General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: It's his position against the drug war that makes Ron Paul so volcanically controversial here on DU. [View all]blogslut
(38,000 posts)Ron Paul's stance on the drug war is not the driving force concerning the contention around him on this board.
The driving force is that there are DUers willing to overlook his overall odious outlook because a handful of his beliefs line up with their personal beliefs.
I'm not saying you are one of those people. I'm saying that those people exist on this board.
A liberal/progressive sees the drug war as a futile effort that does nothing to address actual drug abuse. A liberal/progressive would rather see money and manpower spent on proper treatment facilities and public health campaigns. A liberal/progressive recognizes that private prisons and the politicians who support them are the only ones benefiting from the drug war.
Ron Paul doesn't want the government to spend money on public health. He simply doesn't believe in the concept of a social contract.