There is one thing that would make Walter Block not want to legalize drugs -- taxes -- because taxes are used to take away freedom, he said.
Austrian economist and libertarian theorist Block spoke on Tuesday night to about 50 people in the Thomas building on the libertarian philosophy and the legalization of drugs. The event was hosted by the College Libertarians, and Block started off the night by explaining that "libertarianism is the view that you can do anything you want, except you can't initiate violence against people and their property."
College Libertarians President Nicole Ritschel said the lecture was just what she was looking for to explain her reasons for supporting legalization.
"It was important to give a legitimacy to our argument, because people who are looking at our argument from the outside, see it as an excuse to get high," Ritschel (junior-political science) said.
Block explained the basis for legalizing drugs from a philosophical and economic perspective. Citing hang gliding, coal mining and french fries, Block said all pose certain risks to humanity but they are all still legal.
"If you own yourself, you ought to be able to put crap in your own body," Block said. "Just because it's harmful, forcing adults to act responsibly is totalitarian."
From an economic standpoint, he said the amount of people using drugs and the demand for drugs would not differ much from current usage if they were legalized. He said every time the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) succeeds, they seed their own failure by causing the drug trade to come back stronger.
After explaining his reasons drugs should be legalized,Block took on arguments against legalizing drugs. Block said those who argue that addictive drugs promote crime were nonsensical because regulation of drugs would actually lead to less crime.
While some were unsure of their standpoints on the legalization of drugs, Frank Chang said he saw good points in Block's lecture such as a legitimate use of liberties and a person's body.
"There's always a hint of skepticism, I guess it's not harmful to discuss it in public," Chang (freshman-political science) said.
