War on Drugs Destroying Nations

[Toro]

As drug violence spirals out of control in Mexico, a commission led by three former Latin American heads of state blasted the U.S.-led drug war as a failure that is pushing Latin American societies to the breaking point.

"The available evidence indicates that the war on drugs is a failed war," said former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, in a conference call with reporters from Rio de Janeiro. "We have to move from this approach to another one."

The commission, headed by Mr. Cardoso and former presidents Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico and César Gaviria of Colombia, says Latin American governments as well as the U.S. must break what they say is a policy "taboo" and re-examine U.S.-inspired antidrugs efforts. The panel recommends that governments consider measures including decriminalizing the use of marijuana.

The report, by the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy, is the latest to question the U.S.'s emphasis on punitive measures to deal with illegal drug use and the criminal violence that accompanies it. A recent Brookings Institution study concluded that despite interdiction and eradication efforts, the world's governments haven't been able to significantly decrease the supply of drugs, while punitive methods haven't succeeded in lowering drug use. ...

The three former presidents who head the commission are political conservatives who have confronted in their home countries the violence and corruption that accompany drug trafficking.

The report warned that the U.S.-style antidrug strategy was putting the region's fragile democratic institutions at risk and corrupting "judicial systems, governments, the political system and especially the police forces." ...

In the conference call, Mr. Gaviria said the U.S. approach to narcotics -- based on treating drug consumption as a crime -- had failed. Latin America, he said, should adapt a more European approach, based on treating drug addiction as a health problem.

Latin American Panel Calls U.S. Drug War a Failure - WSJ.com

 

[Munin]

The problem is more when their is no war against drugs, then the power of druglords becomes so great that they begin to control countries. As a result you will create a failed state that is bought by druglords with the big amounts of money that they earn.

 

[Toro]

The problem is more when their is no war against drugs, then the power of druglords becomes so great that they begin to control countries. As a result you will create a failed state that is bought by druglords with the big amounts of money that they earn.

I disagree.

The druglords are criminals outside the rule of law. These are not people who would otherwise become CEOs if drugs hadn't been outlawed. Our policies make criminals massively wealthy.

When prohibition ended, the mafia didn't go straight. They went into other illicit activities.

The War on Drugs is a crippling policy that corrupts and rots the system from within. It creates unstable nations in America's sphere of influence and even right on its own borders.

 

[WillowTree]

Never ever stray from the "Blame America First" policy, It's what makes you a liberal.. good job.

 

[Toro]

Never ever stray from the "Blame America First" policy, It's what makes you a liberal.. good job.

This is not an intelligent post. It is a reflexive response intended to deflect attention from the issue at hand by wrapping oneself in the flag, assuming that everything our nation does is right, and appealing to base tribalism.

If you have a cogent retort, please feel free to share it.

 

[Charles_Main]

The problem is more when their is no war against drugs, then the power of druglords becomes so great that they begin to control countries. As a result you will create a failed state that is bought by druglords with the big amounts of money that they earn.

Unless you decriminalize the drugs, so the drug lords no longer run a monopoly.

Hey now theres an idea

 

[elvis]

The problem is more when their is no war against drugs, then the power of druglords becomes so great that they begin to control countries. As a result you will create a failed state that is bought by druglords with the big amounts of money that they earn.

I disagree.

The druglords are criminals outside the rule of law. These are not people who would otherwise become CEOs if drugs hadn't been outlawed. Our policies make criminals massively wealthy.

When prohibition ended, the mafia didn't go straight. They went into other illicit activities.

The War on Drugs is a crippling policy that corrupts and rots the system from within. It creates unstable nations in America's sphere of influence and even right on its own borders.

I say legalise them. Seriously. and prostitution, too.

 

[Skeptik]

The war on drugs has been counterproductive for years now. It's time to wake up and realize that continuing to do what we have been doing, while expecting a different outcome, is insanity.

The first step is to quit looking at drug addiction as a legal problem. It is a medical problem, and needs to be addressed as such.

Then, let's realize that not all drugs are the same. Pot is not heroin, for example, nor is it meth.

Then, we need to realize that the way to stop drug trafficking, or at least slow it down, is to work on the demand, not on the supply .

But, of course, none of that will ever happen. Should a serious proposal to decriminalize drugs be made, the maker of such proposal will first be attacked politically by the authoritarians in our society. If that doesn't work, then he will be most likely attacked physically by the drug lords fearing for their empires.

So, in summary:

We're screwed.

 

[auditor0007]

Without a doubt, our efforts to stop drug use has been a miserable failure. It's time to try something different. Just within our own borders, all one need do is look at the astronomical cost police, the DEA, and how many other agencies that are involved in trying to stop drugs from being distributed.

Then look at the cost of housing so many drug users and dealers. We could reduce the cost in all these areas dramatically and put a good portion of it toward education and treatment, and I'm almost certain the results would be much better than we're getting now. If it proves not to be so, we can always go back to what we're doing now.

 

[DiveCon]

sure, lets legalize recreational drugs
maybe then half the nutjobs that voted for Obama would be too wasted to vote

 

[elvis]

sure, lets legalize recreational drugs
maybe then half the nutjobs that voted for Obama would be too wasted to vote

Thanks for helping me make my case.

