The Drug WAr

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   qwarkposted 14 years ago

   Is there really a "war" against drugs?
   Is the "war" against drugs a front?
   The alledged "war" against drugs keeps people employed on both sides. It's a trillion dollar a year business.
   If the "war" against drugs were ended, what would be the effect on our national economy?

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      earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Good question. I wrote a hub about it."Americas-war-on-drugs-is-war-on-its-own-people" A different angle but I will be interested to hear others opinions. Good topic I reckon.

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         qwarkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Hey Earn:
         I'm gonna read that "hub."
         Have you read my latest one?
         I'm gonna twist yer arm...lol

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            earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Loved the one I read. It was about you and ultra-light planes. Is that the one? I left a comment, I really enjoyed the story and particularly your writing style. Neat!

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            1. 59

               qwarkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Earn:
               Yep..that's the one.
               Kind words...thanks.
               I still fly the danged things.
               I don't own one but my Bud in Arizona does. I get out there a couple times a year and every time I get to 3000 ft, I still piss my pants....lol
               I didn't hurt yer arm when I twisted it did I..lolol
               Thanks for readin' it..
               I read your Drug "hub" left a comment...

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                  earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  thanks qwark.

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            2. 59

               qwarkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Hey Earn;
               I ran back to that "hub" to read yer comment..it ain't there?
               Are ya sure ya haven't been rollin' bible page joints?...and imbibing?  hmmmm?...:-)

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                  earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  It musta been that last one, it was a purple dutch head!
                  Seriously I dunno where it went! Fixed now I think.

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                     qwarkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     Hahahaha...I'll run right over and check it.
                     Roll another blunt!
                     c'ya later!..:-)

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      Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, there is a "War on Drugs". Still being fought.
      
      It was a double-barrel shotgun is what is was. Government needed money, so it declared War on something, it made the funds available, because the people bought into it.
      
      The obvious truth of the matter, in today's society in America, that "War" was futile. It may have stemmed some, but nothing compared to what was being brought in. And, you're right it's a heavy business with a lot of "cash" assets.
      
      The National Economy? Includes too many variables.

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         Hokeyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Cagsil I like the way you break things down.

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            Cagsilposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Thank you Hokey.

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   3. 72

      Jeff Berndtposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      'Is there really a "war" against drugs?'
      Yes, there is, but it's a losing battle, and a waste of time, treasure, and lives.
      
      'Is the "war" against drugs a front?'
      If you mean, "is it a distraction from other, more important issues?" then, yes.
      
      'The alledged "war" against drugs keeps people employed on both sides. It's a trillion dollar a year business.'
      True. If we decriminalized (not even legalized, you understand, but decriminalized) most of the drugs, we could save billions. We could lower taxes or spend those monies on, oh, education or something.
      
      'If the "war" against drugs were ended, what would be the effect on our national economy?'
      Well, that would depend on what we, as a country, decided to do with the money were spending on the war on drugs. We could lower taxes, and increase the overall prosperity of the people. We could redirect the spending toward infrastructure, or education, or some other service, and increase the overall prosperity of the people. Or we could look for some other victimless crime to declare war on, and keep wasting money.

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   lyricsingrayposted 14 years ago

   hi qwark   It is indeed so hard to tell if there is a war on drugs, a war for drugs or a war the media has created
   
   Whatever the case the drugs are much further ahead in winning the war on whomever its with in my feeling.
   
   Great thread , nice to see you

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      qwarkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hi Lyics:
      Glad to hear from ya.
      It's too big a business to end.
      $ rules!
      People are just a means to an end.
      We won't live to see the end of it. :-)

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   Hokeyposted 14 years ago

   My father worked for the Federal Aviation Administration and he once told me it was policy that for every 5 suspicious aircraft flying at minimum altitiude crossing the United States border that only 1 to 2 were reported. His suspicion was payoffs.

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      qwarkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      hokey:
      Sure:
      I had a friend in Ft Lauderdale Fla...he owned Fla. Atlantic Airlines....He WAS a billionaire.
      He leased cargo planes to S American drug cartels back in the early 80's.
      I asked how much he was worth while playin' pool with him. He made a shot, didn't even glance up and said: Shit! I don't know. I don't count it...lol
      He was brought down later by the Mexican drug cartel...for good.
      Power in money man!
      
