasy", are you insane. Ecstasy can kill you the first time you try it, have you not seen that commercial on TV about the girl that died from an overdose. This is an absolute absurd proposition, I don’t want to pay for someone else to get high. Are you gonna stop them from driving, or operating machinery or performing surgery while stoned? Not to mention the medical problems caused by the drugs that we would have to deal with. I have a better idea then adopting this proposal, we could shot ourselves in the foot! Seriously people this is a stupid proposition that should be dismissed immediately!

For too long politicians have tried to stop access to easy, safer drugs, such as marijuana and ecstasy.

Stop trying to hopelessly prevent the use of recreational drugs and lets focus our money on something else, more important. Once we legalize recreational drugs the moral of our citizens will rise and we will all be able to get those six hours of pure happiness.

Don't be selfish, legalize all recreational drugs.
Well, where do I start?

You call this "The Right to Happiness," and comment on how recreational drugs can give "six hours of pure happiness."
What you havent mentioned is the comedown. Six hours of pure hell, in some cases, maybe even longer. DON'T give me crap about marijuana not having comedown. I know for a fact that it does, it leaves you feeling tired and useless, especially with stonger forms of it.

How is ecstacy a "safer drug"? People can die after taking a single pill from a bad batch. If they mix with alcohol they can become dehydrated and pass out, and even die. If they overdose it can have untold adverse effects on their body.

Finally, you call for "all recreational drugs" to be legalised. One major flaw, however, is that no-where in your proposal are "recreational drungs" classified, meaning that governments will not know which drugs to legalise, should it pass.

Clearly a proposal for the "No" pile.

Yngwie Malmsteen,
Nibbleton UN Ambassador

Few errors here, which make you look stupid and weaken our case.

You're an idot! Drugs are drugs for a reason, they alter human though, and brain functions.

Um...yes, but this is true of alcohol, cigarettes, and a vast array of drugs available over-the-counter at chemists.

Ecstasy can kill you the first time you try it, have you not seen that commercial on TV about the girl that died from an overdose.

Leah Betts possibly? The girl who was actually killed by the various poisonous substances the chemical had been cut with, a procedure unknown with legalised drugs. The issue of the medical effects of pure, uncut ecstasy is much less clear cut.

This is an absolute absurd proposition, I don’t want to pay for someone else to get high.

Really? Then don't. Or realise that your taxes pay for a million things you *might* object to. Nuclear weapons, state healthcare provision, agricultural subsidies. Explain to me where this differs.

Are you gonna stop them from driving, or operating machinery or performing surgery while stoned?

Yes, you moron. In the same way that laws stop you doing all those things drunk.

Not to mention the medical problems caused by the drugs that we would have to deal with.

Again, open to contention and just as true for alcohol and nicotine.

Seriously guys, there is a good case for banning recreational drugs and to listen to you, I wouldn't believe it. I'm endorsing this proposition out of sheer frustration.

SERIOUS UN MEMBERS MUST READ
Frisbeeteria refuses, on general principle, to give its approval to any proposal that features either a Proposal title or a Forum topic title in ALL CAPS.


If you can't win us over with logic, you are certainly not going to win us by shouting.

SERIOUS UN MEMBERS MUST READ
Frisbeeteria refuses, on general principle, to give its approval to any proposal that features either a Proposal title or a Forum topic title in ALL CAPS.


If you can't win us over with logic, you are certainly not going to win us by shouting.

We will fight them on the beaches
We will fight them in the streets
We will fight in France
We will fight them BY SHOUTING

- Sir Winston Churchill, in a more modern era

Lubria recognizes that "safe" is a relative term. Marijuana is safe, unless you're behind the wheel of a car. Ecstasy is safe, as long as you stay hydrated and can withstand the low afterwards; there's a reason they're called Suicide Tuesdays. Lubria does not recognize any drug as "recreational". All drugs are dangerous, in varying degrees. There is no free high, there is no right to happiness. There is a cost, however minor. Chocolate, which contains hundreds of drugs, has its own costs; it can be addictive. Food itself can be a drug, for eating releases endorphins into the brain, thus opening the doors for addiction. Sex too, for endorphins are also released by sexual arousal and activity.

Further, Lubria does not recognize this as an international issue. Lubria already has relatively lax drug laws, as the thousands of college students who visit us each year can attest, but we do not expect the rest of the world to share our views just yet. How one lives their life is their own choice, until they interfere with the rights of others, Lubria has little cause to act. We tax drugs, just as we tax fatty food, and just as we tax petroleum products. We take those taxes, and fund addiction rehabilitation programs. We subsidize healthy food with the revenue from taxes on the fat, just as we subsidize green fuels and products with revenue from taxes on the destructive and polluting. Lubria believes that the true cost of a product must be included in its price. Fun costs you. There is nothing wrong with enjoyment; there is something with a free high. Nothing is free, not even fun.

Hi, I'm John Marat and we feel that because opinions run so high on the issue of drug use, that the legalisation across the UN will create instablity and possibly increase resignation rates to said orgainsation. Individual nations can choose, as we have done, legalise all drugs but the chances of all nations reaching consensus is very low, and we at Albion feel that nothing less than absolute consensus on this issue would be viable. Okay? But hey, you've been really open and we've all shared a wonderful experience. ^_^

... But hey, you've been really open and we've all shared a wonderful experience. ^_^

You Albions are just such a cherry folk.

This resolution won't make quorum, simply becuase a nation cannot guarantee happiness to its citizens. Happiness is defined in too many ways by different people, and the government cannot be expected to satisfy and make happy all the people within its borders.

Many questions to be asked:
What if people don't want to be happy?
What if someone can't, for a medical reason (psychological matters), be happy? What then? Is government funding needed to make sure that person has the proper medication to be happy?