 

[DiveCon]

sure, lets legalize recreational drugs
maybe then half the nutjobs that voted for Obama would be too wasted to vote

Thanks for helping me make my case.

and as for prostitution, as long as its all adults, and consentual, who gives a rats ass what they do

 

[elvis]

sure, lets legalize recreational drugs
maybe then half the nutjobs that voted for Obama would be too wasted to vote

Thanks for helping me make my case.

and as for prostitution, as long as its all adults, who gives a rats ass what they do

my sentiments exactly

 

[Modbert]

Recreational Drugs and such are okay in my book. As long as it's not sold to children of course.

Prostitution? I don't feel like going that path of debate again since nothing is solved.

 

[elvis]

Recreational Drugs and such are okay in my book. As long as it's not sold to children of course.

Prostitution? I don't feel like going that path of debate again since nothing is solved.

He's against it.

 

[Diuretic]

You know why they call it "weed"? Of course you do. My point is that - I don't know what it's like where you are but where I am you can chuck a few seeds in the back yard, give them a bit of water (but don't get caught because you'll get a bigger fine for using water unlawfully than for growing dope! ) and bingo, your very own dope plants.

But guess what. Legislators have turned this weed into a magic crop. It has a value beyond that of anything else you can grow here. Check this out, a couple of days ago.

POLICE said a huge cannabis crop found at Virginia had a possible street value of $60 million.

Detectives and STAR Group officers swooped on the O'Loughlin Rd market garden this morning where they found about 4000 cannabis plants in five glasshouses.

The plants ranged in size from about 30cm to two metres in height and all were in healthy condition and were being fed by an elaborate watering system.

Superintendent Linda Fellows from the Drug Investigation Branch said, "it has been some time since we have had a crop of this size".

AdelaideNow... SA Police find huge cannabis crop inside greenhouses at Virginia

4000 weeds, big ones, but weeds, are worth $60 million dollars. Now, I ask you, are our legislators modern alchemists? They can turn weeds into plants worth millions of dollars.

I am impressed, I can tell you.

 

[Modbert]

and as for prostitution, as long as its all adults, and consentual, who gives a rats ass what they do

I agree somewhat I will state for the record. However, the problem with prostitution is that it's not always adults and not always consentual.

Not too old reports show that the average age of entry into Prostitution is 13, prevalence of incest among prostitutes range from 65 to 90%, most studies show about 65% to 80%+ of Prostitutes raped at some point.

Having said that; make the age that women can be Prostitutes 18 and decriminalize it while still making pimps and brothels illegal and I'll be fine with it.

That, and anyone shown to be human trafficking either women or children into prostitute be given life sentences.

 

[DiveCon]

You know why they call it "weed"? Of course you do. My point is that - I don't know what it's like where you are but where I am you can chuck a few seeds in the back yard, give them a bit of water (but don't get caught because you'll get a bigger fine for using water unlawfully than for growing dope! ) and bingo, your very own dope plants.

But guess what. Legislators have turned this weed into a magic crop. It has a value beyond that of anything else you can grow here. Check this out, a couple of days ago.

POLICE said a huge cannabis crop found at Virginia had a possible street value of $60 million.

Detectives and STAR Group officers swooped on the O'Loughlin Rd market garden this morning where they found about 4000 cannabis plants in five glasshouses.

The plants ranged in size from about 30cm to two metres in height and all were in healthy condition and were being fed by an elaborate watering system.

Superintendent Linda Fellows from the Drug Investigation Branch said, "it has been some time since we have had a crop of this size".

AdelaideNow... SA Police find huge cannabis crop inside greenhouses at Virginia

4000 weeds, big ones, but weeds, are worth $60 million dollars. Now, I ask you, are our legislators modern alchemists? They can turn weeds into plants worth millions of dollars.

I am impressed, I can tell you.

well, our legislators are not the brightest bulbs in the pack
those with real smarts are smart enough not to go into politics

 

[toomuchtime_]

The problem is more when their is no war against drugs, then the power of druglords becomes so great that they begin to control countries. As a result you will create a failed state that is bought by druglords with the big amounts of money that they earn.

We can destroy the power of the drug lords by destroying the market for their drugs right here in America. Legalize drugs under the control of the government just as we do with alcohol and tobacco, and use some of the tax money we collect on them to help people who develop drug problems. The drugs sold would be safer and much of the criminal culture that depends on drug sales will disappear just as the criminal culture that was sustained by Prohibition largely disappeared with the end of Prohibition. Legal corporations would buy the ingredients directly from third world farmers, pretty much ending the loyalty these people feel for the drug lords now, and the illicit sale of drugs would no longer be a source of revenue rebel groups.

Everyone wins but the criminals.

 

[DiveCon]

and as for prostitution, as long as its all adults, and consentual, who gives a rats ass what they do

I agree somewhat I will state for the record. However, the problem with prostitution is that it's not always adults and not always consentual.

Not too old reports show that the average age of entry into Prostitution is 13, prevalence of incest among prostitutes range from 65 to 90%, most studies show about 65% to 80%+ of Prostitutes raped at some point.

Having said that; make the age that women can be Prostitutes 18 and decriminalize it while still making pimps and brothels illegal and I'll be fine with it.

That, and anyone shown to be human trafficking either women or children into prostitute be given life sentences.

doesnt "adults, and consetual" cover that?