Radley’s new crime column is another must-read. He nails New York’s finest for their arrest quotas that end up with massive infringements on civil liberties, tons of marijuana busts, and actually downplaying of real crime.
An editorial that just doesn’t get it. From the Delaware Online: Drug war can’t succeed without refocusing
Most taxpayers may not want to hear it, but waste should not automatically trigger the end of government funding a program of good intention.
This is a tough argument to make, considering the recent news that America has spent a $1 trillion fighting a losing war on drugs for the last 40 years.
Yet there are intangibles not measured by this mis-focused effort to alter the tremendous damaging effects of illegal drugs.
Uncounted are lives saved through drug enforcement raids and police surveillance operations, despite the rampant street drug violence. And the rehabilitation of hundred of thousands of users can’t be ignored.
What an absolute failure to understand the dynamics of prohibition. There are, on balance, no lives saved through drug enforcement raids. It is the enforcement that causes more violence. And the rehabilitation of “abusers” is not a function of the drug war (it’s certainly the worst way to go about it). In fact, the drug war exacerbates the degree to which we see problem usage, because the drugs are not regulated.
It’s too early to wave the white flag. Instead, we need the courage to rethink the approach.
Ending prohibition is not waving the white flag. I really hate that mentality.
What is it about California? Check out Hughes4Governor
This guy is batshit crazy, with glimpses of sanity. He practically foams at the mouth about the evils of drugs (including marijuana), spouting the tired old incorrect statistics, yet actually understands economics well enough to come up with a plan that appears to be based on the economically sound heroin maintenance model. But he does it in a way that makes it seem dirty:
Take the profit out of drugs. By the elimination of current drug supply system high dollar profit. As Governor, I will enforce a program that gives addicts three choices:
- To buy drugs from the state for ½ price of the street price.
- Buy drugs from the street at full price.
- Accept rehabilitation.
All those who have been arrested for illicit drug use will be notified of the government purchase program. The current arrest system will be changed so that confiscated drugs are placed in the State’s selling program. I will have as many drugs confiscated as possible and create a price war for only repeat offenders with criminal record rap sheet. Illicit drugs will only be sold under the State’s program to those that buy the drugs every day and are the dregs of society.
I guess you have to walk in and say, “Hi, I’m a dreg of society. Can I buy some 1/2 price government crack?”
Oh, by the way, he also has a plan to turn Santa Rosa Island into a penal colony for pedophiles.
Regardless of how the fungus hit the poppies in Afghanistan, you know what the local view is… Killer fungus is no mystery to Afghan poppy growers.
This is an open thread.
Re :What is it about California?
Ok this is nuts. People that consume , for the most part, do not trust government. Why would they trust them enough to buy drugs from them? How bout getting the harder drugs from a doctor , leave government out of it. Government is the reason for hardships and death due to its policy of prohibition and strick attempt at controlling them.
Randy’s article does not say it but it is also possible that NYC was scamming then federal government.
It is also possible that by having more drug arrests,the City of New York cold get more federal funds from ONDCP because the increased number of arrests would signal to federal analysts that New York City was having more of a problem with drugs than any other city. I don’t know the data you would have to check to establish the fact that maybe NYC was scamming the feds and getting more funds. Corruption is not just taking funds from criminals to look the other way but also using statistics to justify actions that are uncalled for and increases government support for policies and
future policies.
http://www.marijuana.com/legalization-decriminalization/147338-dc-example-corruption-marijuana-prohibition.html
“It’s too early to wave the white flag. Instead, we need the courage to rethink the approach.”
It’s good to see the drug warriors on the defensive.
@JustMe…..Where do the doctors get the drugs? You need to think your statement through to it’s conclusion. Start to finish. The doctors don’t magically snap their fingers and drugs appear in their cabinets.
Illicit drugs will only be sold under the State’s program to those that buy the drugs every day and are the dregs of society.
He’ll probly oppose and veto proper regulation and have his thugs poison all the stuff he sells to the “dregs”.
This Hughes guy is good news in my opinion. This is finally one of those anti-drug fanatics that doesn’t just want to ratchet up the war on drugs. We have made such progress in public discourse that we finally are seeing real lunatics come up with something other than prohibition. His plan is weird, but if it was implemented, we’d be much closer to legalization. Experimentation with things sufficiently different from prohibition is the key. Legalization won’t happen without first a bunch of weird experiments. Just let people like Hughes (he is the first of his kind so far-a crazy anti drug guy with a different idea), try out their ideas. The more experiments the better, both for ultimately developing the best regulations under legalization, and meanwhile for the transformation of public discourse.
Very good point, TrebleBass.
seized illegal drugs would be of unknown quality and dosage. Part of the problem with street drugs is the variable in potency and the contaminants used in cutting the powder drugs. One goal of legalization is standardization of dosage/potency and removal of contaminants.
Interesting in the article on the poppy fungus they mention the Vavilov Center (but not by name) and called it Russia’s first bio-weapons facility. Not quite sure I buy that.
When I said it was an interesting disconnect between a science center working on a way to kill plants named after Nikolay Vavilov. Vavilov was a botanist who died in the 1940s in a Soviet prison… His crime? Plant collecting.
outstanding article: The Bizarre Universe of Drug Prohibition
Thanks