These are just a few of the reasons why this will not make it to the UN floor.

Considering itself a serious nation (because other nations don't say it to us, we have to) the glorious nation of Bahgum was attracted to this thread. We expected to see another hilarious debate about how humour and daftness shouldn't be tolerated, this always gives Bahgum a laugh as we find those serious folks quite amusing.
However we were concerned to see that a nation cannot be happy without drugs. What happened to imagination and entertainment?? Bahgumians find happiness in laughing at nations who don't realise this is a game, from watching rubbish TV, the circus, the nice purple boots our leader has just bought.....many things. We don't need to induce artificial states, screw up our nerves, brain and circulatory systems etc to be happy. So i'm afraid you need a stronger argument.
On the legalize drugs issue, why not? It either kills you or it doesn't (depends on drug and it's your life to waste) and you won't need to steal to fund it. Although there should be a law that the drug is taken in a designated space or room, so that non-drugged folks don't suffer from the actions of a spaced out person (a bit like having pubs and drink-driving laws)

First of all the initial proposal is very flawed as are some of the arguments against it. I am for legalizing all drugs tomorrow for the following reasons:

Legalized drugs = Cheaper drugs = Massive reduction in crime
Legalized drugs = Safer drugs = Less deaths from drugs

Note how I said safer drugs. A lot of the problems that stem from Ecstasy use come from fake tablets or lack of knowledge when it comes to drinking water.

My only issue is that it does not ratify which drugs should be considered 'recreational'. Sure thinks like Ketamine (AKA "Special K") and Marijuana would certainly be recreational.

what about 'hard' drugs like Crack, Cocaine, LCD, Acid and the like?

What about Rohipnol (AKA "Rubes") which is a known and very dangerous date rape drug, but also used for recreational purposes?


In New Eriu, our policy is that we don't allow chemically synthesized medicines into our nation. As a result, natural halucogenins suchs as Marijuana and "shrooms" are perfectly legal. However drugs such as ecstacy, which is artificially created, is banned under the chemical medicine act.

Would New Eriu have to completely revise this law if this proposal passes? Or would this be enough to satisfy the 'recreational' portion of this proposal?

For New Eriu it's not an issue of 'eek it's a narcotic'. It's about being in tune with nature, and the fact that chemical medicines are crap that do more harm to your body than good wheras there are natural alternatives that work much better and do less harm. It's what nature intended afterall.

----------------------
Mediator Phineous Oakhurst, New Eriu's Delegate to the United Nations.

Sounds like a good proposition to me. Also, vote FOR Saving the Forests of the Word. :wink:

Um...yes, but this is true of alcohol, cigarettes, and a vast array of drugs available over-the-counter at chemists.

Over the counter drugs and such like go through years of extensive testing (chemical trials, human trials) and the side effects are monitored. You wouldnt be able to buy a drug over the counter that the long term effects were unknown. (have you ever opened a new medicine and looked on the side effects and it said 'non known'? No, probably not)

'recreational' drugs are not tested, no-one knows if the drug was from a 'bad' batch. There is nothing in place to try and protect the users from the side effects. No-one truely knows the long term side effects of some drugs

ALL drugs must be legal.

:twisted:

There appears to be much heated discussion over whether or not certain proposals should come under the UN's jurisdiction. Here, surely, is a proposal that is categorically not a UN issue.

And I'm with Frisbeteeria - please keep the noise down, some of us have hangovers.

Maya Toitovna
Speaker for Home Affairs

Hey guys :!: What did I miss :?: :lol:

For New Eriu it's not an issue of 'eek it's a narcotic'. It's about being in tune with nature, and the fact that chemical medicines are crap that do more harm to your body than good wheras there are natural alternatives that work much better and do less harm. It's what nature intended afterall.

Has your nation a ban on prescription drugs as well?

If so, I like the way you think. Guaifenasin shares your point of view on this matter.

For the author of the proposal: legalize whatever you like within your own nation's borders without having to tyrannize over your fellow UN member nations. This proposal does nothing to harmonize the world save perhaps allowing your people to bring their chemical afflictions into my borders whilst vacationing, and I'm not about to let that happen. Let your people poison themselves on their own soil.

Medical Director
Guaifenasin

We will fight them on the beaches
We will fight them in the streets
We will fight in France
We will fight them BY SHOUTING

- Sir Winston Churchill, in a more modern era
I believe that ultimately it was the tanks and guns that did it on the beaches and streets, not the shouting.
And I'm with Frisbeteeria - please keep the noise down, some of us have hangovers.
Lady Astor: "Sir Winston, you are drunk!"
Sir Winston: "Madam, you are ugly. In the morning, *I* shall be sober."

For New Eriu it's not an issue of 'eek it's a narcotic'. It's about being in tune with nature, and the fact that chemical medicines are crap that do more harm to your body than good wheras there are natural alternatives that work much better and do less harm. It's what nature intended afterall.

Has your nation a ban on prescription drugs as well?

If so, I like the way you think. Guaifenasin shares your point of view on this matter.

For the author of the proposal: legalize whatever you like within your own nation's borders without having to tyrannize over your fellow UN member nations. This proposal does nothing to harmonize the world save perhaps allowing your people to bring their chemical afflictions into my borders whilst vacationing, and I'm not about to let that happen. Let your people poison themselves on their own soil.

Medical Director
Guaifenasin
An unusual position for a nation named after cough syrup.

our namesake is ironic. :)

it's also spelled wrong.

Medical Director
Guaifenasin
An unusual position for a nation named after cough syrup.
I think it's entirely appropriate for this nation to boldly pursue this and other actions. After all, Guaifenasin *is* the active ingredient in cold syrup.