      I

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   StormRyderposted 14 years ago

   The governments war on drugs has been a multi-million dollar waste of time and obviously money..Ask the mother of an inner-city child if the drug war is being won. They are living on the front lines of the real war...it's between rival gangs killing one another for a street corner and a few more dollars.

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      qwarkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Storm:
      I know you don't think they care!
      People are a never ending source of revenue.
      One dies, another pops up like Kleenex.
      it's just business.

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   thisisoliposted 14 years ago

   I liked the bit in Super Freakonomics on how the terrorists turned Marijuana in to California's biggest cash crop. After 9/11 border control tightened up, the drugs stopped getting through so easily, and the farmers in the US made a killing.

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      qwarkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      ..a well thought out plan!
      Business is thriving!

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   Lily Roseposted 14 years ago

   Although it seems like the war on drugs is a lost cause and I agree that it will never end, you would actually be amazed if you only knew the quantities of drugs that are seized at our borders daily.  Sure, much more is probably getting in, but it's not a free-for-all.

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      qwarkposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Lily:
      ...as I said before: money talks, BS walks.
      As long as the drug war continues, people prosper.

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         Lily Roseposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Are you saying that I'm BSing?  I guess I'm just feeling like those that are fighting this war should get some credit, too!
         
         I agree with you, and many a people are prospering!
         
         I recently finished reading "A Target Rich Environment" which was written by a recently retired drug agent who worked on the California/Tijuana border.  Although fiction, it was based on true facts and cases and was very interesting!

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   MyWebsposted 14 years ago

   I think the War On Drugs is a total waste of time, money and it ruins many peoples lives in the process.
   
   If marijuana alone was legalized and those incarcerated for it were let loose it would saves billions alone every year. Instead of spending billions fighting it, billions could be earned in taxes. We would not be paying for all of these people in jails and prisons.
   
   Do you realize that over half of those behind bars are for minor marijuana charges? Marijuana is too easy to grow and because of this it will never be stopped. It is a pointless war that can never be won.
   
   But it can and does damage many lives each and every day that it continues. Go to prison for marijuana then get out and try and get a job, good luck with that if you now have a felony on your record. The government pretty much just sentenced you to a life of crime because thats all you will be able to do most likely. What problem was solved here? Seems to me like only new ones were created.

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   shazz01109posted 14 years ago

   Sure there is a 'war' on drugs.  It's just being fought in the wrong way.  I wonder how serious this 'war' is supposed to be.

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   ledefensetechposted 14 years ago

   This "drug war" is just as ineffective as a previous generation's war against alcohol was.  The drug war has come to symbolize the need of certain people in this nation to impose their will on others and is based on a very poor view of people in general.  The argument for drug interdiction is that people can't help but become addicted to these substances.  Since people can't help themselves, government must take upon themselves the burden of protecting people from themselves.
   
   I have to wonder about the validity of the first assumption.  Drugs are not the only addiction people suffer from.  Gambling, alcohol, even sex can all be addiction that people suffer from.  Yet we don't see bans against that sort of behavior.  Why not?  It is true that there are addictive personalities and that they can't seem to help themselves.  Many drug users are also smokers, drinkers and gamblers.  It's the personality and the choices the person makes which determines their susceptibility to addiction.
   
   Another assumption is that by incarcerating drug addicts we somehow fix the problem.  The only problem we fix is their loitering on the streets looking for a fix.  Instead of trying to help them, we put them in a sort of "school for criminals" by incarcerating them.  Not only do they not get help, they learn to be criminals.  It's no great surprise that many identity theft rings have been made up of meth heads in the past.
   
   Finally, there is the assumption that prohibition by authority works.  Like it or not, there is a demand for this stuff in this country.  Because there is a demand, prohibition will not work.  If we want to lessen demand, we're going to have to find reasonable ways to decrease demand, not "feel good" "quick fix" legislation that doesn't work.

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