america's favorite moustache: end drug war to end drug violence

verklingen · 04-23-2009, 07:20 AM

this is drawing an awful lot of serious discussion, but it only makes sense when we're pressured as we are to look for new ways to prosper.

Quote:

Prohibition Spawns Drug Violence

John Stossel

Visiting Mexico last week, President Obama said he will fight drug violence: "I will not pretend that this is Mexico's responsibility alone. The demand for these drugs inside the United States is keeping these cartels in business" (http://tinyurl.com/d4kjto).

I don't expect politicians to be sticklers for logic, but this is ridiculous. Americans also have a hefty demand for Mexican beer, but there are no "Mexican beer cartels." When Obama visits France, he doesn't consult with politicians about "wine violence." What's happening on the Mexican border is prohibition-caused violence.

A legal product is produced and traded openly, and is therefore subject to competition and civilizing custom. If two beer distributors have a disagreement or if a liquor retailer fails to pay his wholesaler, the wronged parties can go to court. There's no need to take matters violently into their own hands. As a result, in legal industries the ability to commit mayhem is not a valued skill.

On the other hand, dealers in a prohibited product operate in the black market. Upstanding businesspeople stay away, relinquishing the trade to those without moral scruples. Black-market operators can't resolve disputes in court, so being good at using force provides a competitive advantage.

Politicians gave us prohibition and created the conditions in which violence pays. This doesn't excuse those who commit it, but the fact remains that a legal drug market would be as peaceful as the beer, wine and whiskey markets. When alcohol prohibition, which spawned large-scale organized crime, ended in 1933, there was a brief upsurge in drinking, but America became a more peaceful and less corrupt place.

We should learn from that, but we haven't. American politicians are largely responsible for the atrocities now taking place.

That's not what they want to hear, of course, so they blame others. Their "solution" to increasing violence is to crack down even more on production and distribution of some drugs. This has never worked before, and it won't work now.
Black-market profits are abnormally high because of the risk premiums and limited competition, so plenty of people will want to enter the business. Wipe out one cartel, and another is waiting to take its place. The high profit margins leave plenty of cash to bribe judges, cops and border guards. Even in America.

When American politicians scapegoat drug consumers, they bring the court system to a standstill and clog prisons with nonviolent offenders who are stigmatized for life. Minorities bear the brunt of any crackdown.

When will we learn that prohibition doesn't banish a popular product? It merely turns the trade over to thugs. The result is worse for society than if drugs were legal. After decades of the "war on drugs," anyone can still buy most any drug he wishes. Authorities can't even keep drugs out of prisons.

Another aspect of this issue has been overlooked, especially by conservative supporters of the drug war: President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have promised the Mexican government they will stop the southern flow of American guns said to be used by the drug cartels. A war on drugs inevitably becomes a war on guns. Yet conservative Second Amendment advocates refuse to see the connection.

Obama's drug warriors are happy to link the issues. The president says, "More than 90 percent of the guns recovered in Mexico come from the United States, many from gun shops that line our shared border, and that's why we're ramping up the number of law enforcement personnel on our border" (President Obama in Mexico: Immigration, economy, energy and drugs - 4/17/09 - Los Angeles-Southern California-LA Breaking News, Weather, Traffic, Sports - abc7.com).

That 90 percent figure has been repeated many times, but FactCheck.org says it's bogus:

"The figure represents only the percentage of crime guns that have been submitted by Mexican officials and traced by U.S. officials. ... U.S. and Mexican officials both say that Mexico recovers more guns than it submits for tracing ... " (FactCheck.org: Counting Mexico's Guns).

And FactCheck says Mexico only submits those it already has reason to believe came from the United States.

Once again the politicians show contempt for the truth as well as for freedom.

John Stossel is co-anchor of ABC News' "20/20" and the author of "Myth, Lies, and Downright Stupidity." To find out more about John Stossel and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at Creators Syndicate - Celebrating 20 Years as a World-Class Syndicate Of Talent.

COPYRIGHT 2009 BY JFS PRODUCTIONS, INC.

DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.

Canuck Wisdom · 04-23-2009, 07:39 AM

NY times?

Nice!

The Rev · 04-23-2009, 04:30 PM

Remember, I called it. 2 years, and pot will be legal. Let's call a day: on or before July 2011 (let's me slip an extra 4/20 in there to clinch it), marijuana will be legalized.

The Rev

The Rev · 04-23-2009, 04:31 PM

BTW, Stossel kicks ass. I would love to see a YouTube video of him and Tom Selleck making out, tho.

The Rev

**~~muddafuka~~** · 04-24-2009, 07:40 PM

or Borat & the Zohan ?

wellfleation · 04-24-2009, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rev

Remember, I called it. 2 years, and pot will be legal. Let's call a day: on or before July 2011 (let's me slip an extra 4/20 in there to clinch it), marijuana will be legalized.

It will be left to the Sates, which is fine by me as Mass is filled with educated people who see the foolishness of some of the drug laws as well as the fact we can't win Nixon's initiatiated " The War on Drugs" - AND LIKE A GOOD Republican, expanded government and spending - the demise of the Republican party if you will. Might as well legalize it as any sane person sees this as just a formality (and fuck the Baby Boomers - they failed us and thank God I just miss that gen). Or all users will move to the Northeast or West and express our rights as human beings, and in the process, export their grow art to the rest of us.

