Most of the harm that comes from drugs is because they are illegal.
- Milton Friedman
We’re Winning the Drug War
No, we lost the second it started. It’s unbelievable to me that we would blindly go down this road again. After all, it was just 40 years earlier when we had the slap in the face that Prohibition gave us. We are STILL paying for Prohibition. By outlawing alcohol we created enormous profit margins for criminals. Criminals used those profits to build empires that persist to this day (the Mafia).
Think about it. If a product or service that is in high demand becomes illegal what is the first thing that happens? Profit margins go up. Once the allure of riches becomes apparent, then those that don’t respect the law will begin delivering those illegal goods and services. When those criminals feel that they’ve been taken advantage of, or ripped off – do they turn to law enforcement? Well…sure, the stupid ones might… but most realize they must take matters into their own hands. Criminals use their profits to build armies. Criminals kill each other and innocent bystanders that get in the way. In the most desperate neighborhoods and countries, druglords are the law.
By making drugs illegal we have turned Columbia into one of the most dangerous places on planet earth. Mexico is rampant with drug money pay offs and even the military is bought and sold by powerful cartels.
Federal, State, and local government spent roughly $50,000,000,000 (50 Billion!) last year enforcing and prosecuting drug crimes in 2007. Despite the costs in money, lives, and damage to society — most high school children have easier access to illegal drugs than they do to alcohol.
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What’s 50 Bil a year pissed away when we dump 150 bil a year into Iraq?
Still 50 Bil. Still wasted.
50 bil is a third of 150 bil, a massive number and percentage.
Common sense. Doesn’t matter, there is a little word I like to call ignorance, and its best friend, prejudice. It will be a long and difficult road to correct the mistake of social conservatism, and the fact that almost everyone who goes through the public schools is a moron doesn’t help at all.
50 billion is almost twice the amount that I am worth.
Response to Jack;
Of course people who are going through public schools become morons, look who is funding and teaching them…
Also, the US could profit so much from drugs being legal. They could tax the shit out of weed and it would still be cheaper than street prices if legalized.
I believe I read somewhere that just legalizing and taxing the sale of marijuana alone could provide the U.S. with nationwide health care… Sounds like a pretty good trade-off to me.
Brother, every thing boils down to this; If there is no victim, there should be no crime. We should be always free to make our own bad decisions. Obvious social problems as a result of these freedom-robbing statutes can be discussed for eternity. It is simple to me. Drugs, prostitution, etc, are really bad choices in my opinion but I believe having an ever-growing Government to make the choices for me is far, far, worse.
David, one of my favorite quotes in the world…..
“Do we really think that a government-dominated education is going to produce citizens capable of dominating their government, as the education of a truly vigilant self-governing people requires?” [Alan Keyes]
@Jack
“Social Conservatism” is a very good term for the Neo-Con policy that is being pushed. I like that. It could easily be defined as, using the values to which most “conservatives” give lip service for the purpose of deceiving the public into tolerating laws that infringe on freedom and advance socialist ideals.
10 stupid and foolish comments by 10 potheads. I would expect nothing less. Lets legalize drugs so we can get more comments just like ‘em.
More idiotic comments to follow this post, I’m sure.
Betcha Bville would crap his pants if he knew how many CEO’s were doing cocaine for a majority of their lives. Go get high on God, television, or the smell of your own pit stains for all I care; I don’t appreciate the generalization, and I’m sure it’s not just me.
Just look at the voting to see where you stand in relation to the rest of the sane, free-thinking world.
“Easton’s research does conclusively show that there are economic benefits in the legalization of marijuana”
http://economics.about.com/od/incometaxestaxcuts/a/marijuana.htm
Mike,
Such blazing logic! A few CEO’s doing coke justifies legalizing dope. Economic benefits derived from legalizing marijuana is not a very intelligent reason to do so. The same argument could be used for any illicit drug or act.
There will always be people who care more about themselves (and satisfying their own desires) than caring about the general population and will forever try to justify that what they want will be good for everyone else as well.
In other words, don’t ask a pothead if we should legalize dope… their motives are highly suspect.
50 billion is WAY too much money. It should be used for the benefit of the country, and everyone knows it needs a boost. right now. I freely admit to being a drug user, but I don’t think coke or meth should be legalized. And I don’t even think they have to be.
Because if marijuana, and marijuana alone was legalized, drug trafficking would collapse, because cannabis is their number one source of income. Sure, they may introduce new drugs in the market, but NO drug is as safe and widely used as marijuana. The authorities would be able to focus on criminals instead of cannabis users, and SPECIALLY medical patients, which is an outrageous violation of the constitution.
Bville. There is nothing wrong with smoking weed. I use it (once in a while) because I feel a connection to nature and god that I can’t find anywhere else.
My little habit is not harming anyone and the fact that my government spends money to try and put me and people like me in jail is infuriating. There is no good reason to arrest people for using pot.
A good common sense solution to the drug laws is to decriminalize all drugs. Don’t make them completely legal because you don’t want to encourage people but prison should be out of the question. The second part is to double the sentence for other crimes committed by people on drugs. For example, if someone commits armed robbery on crack, double the jail time for the offense. The idea is to protect the public without causing unnecessary harm.
There should be no different sentence for possession or distribution. The strict laws against selling drugs are the cause of the high price and the profit for the drug dealers. If you cut supply but not demand, you get high prices.
Bville your idiotic statments are the result of a propaganda campaign resulting in the mis-classification of weed as a dangerous drug. No one dies from weed and no one is harmed. cigerates are more dangerous then weed could ever be in its most strongest form. Also what do you think gives the government the right to tell us what we can and can not do to ourselfs.
Bville you are a moron. You must enjoy trying to bite your right ear dont you?
Did you even put any type of thought to your statement?
So the taxing of the substance to perhaps deploy a national healthcare for example isn’t “…than caring about the general population”??? you idiot..
And so what if one tries to justify “that what they want will be good for everyone else”
Your just scared. It’s ok. Daddy’s here…u pansy
Step aside because your just in the way…
Great article! I just wrote a little bit ago about how the house voted in a congratulatory act to the DEA celebrating all their “accomplishments.” Its just hilarious that they actually think they are doing something worthwhile. Billions of dollars spent and thousands of useless arrests- thats all they’ve accomplished.
Selfish instead of caring for the people? Which people? What maximizes ones’ profit is what maximizes productivity as a whole under capitalism.
If some people want to use drugs or prostitutes, not only it should be legal, we should presume that it’s what’s best for them. And as for the people? Why not slaughter thieves, burglars, and robbers? Why screw the consensual crimes? Every jail space for victimless crime is a jail space we can use for those who deserve it.
It should not even be a topic. This country is full of morons that needed to be told what there rights are. Of course all drugs should be legal. Its called free thinking! I give myself my own rights. ME…….
Governments have to keep certain classes of drugs illegal, otherwise how else will they control the factions of the underworld. Governments around the world make substantial income from over priced products and can use them as leverage.
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John Stossel made a good video on this subject. Alot of money has been wasted fighting this war.