I answered question #2 because it had substance and validity.
How about you show me policy's for your questions 1 & 2 and I'll try to help you out.
1. You
didn't answer question #2. You went from your oft repeated claims (and that's all they are,
unsubstantiated claims in these circumstances) that Republicans "want to have LESS government control/involvement in your life" as a (false) statement of general principle, to, when challenged specifically on the end-of-life question to spinning completely irrelevant (to your general principle claim) claims about possible problems with life insurance!!
Talk about off topic! Just admit it... it's plain as day: When it comes to end-of-life liberty and freedom the Republican party wants MORE government control/involvement in your life, the EXACT OPPOSITE of what you claim, to the extant that they want to criminalize people for making their own choices about the end of their own life. But... I'm sure you won't admit that plain and simple fact. Just like most Democrats won't admit that they don't support Second Amendment-guaranteed rights even though they always say "I support the Second Amendment... but..."
2. You don't answer question #1 either, but again just give irrelevant historical data that doesn't in any way contradict the FACT that Republicans, including Nixon's infamous "War on Drugs" and subsequent Republican policies are both hypocritical (in that they have almost always failed to include "alcohol" as a "drug" and distinguish between "use" and "abuse", etc. etc. etc.) and clearly attempts to "have MORE government control/involvement in your life" by making people into criminals and prisoners for making personal choices that harm no one else. The Republicans want total control of individuals making certain choices. They want to deny law-abiding citizens the right to liberty and freedom over issues which are no business of the state at all.
Here are some quotes from some articles written by Republicans about their positions re "illicit substances" (and a few choice comments included as well):
Jail time and school drug testing deters drug use Drug abuse and addiction ruin lives. [Uh huh. Just like "gun violence" and "gun crime" ruin lives and therefore we must disarm the civilian population, right? What about the people who "use" "illicit drugs"/guns but don't harm anyone else?] There can be no debate about it. Every adult has a responsibility to teach children about the dangers of drugs - in terms of both physical harm and potential death, as well as lost opportunities for success.
We must ensure that jail time is used as an effective deterrent to drug use and support the continued funding of grants to assist schools in drug testing.
Source:
2004 Republican Party Platform, p. 75 , Sep 1, 2004
Clinton surrendered Drug War; cry out for drug-free schools
The entire nation has suffered from the administration’s virtual surrender in the war against drugs, but children in poor communities have paid the highest price in the threat of addiction and the daily reality of violence. Drug kingpins have turned entire neighborhoods into wastelands and ruined uncounted lives with their poison. Not surprisingly, teen attitudes toward drug abuse have veered sharply away from disapproval. With abundant supplies in their deadly arsenal, drug traffickers are targeting younger children, as well as rural kids.
Still, there is no substitute for presidential leadership, whether internationally or here at home, where America’s families cry out for safe, drug-free schools. A Republican president will hear those cries and work with parents to protect children. We will bring accountability to anti-drug programs, promote those that work, and cease funding for those that waste resources.
Source:
Republican Platform adopted at GOP National Convention , Aug 12, 2000
Aggressively pursue drug kingpins; include death penalty
In a Republican administration the Department of Justice will require all federal prosecutors to aggressively pursue drug dealers,
from the kingpins to the lackeys. We renew our support for capital punishment for drug traffickers who take innocent life.
Source:
Republican Platform adopted at GOP National Convention , Aug 12, 2000
Marco Rubio on DrugsWhile many of Marco Rubio’s drug stances sit with the rest of his party, he believes in a stricter world than most other Republicans. While many have criticized the minimum sentencing laws and wish to see first time offenders deferred to drug courts, Rubio believes the opposite, stating, “
I personally believe that legalizing drugs would be a great mistake and that any reductions in sentences for drug crimes should be made with great care.” Rubio believes in maintaining stricter sentencing for all offenders, not just repeat or violent offenders.
Mitt Romney on DrugsDrug policy is one issue that Mitt Romney has not spoken extensively about. However,
his stance against marijuana legalization makes it seem that he would stand strongly against any leniency on drug issues. In 2008, Romney
vowed to fight “tooth and nail” against marijuana legalization. For
2016, he seems to be taking a similar stance, stating
“I oppose marijuana being used for recreational purposes and I believe the federal law should prohibit the recreational use of marijuana.” He has not provided a definitive stance on medicinal marijuana. When asked about it in May, he responded, “we’ve got enormous issues we face, but you want to talk about medical marijuana.” During his time as governor of Massachusetts, Romney vetoed a bill allowing pharmacies to provide individuals clean hypodermic needles without a prescription. The bill was intended to stop the spread of infectious diseases, buy Romney argued the program would have “unintended consequences” and encourage the use of heroin.
http://www.republicanviews.org/republican-views-on-drugs/Republicans also call for stricter federal regulations over marijuana, amongst the rampant state legalizations for medical and recreational use.
Republican John Fleming of Louisiana states, “as marijuana is de-stigmatized, use goes up, and
it finds its way into the homes and candy and cookies and baked goods, and once it gets there, it finds its way into the brains of teens. Marijuana will also become more pervasive as states continue to embrace permissible laws on medical marijuana and the recreational use of marijuana, and kids and youth will have easier access to
the dangerous, addictive drug.”
* * * * *
https://www.drugrehab.com/republicans-substance-abuse-policies/For half a century, the Republican Party has advocated for strict drug laws and little tolerance for drug use. Republican presidents are credited with launching the war on drugs, creating policies that filled prisons and using military resources to combat international drug trafficking.
Nearly 50 years after President Richard Nixon took office, the war on drugs is widely viewed as a failure.
President Richard Nixon signed the Controlled Substances Act in 1970.
Today, Republicans advocate for criminal justice and health care reform, but most conservatives condemn marijuana legalization or decriminalization.
Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Narcotics Control Act of 1956, lengthening minimum sentences for drug traffickers.
Congress responded by passing the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, which Nixon signed in 1970. Title II of the bill, more commonly known as the Controlled Substances Act, became a key component of future U.S. drug policy.
The Controlled Substances Act of 1970
This act clarified and strengthened the federal government’s authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution and possession of controlled substances. It also created five classifications of drugs called schedules. The law increased funding for treatment, education and research.
A combination of agencies, including the Bureau of Customs, the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and the Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement, were tasked with enforcing the regulations of new drug laws.
* * * *
The National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse [Created by Nixon] was tasked with reviewing the drug’s effects and the effectiveness of national drug policy.
Republican Gov. Raymond Shafer of Pennsylvania led the bipartisan commission, often referred to as the Shafer Commission.
In its report titled “Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding,” the Shafer Commission concluded that marijuana users were not dangerous, and it recommended that drug policy focus on prevention and treatment.
“We have concluded that society should seek to discourage use while concentrating its attention on the prevention and treatment of heavy and very heavy use. The Commission feels that
the criminalization of possession of marihuana for personal use is socially self-defeating as a means of achieving this objective.”— 1972 Report from the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse
Nixon and Congress largely ignored the recommendations of the report, and marijuana has remained a Schedule I [same as heroin, etc.] controlled substance for more than 40 years.****
When the Republicans challenged Carter’s bid for reelection in 1980, the party made it clear that it believed a tougher stance on drugs would be more effective than the decriminalization of marijuana that Carter advocated.
“In recent years, a murderous epidemic of drug abuse has swept our country. Mr. Carter, through his policies and his personnel, has demonstrated little interest in stopping its ravages. Republicans consider drug abuse an intolerable threat to our society, especially to the young.”— 1980
Republican Party Platform“We’re making no excuses for drugs — hard, soft, or otherwise,” Reagan said in 1982. “Drugs are bad, and we’re going after them. As I’ve said before, we’ve taken down the surrender flag and run up the battle flag. And we’re going to win the war on drugs.”
The
1988 Republican Party platform leading up to Bush’s bid for presidency advocated for an even tougher approach to drug crime.
The party’s stance on drug policy included:
Opposition to legalization or decriminalization of any drug Support for stiff penalties, including the death penalty, for drug traffickers
Increased penalties, such as ineligibility for federal assistance or loans, for anyone convicted of a drug crime
After entering the oval office, Bush bolstered supply reduction efforts with a national drug control policy that focused heavily on law enforcement efforts. The policy sought tougher drug sentences for recreational users.
With the 1989 plan, Bush requested a $7.9 billion budget for the war on drugs, an increase of $2.2 billion from the year before.
The
Republican Party platform of 1992 continued to advocate for punishments for drug offenders and to
oppose drug legalization or decriminalization.
...there were a number of marijuana legalization initiatives in states such as Nevada and Arizona that the Bush administration helped defeat.
During the 2012 presidential campaign, Republican candidate Mitt Romney was unclear about his stance on drug policy, but he was adamantly opposed to the marijuana legalization movement.
2016 Republican Party platform
It condemns marijuana legalization and lax federal policies toward recreational marijuana use.
Comments:
The initiatives in Colorado and Washington are both endorsed by their local democratic parties. The Colorado republican party also endorses Colorado legalization initiative.
As far as killing marijuana and drug reform bills the Republicans seem more active in that regard:
NY marijuana decriminilization reform bill killed by Republicans:
http://justsaynow.firedoglake.com/2012/06/20/senate-republicans-stop-new-york-marijuana-decriminalization-bill/Democratic governor in NH veteod a medical marijuana bill:
http://reason.com/blog/2012/04/27/gop-controlled-legislature-passes-a-mediAt the federal level democrats attempted to defund the war on medical marijuana and this was shot down by republicans:
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/politics/2012-election/democrats-seek-end...
In 2012 12 states failed to pass medical marijuana 9 were majority cotrolled republican legislatures although to be fair 1 of those was vetoed by democratic gov in NH (as stated above) and Wisconsin is split. But still clear difference here.
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002481#III* * *
As a longtime registered Republican and medical marijuana advocate (legally blind, glaucoma, anxiety, insomnia, chronic back pain are my reasons for using) let me translate their platform for the masses:
"We wish we could lock up every pot-smoking delinquent, but we don't have enough money. Richard Nixon is our God, Irving Krystol is our prophet, Ronald Reagan is our puppet, and the Tea Party our slaves. We shall continue to use code words, vague rhetoric, false statistics, and outright lies to demonize anything we consider "counterculture". We need to invest heavily in privatized prisons. We hate the fact that medical marijuana exists, and unfortunately we haven't found a way to destroy it outright. When medical marijuana is mentioned, we will just close our eyes and plug our ears, spewing forth the same bigoted garbage as our associates Bill O'Reilly and the exalted John Walters.. We keep a few medical MJ supporters in our party to give the illusion that there might be hope. Anyone up for a game of Super Pac-Man?"
The DNC will go something like this:
"We will expose the drug war, especially the war on medical marijuana, as the complete failure it is. We will have speakers to discuss this failed policy. But... we are truly a bunch of pansies who are scared of the Republicans. Besides, it seems that a good 25% of us are against medical marijuana. If we come out in full support of medical marijuana, it would make Diane Feinstein, John Lynch, and Hitlary Clinton throw a tantrum. Anyways, where's the booze?"
* **
SOOooooooooo.........The party that advocates smaller government and "getting the government off our backs and out of our lives"... still will not advocate the idea that our bodies belong to us and we ARE FREE to ingest what we will. This proves my theory that the whole political process is a huge circle jerk with Obama and Romney as pivot men........The whole lot of them can go straight to hell !!!!!