**~~muddafuka~~** · 04-24-2009, 09:20 PM

^good read for you. @

Final Word on the Drug Czar’s Marijuana Ads — MPP Blog

found this tidbit @
History of Marihuana Legislation

ENACTMENT OF THE MARIHUANA TAX ACT

Despite the public opinion campaign conducted in the early 1930's the general public was largely unaware of the drug, its use, or its alleged effects; only regional interest was aroused.

A change seems to have occurred after 1935. The increased national awareness played a significant role in the decision of the Treasury Department to seek federal legislation. On April 14, 1937, the "Secretary of the Treasury, on behalf of the Commissioner of Narcotics," submitted the "administration proposal to Congress to impose an excise and transfer tax on dealings in marihuana" (Schaller, 1970: 70).

The scheme of the Marihuana Tax Act was threefold: a requirement that all manufacturers, importers, dealers, and practitioners register and pay a special occupational tax; a requirement that all transactions be accomplished through use of written order forms; and the imposition of a tax on all transfers in the amount of $1 per ounce for transfer to registered persons and a prohibitive $100 per ounce for transfers to unregistered persons.

read all of this study, by Then Gov. Schaffer which Nixon refused to accept !
Marihuana, A Signal of Misunderstanding - Table of Contents

The Report of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse
Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding
Commissioned by President Richard M. Nixon, March, 1972

and
Nixon's associate,

Myles Ambrose, Nixon's first drug czar, opted to retire from the government after the public furor over the Collinsville raids by agents of his Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement-and several embarrassing leaks that appeared in the press about his association with a Texas rancher who later ran afoul of the law-even though there was no linkage between these incidents and his retirement from federal service. Ambrose returned to private law practice, although he still occasionally plays basketball in the gymnasium of the drug agency. Caulfield, who had originally proposed the private detective firm planned for the White House in 1971, was forced to resign from the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms division of the Treasury Department. Ambrose's office was also consolidated into the Drug Enforcement Administration.

@

Decline and Fall

kamikazi89 · 07-31-2009, 09:31 AM

even the hollywood squares agree

kamikazi89 · 07-31-2009, 11:45 AM

track record: check it

Flamingnun · 07-31-2009, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wellfleation

Mass is filled with educated people

Please direct some towards Yahooka then.

kamikazi89 · 07-31-2009, 12:03 PM

i blame disney

stoneric · 07-31-2009, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flamingnun

Please direct some towards Yahooka then.

Ouch!

04-23-2009, 04:30 PM	#3 (permalink)
The Rev Clear Light Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: In my head, somewhere. Posts: 17,864 Thanks: 5,015 Thanked 5,419 Times in 2,864 Posts	Remember, I called it. 2 years, and pot will be legal. Let's call a day: on or before July 2011 (let's me slip an extra 4/20 in there to clinch it), marijuana will be legalized. The Rev __________________ Budforce - My Friend August 29, 1973- May 25, 2012

04-23-2009, 04:31 PM	#4 (permalink)
The Rev Clear Light Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: In my head, somewhere. Posts: 17,864 Thanks: 5,015 Thanked 5,419 Times in 2,864 Posts	BTW, Stossel kicks ass. I would love to see a YouTube video of him and Tom Selleck making out, tho. The Rev __________________ Budforce - My Friend August 29, 1973- May 25, 2012

04-24-2009, 07:40 PM	#5 (permalink)
~~muddafuka~~ Banned Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 21 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	or Borat & the Zohan ? Attached Images Last edited by muddafuka; 04-24-2009 at 07:46 PM.

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04-24-2009, 09:20 PM	#7 (permalink)
~~muddafuka~~ Banned Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 21 Thanks: 1 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	^good read for you. @ Final Word on the Drug Czar’s Marijuana Ads — MPP Blog found this tidbit @ History of Marihuana Legislation ENACTMENT OF THE MARIHUANA TAX ACT Despite the public opinion campaign conducted in the early 1930's the general public was largely unaware of the drug, its use, or its alleged effects; only regional interest was aroused. A change seems to have occurred after 1935. The increased national awareness played a significant role in the decision of the Treasury Department to seek federal legislation. On April 14, 1937, the "Secretary of the Treasury, on behalf of the Commissioner of Narcotics," submitted the "administration proposal to Congress to impose an excise and transfer tax on dealings in marihuana" (Schaller, 1970: 70). The scheme of the Marihuana Tax Act was threefold: a requirement that all manufacturers, importers, dealers, and practitioners register and pay a special occupational tax; a requirement that all transactions be accomplished through use of written order forms; and the imposition of a tax on all transfers in the amount of $1 per ounce for transfer to registered persons and a prohibitive $100 per ounce for transfers to unregistered persons. read all of this study, by Then Gov. Schaffer which Nixon refused to accept ! Marihuana, A Signal of Misunderstanding - Table of Contents The Report of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding Commissioned by President Richard M. Nixon, March, 1972 and Nixon's associate, Myles Ambrose, Nixon's first drug czar, opted to retire from the government after the public furor over the Collinsville raids by agents of his Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement-and several embarrassing leaks that appeared in the press about his association with a Texas rancher who later ran afoul of the law-even though there was no linkage between these incidents and his retirement from federal service. Ambrose returned to private law practice, although he still occasionally plays basketball in the gymnasium of the drug agency. Caulfield, who had originally proposed the private detective firm planned for the White House in 1971, was forced to resign from the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms division of the Treasury Department. Ambrose's office was also consolidated into the Drug Enforcement Administration. @ Decline and Fall

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