Posted on 03/12/2006 8:51:58 AM PST by llevrok
I don't know, the punishments are pretty severe already, but the money to be made is truly very great, there are people who are ready to take the risk. Sometimes it's a surprise to find out just whom they are. Increasing the severity of punishment would probably discourage some folks from trading in drugs, depending on the new laws, but OTOH, anything that cuts into the supply will also increase the money to be made, which ought to tempt someone enough to get into the druggie business.
I don't know that I accept your position that alien smuggling is a major player in weakening the enforcement side of the drug war, though it does make sense that it's related.
As for the idea of creating a biological agent that would attack the plant or the user, that is a double edged sword in the extreme. Think of the horror of such a thing, if ever introduced into the nation's or world's crops. I for one would be horrified at the idea of introducing such a thing into the world. Another argument against the War on Drugs, if anything.
Your post #37 is a pretty good capsule history of the War on Drugs.
What I mean is you kill the suppliers and destory their fields, and their property. War should mean war. What we have it is seems is a war in name only where only primarily lowly street dealers and users get caught.
What I meant in referencing the "connection" between illegal alien traffic and drug trafficing is that porous borders benefits drug trafficers and those they provide political funding to more than it does the illegals or those that hire them. I also believe that a secure border could cut off most of the drug trade coming from outside this country as well as protect us from other minor things like Alqaeda. My only conclusion is that people in political office in spite of popular support for it really don't want a secure border and I have a hard time believing it is because of the plight of poor mexicans.
The two reasons that come to mind are the drug trade and day labor needs and I have a hard time believing it is because they can't find enough lettuce pickers so that leaves the drug trade as the likely candidate. It is only by following the money can we find out why the illegal immigrant situation has been allowed to trump national security.
The National Research Council published a report showing that illegal immigrants have a net benefit of 10 billion dollars a year to the economy. Though I doubt this study it illustrates that illegal immigration is not something that is of great benefit to our 10-trillion dollar economy though some employers do rely on illegals because it is easy to get someone who has nothing to do anything but they could just as easily find legal workers in poor and depressed areas throughout the US. So why all the hand wringing when it comes to securing the border? Is it really the need for slave labor and if it is then what does that say about us?
I believe it is the estimated 50 billion dollar US drug trade that politicians really care about and that the illegal aliens are a convenient way to sidestep the issue.
Is there a conspiracy? No, it is just an industry with lots of easy money and convenient circumstances that allow those in power who benefit the most to cloud the issue. It is not unlike other industries who try to maximize profits and protect their interests through lobbyists.
As for the use of science to end this problem permanently I think it is a good option. The simplest way would be to develop vaccines that could be administered from childhood on up as an option so that children would never be at risk from heroin or cocain even if they did try it they would be immune to the effects. It could be administered to prisoners and any convicted of a drug related offense and would eventually eliminate the demand altogether. That aside I believe the biggest problem is the lack of enforcement and the poverty in Mexico which fuels the drug trade. We do not have a problem with Drugs from Canada because of this. If it were only a supply and demand issue then we'd expect Canadians eager to get in on the trade too but ironically we have a bigger legal drug "problem" with Candada than illegal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_trafficking
http://www.newstarget.com/001513.html
http://www.cato.org/dailys/03-20-02.html
http://www.serendipity.li/wod/euro_pr.html
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2005-05/2005-05-02-voa53.cfm
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