Tuesday, January 20, 2009

How to win the War on Drugs

I am tired of hearing about border agents shot at by drug runners, or the uprising of drug cartels in Mexico, or of the entire failure of "War on Drugs" in general.

Truth is, as long as there is money for the making, especially in a 3rd world country, like much of the Americas south of the Border, there will be drug trafficing. And no amount of police, agents, or military men are going to stop that. The incentives are just too great.

So instead, I will quote the venerable Scrooge McDuck and say, Work smarter, not harder.

I offer two solutions-

1) Most drug possession offenses should be punishable by heavy fines, not prison if we can avoid it. Otherwise, we tie up crowded prisons, keep people from work, and try to accomplish what we don't have the resources for. Dealers and suppliers should be dealt with more harshly.

2) It's Biology stupid! We have not yet used plant disease - but research is something America is if not uniquely, certainly particularly good at. We need a plant disease (bacteria, virus, fungi, parasite, pest, etc) that targets drug producing plants specifically. Or even targets them proportional to the amount of drug they produce. Imagine killer bees with a taste for coca leaf! Or the tobacco mosaic virus refitted for coca leaf!

Of course, Australia, offers much in the way of lessons for the law of unintended consequences when it comes to messing with ecosystems, but at this point, I think on a risk/benefit analysis, it is more than justified.

Of course, some drugs, notably meth, are not grown, but for the majority that are, we could effectively neuter the drug cartels and hardly leave our labs. We could eliminate 90% of the problem in 5-10 years - and that is not even being overly optimistic.

2 comments:

Antinomian said...

Debaters debate the two wars as if the civil war on drugs against Woodstock Nation did not yet run amok. The witch-hunt against the witches at the peaceful public assembly of Woodstock Nation in August 1969, and their double-digit-demographic legions, cannot be good for America. We lead the world in percentile behind bars. If we are all about spreading liberty abroad, then why mix the message at home? Peace on the home front would enhance credibility.

The negative numbers that will bottom-line our legacy to the next generation can be less ginormous. The witch-hunt doctor’s Rx is for every bust to numerate a bigger tax-load over a smaller denominator of payers. Spend more on prisons than on schools. My second witch’s opinion is homegrown herbal remedy. More consumer discretionary funds will flow to the rest of the economy when they are no longer depleted by an unnatural seller’s market in psychoactive substances.

A clause about interstate commerce provides bogus constitutionality but fails reality-check. The mantra is eradicate, do not tax, the number-one cash crop in the land. Native flowers become as dear as gold. Gifted with margin to frustrate interdiction, peddlers’ bags do not carry coals to Newcastle. The founders’ purpose to authorize federal meddling in interstate commerce was not to divert tax revenue to outlaws. In 1933, America decided against alcohol prohibition. Prohibition reincarnated without due authorization. Apparently, swat teams don’t need any stinking amendment.

The demonized substances have never had their day in court. Nixon promised to supply supporting evidence later. Later, the Commission evidence didn’t support, but no matter. Civil war against Woodstock Nation had its charter. No amendments can assure due-process under an anti-science law that never had any due-process itself. Science hailed LSD as a drug with breakthrough potential, until the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (CSA) halted all research. Marijuana has no medical use, period. Open and shut cases clog the kangaroo courts. Lives are flushed down expensive tubes.

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 makes an exception to the CSA, allowing the Native American Church to eat peyote. Americans should not need a church-specific exception to obtain their birthright. Free selection of entheogen sacrament to mediate communion twixt the soul and the source of souls cannot be denied to any American. The CSA is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights in spirit and in word.

To speak freely, one must first think freely. To create, one must be in a receptive mood. How could a bum such as I hope to achieve a great work such as ending a war? What was I smoking? The Constitution doesn’t enumerate a governmental power to embargo diverse states of mind. How and when did government usurp this power to coerce conformity? Politicians who would limit cognitive liberty lack jurisdiction.

Common Law must hold that the people are the legal owners of their own bodies. The people should have the same liberty to move about in their spiritual abodes as they have in their material apartments. Socrates advocates knowing thy self. Mortal law should not presume to thwart the intelligent design that molecular keys unlock spiritual doors. Those who appreciate their own free choice of personal path in life should not deny self-exploration to seekers. Americans enjoy a right to the pursuit of happiness, given by God. The war on drugs is tyranny against the pursuit of happiness.

The books have ample law on them without the CSA. The usual caveats, against injury to others, or their estates, remain in effect. Strong medicine requires prescription. Employees can be fired for poor job performance. Americans are already responsible for damage caused by their screw-ups. No harm, no foul; and no excuse, either. Repeal the Controlled Substances Act.

Ramatote said...

Como ganar la guerra en tu pais?
Si a eso le llamas "guerra", llamale a la guerra del narco en mexico, un infierno total...
En su pais no hay problemas de nada, relacionado a esto.

How to win the war on drgus in your country??
México is on hell, if you call that "war"...
In your country dont exist any trouble about narcowar.

Check this:

http://www.blogdelnarco.com

this is published only for certain areas ...