Good spot! I did in fact fail to mention that in addition to the federal marijuana legalization bill, and pardons for anyone in federal prison for possession, Biden did in fact do exactly what you’re not holding your breath for, ordering a reevaluation of the scheduling of marijuana. It’s a little bit of an empty priority, since just lowering its classification level would still leave it on the “illegal drug” list and doesn’t do much for anyone who’s in a state prison for breaking a state law, i.e. the DEA dragging its feet on actually doing it isn’t enough of a priority to spend time and political capital on.
I could go on about how numbskulled it is to give the Biden administration a hard time for not doing enough to overcome Republican resistance to the big progressive steps they are taking, while simultaneously claiming that he’s deliberately doing nothing and that he’s functionally the same as the party that’s fighting to obstruct him (with some level of success). But I already made that point.
It’s a little bit of an empty priority, since just lowering its classification level would still leave it on the “illegal drug” list and doesn’t do much for anyone who’s in a state prison for breaking a state law,
And just like that, it’s ok to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Incrementalism goes straight out the window when it’s something centrists don’t want to do, like reduce the harm caused by the racist war on drugs.
the perfect be the enemy of the good. Incrementalism
That’s an excellent point - it is absurd to talk in terms of “I can’t support Joe Biden because there are still items on my progressive wish list where he isn’t a clear enough improvement over the historical norm.” The fact that he’s objectively a huge step forward as pertains to climate change / student loans / marijuana legalization / etc, is a good reason to vote for him for as long as he’s a clear improvement (over the norm, let alone over the horrifying alternative in this particular election). While yes obviously continuing to work to move things forward towards real continued progress because we need more on top of that.
It’s a good point, and I’m glad you brought it up.
Nice attempt to reframe, but I was talking about how you ostensibly oppose rescheduling cannabis because it doesn’t pardon state crimes, but actually oppose it because it might lessen the disruption to the minority communities that the racist drug war was designed to disrupt.
Far as I’m concerned, you’re not only letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, you’re doing so because you oppose the good.
It’s been three years.
I ain’t gonna hold my breath.
Good spot! I did in fact fail to mention that in addition to the federal marijuana legalization bill, and pardons for anyone in federal prison for possession, Biden did in fact do exactly what you’re not holding your breath for, ordering a reevaluation of the scheduling of marijuana. It’s a little bit of an empty priority, since just lowering its classification level would still leave it on the “illegal drug” list and doesn’t do much for anyone who’s in a state prison for breaking a state law, i.e. the DEA dragging its feet on actually doing it isn’t enough of a priority to spend time and political capital on.
I could go on about how numbskulled it is to give the Biden administration a hard time for not doing enough to overcome Republican resistance to the big progressive steps they are taking, while simultaneously claiming that he’s deliberately doing nothing and that he’s functionally the same as the party that’s fighting to obstruct him (with some level of success). But I already made that point.
And just like that, it’s ok to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Incrementalism goes straight out the window when it’s something centrists don’t want to do, like reduce the harm caused by the racist war on drugs.
That’s an excellent point - it is absurd to talk in terms of “I can’t support Joe Biden because there are still items on my progressive wish list where he isn’t a clear enough improvement over the historical norm.” The fact that he’s objectively a huge step forward as pertains to climate change / student loans / marijuana legalization / etc, is a good reason to vote for him for as long as he’s a clear improvement (over the norm, let alone over the horrifying alternative in this particular election). While yes obviously continuing to work to move things forward towards real continued progress because we need more on top of that.
It’s a good point, and I’m glad you brought it up.
Nice attempt to reframe, but I was talking about how you ostensibly oppose rescheduling cannabis because it doesn’t pardon state crimes, but actually oppose it because it might lessen the disruption to the minority communities that the racist drug war was designed to disrupt.
Far as I’m concerned, you’re not only letting the perfect be the enemy of the good, you’re doing so because you oppose the good.