Follow the money, and you will understand the problem better. There are two main contingencies who profit from the drug problem – one is the organized dealers, and two is the government.

Uh oh, Pensiamento; you must be joking about the government! Let’s examine the situation and see if that’s true. We know the dealers are true, but what we don’t know is who all of the dealers are.

Have you ever heard of the British East India Company? Wikipedia is the sanitized version. Then, there’s the Committee of 300 version (if you can get an unedited copy at a reasonable price). Here’s an internet source on the opium trade and powerful interests who were involved.

Now, let’s look at reality; things with which we cannot argue.

1.) If it’s illegal, that drives up the price. If it’s illegal, you must have bribed legislators and legislation, bribed police, bribed investigators, bribed courts, bribed prosecuters, jails, bribed jail employees, bribed bureaucratic employees, transport vehicles, praphanailia (cuffs), bribed border guards, bribed inspectors for imports, surveillance, accompanying equipment, bribed military, medical care, counseling etc. etc. All of that requires taxing authority, and the cost is astronomical! Other costs include murders, gang warfare, automobile accidents, property damage, shoplifting, and so on. Note that all of that is beneficial to the growth of government, and is a good no win issue that candidates on both sides of the aisle can make hay with it! The War on Drugs has been around longer than any other wars (1971) save Korea (never really resolved) and the War on Poverty started in the 1960’s by Lyndon Johnson – never won – only worse! Wars are expensive!

The drug war won’t be won because the fix is in at the top. The power brokers (Prime Drug Dealing Agents) own the politicians, ports, border patrol, the courts and law enforcement. They make sure they throw a few bones to those guys by turning over some of their competitors for prosecution from time to time, so it appears that the government law enforcement and prosecutors are doing their jobs. It’s a very profitable forever scam!

2.) If it’s legal, then the government will want to regulate and tax it; which they are doing right now! Wealthy businesses will take over the industry as time goes by. The entrepreneurs will work out the kinks first, and they do the heavy lifting before that takes place. If it’s legal, then it will be done in greater numbers and in a more public way as there is no stigma attached to its use any more, and you don’t have to consort with criminals to obtain your drug of choice. Legalization lowers the moral standard of society by a dramatic amount and anesthitizes vast swaths of the populace!

3.) The third alternative SOLUTION is the one that will eliminate the problem. Decriminalize drugs! What does that mean? It means they become neither legal, nor illegal. What does that do? It eliminates any profitablity for government or criminal cabals (one in the same when it comes to drugs). Additionally, society (churches, schools, families) must stigmatize drug use. How do you do that? Firstly, mockery of people who resort to them. Secondly, socially avoiding those people. Stigmatization will take at least a couple of years to take effect, and, of course, there will always be some miscreants who will continue to use them, but the use will decline dramatically. Lastly, anyone causing injury or property loss while under the influence should suffer a severe punishment. Additionally, insurance companies could deny automobile coverage to anyone caught under the influence other than to pay for innocent victim’s losses.

Pensiamento Peligroso