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December 31, 2008
An Agent For Change
Terry Nelson was a Federal agent for 30 years with the U.S. Border Patrol, the Customs Service and the Department of Homeland Security. Here is what he says about drug prohibition. Busting top traffickers doesn't work, since others just do battle to replace them. Despite the obvious failure of our drug control strategy, the public discourse surrounding this issue has focused primarily on continuing to wage the "drug war."Probably never. Why? In my estimation they have already been bought off by the cartels. "The Latin American drug cartels have stretched their tentacles much deeper into our lives than most people believe. It's possible they are calling the shots at all levels of government." - William Colby, former CIA Director, 1995Here is what the Most Corrupt President Elect Ever™ has to say about marijuana legalization: "President-elect Obama is not in favor of the legalization of marijuana."End of story. For now. I think the murder rate from the presence of the Mexican gangs in our cities will have to go a lot higher before even discussion of legalization by our elected officials is on the table. One of the things that will help is a wave of kidnapings that the Mexican gangs are also famous for. Coming soon to a city or town near you. I can hardly wait. Cross Posted at Power and Control posted by Simon on 12.31.08 at 07:22 AM
Comments
OK, lets take the bait and assume that Pot and other drugs are legalized. If I am John L. (Legitimate) Businessman, I can now set up a product distribution in a major city. What happens next? Keep in mind that legalization is not necessarily a better thing. Think through the entire exercise. Honestly, if tobacco is being pushed as a controlled substance, how in any type of contorted logic can it be argued that Pot and Cocaine are not? Pablo Panadero · December 31, 2008 10:32 AM 1) Standard business cost. Hell, computer companies have to deal with class action lawsuits. 2) I wonder where these particular country clubs are. Generally, if you make enough money and dress well enough, they don't really care where it came from. And since the profit margin right now is around 17,000% percent (according to the government) I'm pretty sure you would have to employ a significant portion of the legal community to erode that margin. Pretty much every civil lawyer in the country would have to be working for a drug distributor for that to happen. 3) Just like cigarettes? 4) Just like cigarettes? 5) Just like cigarettes? Phelps · December 31, 2008 11:02 AM Pablo, It is fairly well established that pot has anti-tumor properties and may have anti-cancer properties as well although the evidence on that is not conclusive. With nationalized health care coming and if the above proves out people may be forced to smoke it. OTOH if you are right I guess we will just have to accept the financing of criminal gangs. The conversion of Mexico into a narco state and a lot of busy work for police. Nothing can be done. M. Simon · December 31, 2008 01:53 PM Legalize everything but murder and tax it. OK, that's a bit extreme, but it's more workable than moralistic government intervention. The question I'm wondering about today is whether morals must be enforced by law? Whose morals will be the defining ones? Islam's? Wiccan's? What is the relationship between immoral and cruel? Between cruel and inhumane? Perhaps the best way is to let the effects of the substances extract their own payment. If one can function using cocaine, good for him... if not, well... dammit, cookies crumble.
Donna B. · December 31, 2008 07:45 PM |
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Yes, Prohibition should be ended, but let's eighty-six the rhetoric about "public health," which has become newspeak for "self-righteous intolerance."