Should majority rule on everything? - Rep. Eliot Engel (D) NY

[gold95]

We dont have a god damn democracy where majority rules, we have a republic where the individual is protected from majority. We have a democratic PROCESS to form the republic. However, they have by virtue of their own greed for power turned this into a democracy..

[JohnSmith88823]

Drugs, specifically Heroin have substantial neurological effects that may drastically impact a person's primal decisions. It should only be legalized if no-one else is harmed as a result of the person under its influence. In virtual reality, this is not the case; the human brain is relatively primitive and thus is susceptible to substantially mind altering substances. You are not dealing with an abstract environment.

[rebby11]

There are instances where we can reject majority rule...give me a call when you're not sure and I'll decide for you. --Eliot Engel

[Aryaba]

He doesn't see the point of ruining someone's life who smokes marijuana but does see the point of ruining someone's life if they inject heroin. Got it.

[TreachMarkets]

What this guy does is ask them a question in a generic way that highlights a moral concept, without saying who is involved. They make a moral choice. Then he rephrases the question, with the state as the actor. Usually they backpedal, because now it affects them and they might have to concede that the government is doing something immoral. Or they admit that they believe that public morality and private morality are two separate things, which isn't very cool. Or they get angry.

Brilliant!

[ecoastdude]

Vote for Anthony Mele

[rumco]

Down with the government, down with democracy, long live anarchy and private property.

[agent008t]

Jan, you should've made an argument that legalizing drugs (say, heroin) will lead to a tremendous decrease in prices. That means that drug addicts that would otherwise commit crimes to feed their habits would be able to get all the drugs they need to destroy themselves.

[ubetcha13]

You are a GREAT interviewer!

Do you ever get angry that there are hamsters with millions of hits but your videos which are much more important to society as a whole aren't getting the attention they deserve?

Please keep up the GREAT WORK!!!!

[GuardofLiberty]

Lol, Jan exposes these parasites and their arguments for the inconsistent house of cards that they really are.

Smash the state!

[thmoorer]

The majority does not rule on everything. That is why it is called a republic.

[abig1403]

The only reason that these legislators want to take these "things on a case by case basis" is to keep them in a job. They are performing needless tasks - distinguishing what is a crime and what is not should be simple.

[abig1403]

Abiding by the principle of harm or loss to regulate what is a crime would solve the problem of tyranny by majority (otherwise known as western democracy).

[caltrop69]

Inductive vs deductive reasoning at it's finest.

[timbosforporn]

I just love seeing how pissed that politician got. Did you notice his breathing and the groan he let out towards the end. LOL.

[timbosforporn]

I still believe that there is a separation between public law and private law or natural law of society.

[aspiehler]

Wow, what a muddle headed moron.

[deadman12078]

We're letting retards write our laws!!!

[gadsden47]

Thanks Mr. Helfeld for the video.

Eliot Engel is my current congressman. He weasels his way out of any question he doesn't like; trying to get information from his staffers is like pulling teeth; and every response I get is a canned response.

Of course, he still wins elections with 80% of the vote...

[bigdogphoto]

I love it, typical hypocritical politician who can not see the inconsistencies in his arguments and he wants to tell everyone else how they should live their life.

[bowtie728]

thanks

[ALittleBitPregnant]

The fact that Engel is involved in creating laws sickens me.

[ericjacobus]

Painful.

[tesla921]

Majority rules is a wrong concept. It is nothing more than 'might makes right'.

Engle loves to tell other people how to live. That's why he's a politician. He wants to force people to do what he thinks is right.

[Nielsio]

What about the crime of invading peaceful drug users' homes, Mr Engel?

Can a war on drugs lead to crime??????

[deadman12078]

If I grow "pot" in my back yard or small room and smoke it in the privicy of my own home. With no minors or other adults around who it may "harm" or "currupt" how is it a crime?

I can understand driving while stoned or smoking pot around others being immoral or dangerouse.

Isn't the very definition of a crime harming others or infringing on their rights? How does taking a few hits every now and then a crime?

Eh... we vote for these dipshits.

[rockhuddy]

So how does he vote on legislation? Does he just wait until the other congresscritters have voted and then side with the majority? Or does he just do what he's told by the Democratic Party?

[timbosforporn]

What are laws of society? I thought that was me and you just interacting with each other like natural law but what he is talking about government law witch should be considered seperate from natural law.

[modelmark]

Jan also does not believe in anarchy, you'r on the same page.

[jryan1971]

Jan keeps trying to get principles from people who have no principles.

[rflosi]

7:40 So you can only do drugs in your bedroom.

[rflosi]

Translation:

Engel: Yes, Jan. I like blowjobs.

[rflosi]

What are the necessary conditions for a crime to have been committed?

[billyjoeallen]

When is civil disobedience called for? He never says. What existing laws should be broken? Which ones should be repealed and why?

This clown never says. Never gives any reasoning to distinguish good laws from bad laws. I suspect he would be a utilitarian, if his philosophy was more coherent.

[pperezklein]

Maybe we should ask ourselves if prohibition is not the cause of that 90% of criminals. Why is it not the government's fault that a lot of people who use drugs commit violent crimes? He's assuming that crimes perpetrated by drug users have nothing to do with prohibition!

Haven't we learned anything from the Alcohol prohibition and Al Capone and the crimes and the bootlegging?

[wait887]

5:35= I have no principles.

[chewbaca1989]

Hey, this ass hole is in government?

Fuck majority rule.

[picapauengracado]

Jan was addressing a straw man. Elliot was defending drug prohibition in the grounds that drugs potentiate crime, not from a paternalist perspective. Jan could argue that Elliot's argument amounted to "the means justify the ends", or he could challenge it empirically, but that's not what Jan does. Instead Jan engages in a straw man. Good work anyway.

[sony8877]

this man sounds so inconsistant, but he thinks he's winning the arguement

[truthadvocate]

If principals for making laws are not consistent and are made on a case by case basis by majority rule, we already live in chaos.