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I have to admire how hte Chinese government punishes instead of trying to just take a ‘compassionate’ approach. I just wonder at what point are we going to stop giving a rat’s arse about these criminals. We should forcibly rehabilitate the addicts and also punish harshly the dealers and the smugglers the same way as the Chinese. We need to stop worrying about image and about self esteem and self image as well. The Chinese are tough and don’t care about image.

Now THAT’S a “War on Drugs.”

And it still doesn't do a damn thing.

I have friends and relatives that frequently travel to China and Korea. The drugs there flow just as freely in popular bars and clubs as they do here. They tell me that if you’re white or look wealthy, people constantly offer you drugs and prostitutes when you go out. Asian countries probably do have a lower percentage of drug use than the US, but it is more due to culture and economics than availability.

Prohibition only makes the bootleggers and revenuers rich by creating a super-profitable black market. It is a hundred times worse than the liquor runners of the 1930s. For example, cocaine costs about as much as caffeine powder to produce but can be sold for more than its weight in gold. Bootleggers had to smuggle truck loads of bottles(and still got through). Now, the same profit can be made by smuggling a few packets of cocaine inside someone’s stomach.

Another example: Pot costs about as much to produce as basil but is worth its weight in $20 bills to a smoker. It is a literal money tree that any idiot can grow on their own. All one needs is a few square feet of garden or a box no bigger than a nightstand. Short of 24/7 surveillance, nothing will stop it. Even in North Korea, where people are under constant surveillance, they have a booming meth market.

This “war” cannot be fought with force or control. It can only be fought on the cultural and social side. By allowing Hollywood and music studios to dictate American pop culture, we are losing that battle.