15 June 2009

Bikie fear notches up

| johnboy
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The Liberals’ Jeremy Hanson is concerned in the wake of the Northern Territory joining the rush to tear up basic civil liberties in the face of the perceived national menace of outlaw motorcycle gangs.

    “The weak position from this government on anti-bikie laws is in stark contrast to the national approach taken from most states and territories.

    “The Government is potentially leaving the ACT isolated from the rest of the country with laws that promote the ACT as a ‘safe-haven’ for organised crime.

Forget the bikes though, we’re really just talking about drug cartels. Personally I’m more curious as to why existing laws are insufficient to deal with criminal behaviour.

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NoAddedMSG said :

I find it a bit perplexing when people advance the idea that if you legalise drugs, then those involved in organised crime will somehow just give up, go home and sit on the couch sobbing because their income stream has been taken away. I think it more likely that they will seek other illegal ways of getting access to large stacks of cash, such as extortion, people trafficking etc. That’s not to say you shouldn’t consider legalising drugs for other reasons, but it is overly simplistic to the point of outright stupidity to think that it will somehow make organised crime magically go away.

Mmm I agree. It depends on the group of course and the drug trade is a pretty easy black market but those who want do crime will do crime.

I find it a bit perplexing when people advance the idea that if you legalise drugs, then those involved in organised crime will somehow just give up, go home and sit on the couch sobbing because their income stream has been taken away. I think it more likely that they will seek other illegal ways of getting access to large stacks of cash, such as extortion, people trafficking etc. That’s not to say you shouldn’t consider legalising drugs for other reasons, but it is overly simplistic to the point of outright stupidity to think that it will somehow make organised crime magically go away.

Cletus 2 said :

I don’t think that “legalise drugs” is really a magic cure for all the world’s problems. Clearly things can be taken much too far the other way as it seems to be in USA, but legalising drugs isn’t going to stop people doing them. Are you also going to legalise supply of drugs? What about hard drugs? What about manufacture?

That’s right because there is no magic cure and nothing will stop people from doing them. But you legalise drugs a, because people own their own bodies and have an individual right to self determination and b, because the war on drugs only makes things worse.

Hard drugs? Yes, because the war on drugs only makes things worse.
Manufacture? Yes, because that it is a violent black market is what causes so many of the associated ills.

*Jakez sits back and hopes for a rebuttal so that he may expand upon his pet subject*

The difference is that any car that loud will be defected by the first plod that pulls it over. And that would be the first one who hears (or probably sees) it.

Sounds like you have a problem with enforcement there—not motorcycles.

The difference is that any car that loud will be defected by the first plod that pulls it over. And that would be the first one who hears (or probably sees) it.

I don’t think that “legalise drugs” is really a magic cure for all the world’s problems. Clearly things can be taken much too far the other way as it seems to be in USA, but legalising drugs isn’t going to stop people doing them. Are you also going to legalise supply of drugs? What about hard drugs? What about manufacture?

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy6:31 pm 15 Jun 09

Mr. VYBerlina, I suspect that you may wish to distinguish between motorsport enthusiasts and Point Hut Crossing crashers.

I love fishing…

I,d be happy if the bikes complied with Australian design regulations, They rode bikes with a muffler. I don,t stop and look when they ride their crappy pieces of S#!% down the road, get a life tossers.

This is hardly constrained to motorcycles (ref. Summernats), and a stunning generalisation. I’ve heard Corollas louder than my bike.

I,d be happy if the bikes complied with Australian design regulations, They rode bikes with a muffler. I don,t stop and look when they ride their crappy pieces of S#!% down the road, get a life tossers.

Why the hatred for motorbikes? There’s a big difference between bikies and bikers, but I fear that the distinction may be lost on potential legislators, as it apparently is on some RiotACT posters. In a similar vein, Mr. VYBerlina, I suspect that you may wish to distinguish between motorsport enthusiasts and Point Hut Crossing crashers.

Personally I’m more curious as to why existing laws are insufficient to deal with criminal behaviour.

Me too.

Bikies were not always drug traders.

– Legalise marijuana
– Get tough on remaining organised crime
– Don’t panic, it’s only a motorbike and a beard.

The problem to bikie gangs is simple. It’s just that no one want to do it. Legalise drugs and leave it as a health problem rather than criminal problem. All Bikie power comes from the money received by the drug trade. Remove the money, and the bikie problem will go away.

Clown Killer10:58 am 15 Jun 09

I’d be happy if they could just stop the meatheads parking all over the footpath.

if we ban beards and leather jackets…..

VYBerlinaV8_the_one_they_all_copy10:42 am 15 Jun 09

Maybe we should just ban motorbikes?

Ruby Wednesday10:24 am 15 Jun 09

Because the current system requires the police to, you know, prove that things happened that constitute an offence, rather than letting them play psychic and predict that things will happen and making that the basis of an offence.* I’m glad the ACT is (so far) refusing to have anything to do with these ridiculous measures.

If drugs are the problem (and I think it’s pretty obvious they are), cracking down on bikies will just create a space in the market for another group to fill. If they don’t ride bikes, will we have to create some more ‘anti-bikie’-esque laws to deal with that group? Surely it’s a better approach and use of taxpayer funds to deal with the problem as a whole (drug cartels need to see demand before they get into the business of supply) and at the roots, rather than to limit the freedom of association of this year’s troublesome group?

*This is my understanding of it, which is no doubt imperfect and open to correction.

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