Over at Slate, Jack Shafer cites our very own David R. Henderson in a discussion of the War on Drugs.
15 thoughts on “‘The Wartime Economist’ Takes on the Drug War”
Comments are closed.
Over at Slate, Jack Shafer cites our very own David R. Henderson in a discussion of the War on Drugs.
Comments are closed.
The article is pretty much correct. The war on drugs has been a disater. If people want to inject themselves with dangerous narcotics, as long as they are not bothering anyone else, who gives us the right to punish them?
We have way too many people locked up for non-violent drug offenses. Possesion should not be punished with jail time, maybe with a mandatory drug treatment program, at most. Even the drug dealers, as long as they have not used violence or hurt anyone, I don’t think they should be in jail for 20 or 30 years, it just makes no sense to me and is very draconian.
Let’s forget the war on drugs, admit defeat, and use some of the money to fight a real war, the war on Islamic terrorism that represents a greater threat to this nation than all the Colombian drug lords combined.
"the war on Islamic terrorism that represents a greater threat to this nation than all the Colombian drug lords combined."
The War on Islam is another fraud from the same groups. Some want to keep the military-industrial complex going, some to speed up the Second Coming of Jesus. In another couple decades, when killing muslims is out of style, the same people will be wanting a Cold War with China!
Zhu Bajie
> and use some of the money to fight a real war, the war on Islamic terrorism that represents a greater threat to this nation than all the Colombian drug lords combined.
By which, I hope you mean, they are less of a threat than drowning. More people die every year in the US than died in the worst year (2001) due to terrorism. So I say we declare war on water!
People who believe in the “War on Terror” have an immunity to logical argument.
Well, Luthor, when I got off the subway in lower manhattan at about 9am on Tuesday morning, September 11th 2001, I can assure you I was quite terrified. And I certainly believed, at that very moment, that we were at war. And I still believe that. So I guess I am illogical by your standards. Not sure I understand why you feel that way. I guess what I saw that morning was a figment of my imagination.
I believe you meant we are at war with Al-Qaeda which wasn’t in Iraq and yes the drug war has failed miserably.
I think I read that law enforcement has also killed more people since 2001 than 911 did. But those people may have been drug dealers! Now I’m confused.
When ever there is a large demand for a product and government steps in and tries to stop the supply of said product, a black market will inevitably result. The problem with black markets is that they help to develop illegal economies, if they are large in size, you will see law enforcement, politicians and judges end up under the sway of the resulting bribery, undermining the fabric of a democratic system. This was clear during prohibition. The secondary result will be that the cost of the product with increase and so will the profit margin for anyone successful in that black market. Democracies should avoid over regulation of any product. Roman law that lasted a 1000 years avoided any law that could not be enforced.
let’s also not forget the massive amount of drug money that is laundered by all of the major banks, including the ones where you have your bank account. it’d be interesting to see what happens when that’s taken out.
And so, what elsen isn’t new? Please, get lost Big Brother.
No, lets take the money saved and improve OUR infrastructure and OUR standard of living and OUR pension system.
I am sick and tired of defending someone else’s borders in the Middle East. Let them spend THEIR own money, use THEIR own soldiers and maybe they will learn to get along with with THEIR neighbors.
AMERICA FIRST!
Most police and drug enforcement people are addicted to the freedom and money that comes from calling this a “war”. They are having so much fun doing “undercover” work, that if we ended the war, there would be a wave of retirements!
I think we should declare war on hospitals, where avoidable infections and prescription errors probably kill more people annually in the United States than have been killed by all acts of terrorism and drug abuse committed in the last 25 years.
Of course, in the US, a declaration of war against some perceived social or geo-political ill is usually as simultaneous admission of defeat so — never mind!
You are right, more people die from medical neglect and mistakes in hospitals. So why even prosecute murder? Thousands and thousands of black men are murdered every year by other black men, so why even worry when, once in a while, a white racist cop shoots a black guy? Makes perfect sense. The big corporate robbers at Enron and other big mult-national corporations steal much more money than common pickpockets, so the next time someone picks your pocket or steals your car, don’t call the cops, just forgive and forget. Your logic is profound.
Tim R,
Lets make Israel the 51st state, raise taxes here and ensure their standard of living is better than ours.
Sort of like what we are doing now.
Then, you can stop all this disingenuous posting of yours that no one agrees with.
Go join the IDF,do your own dirty work and leave us alone to fix this country under the leadership of RON PAUL.