According to vocabulary.com the word realpolitik came directly from German and literally means "practical politics." Another online source describes it as 'politics or diplomacy based primarily on considerations of given circumstances and factors'. As in, half the story then? Pretty much! To me Realpolitik sounds counter to the theory of relativity since this way of thinking all but requires that you do not compare situations to others elsewhere present or past. Realpolitik is basically governing with blinders on.
I see it in the way our politicians are looking at Cannabis law reform and our youth. I mean, we're so worried about our kids ingesting this safe plant, while at parties their peers are snorting percs, coke, or oxy's instead! Even the fact that so many college and university students are taking Ritalin is a reason for worry. How about the keggers on campus. Do you think our youth are drinking responsibly?
While our government wants to keep Cannabis out of the hands of our youth, I want the canna that will inevitably get into the hands of said youth, to be grown safely and ethically, and purchased in a regulated storefront. Our leaders have to realize that they cannot mandate personal choice anymore than they can stop recreational experimentation!
Realpolitik thinking doesn't look at the big picture though, as the macro view often confuses issues and muddies viewpoints. If they were real about protecting the kids, they'd stop allowing alcohol companies to advertise to them. They'd stop big pharma from pushing their poison pills on them. And they'd go back to giving daily gym classes and teaching cursive writing!
And what's it all for in the end, to simply avoid party opposition? Why is our Government lying about the real reasons to regulate Cannabis? Because the big picture shows the need I mention above and they're not ready for that shit-show. Big pharma all over the globe needs to be taken down, Big alcohol too. Even tobacco smokers get more respect than Cannabis smokers in tenement buildings and on the street.
In the end I see Realpolitik for the smoke-show that it is. Highlight this to cover up that and influence the masses. Comparatively speaking, Cannabis is the safest recreational substance you could ever offer our youth. Over-ingestion of water has killed more people than over-ingestion of Cannabis.
It's 2017, we have a balanced parliament, but how real are we?
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