More on Legalizing Drugs

If drugs became legal to sell and consume, like alcohol, the question arises about what to do with the people who've been making their living by selling drugs on the street. My War on Drugs discussion friend (see earlier post of April 8, 2009) points out that wars always end with some violent, aimless men, especially on the losing side -- such as the Jameses and Youngers after the Civil War -- inflicting themselves on society and that the same problem would emerge with the end of the Drug War. On the bright side, my friend has a theory that more young people might stay in school, if they weren't drawn by the possibilities of selling drugs, Admittedly, my friend recognizes that the transition might be a difficult one. I think this is especially so, if other illegal pursuits were attempted in transition.

The book, Freakonomics, has an interesting slant on drug dealers. The author writes that the street pushers barely earn minimum wage and that they can only score financially by being at the top of the drug distribution chain. If that's the case, the pushers may find it more remunerative to pursue other employment. So, I agree with the idea that more young people might stay in school as a result of legalization of drugs. In case of the drug king pins, I imagine they are smart enough to find another illegal pursuit they can pursue without too much heat from the law or to go legitimate. It is possible that the legalization of drugs will have lasting positive consequences in spite of some transitory negative ones.

Nationally, there are several movements underway with the goal of legalizing drugs and ending the insanity of a hopeless war. I suggest that we should all consider the arguments on both sides of this issue before condemning the idea of legalization of drugs. This is the first step in public education. Eventually to convince Congress and the Kansas Legislature that drug laws should be changed, the focus of any legalization movement would be public education. Only if the public is overwhelming in favor of something will the legislatures be convinced to act. As for Kansas -- when changing laws is the goal -- this state is always last or next to last in adopting laws that the rest of the country embraces.

Legalizing Drugs

A friend and I talked at lunch the other day about legalizing drugs. What my friend had to say about it made a lot of sense. Leonard Pitts made a good case for the same conclusion in yesterday's K.C. Star. Perhaps, in these two events, there's an omen that more people will become aware of the need for a movement toward legalization. Doing so could certainly reduce our law enforcement costs, perhaps freeing up resources we could use more effectively to control illegal immigration or some other compliance problem. Other problem areas that could be addressed besides drugs are child pornography, identity theft, car theft, securities fraud, or home burglaries. Putting all those narcs on the street wouldn't be good for the unemployment figures. But wait, if we keep fighting crime, we won't save the money wasted on the War on Drugs or reduce our prison population. How do we get out of this mess? Perhaps, dumping the War on Drugs would leave enough money to bear down on some crime problems and still reduce costs for enforcement and prisons. Hopefully, the narcs could qualify as air marshals, teachers, counselors or other jobs that would be useful in improving society. More people need to weigh in on this and something has to change. Our drug "problem" isn't getting solved and we have too many people in prison with too many adverse consequences for them and the rest of us.

Fighting Drugs and Terrorism- Parallels

A November, 2008, report by the Brookings Institute's Partnership for the Americas Commission concerns key challenges faced by the United States and the hemisphere’s other countries—such as securing sustainable energy supplies, combating and adapting to climate change, and combating organized crime and drug trafficking. The report concludes that these challenges have become so complex and deeply transnational that they cannot be managed or overcome by any single country.

Focusing on the "war on drugs", Tracy Wilkinson of the Los Angeles Times writes,"The problem, according to the report, is that the U.S. approach emphasizes law enforcement and neglects the problem of consumption." The same article Ernesto Zedillo, Co-chairman of the Brookings Institution's Partnership for the Americas Commission, is reported as saying that U.S. policy has been "asymmetrical" in demanding Mexico stanch the flow of drugs northward without successful efforts to stop the flow of guns south and that, in addition to disrupting drug-smuggling routes, eradicating crops and prosecuting dealers, the U.S. must confront the public health issue that large-scale [drug] consumption poses. Wilkinson further quotes Zedillo as saying, "If we insist only on a strategy of a criminal pursuit of those who traffic in drugs, the problem will never be resolved."

It occurred to me that the same proposition could be applied to the "war on terror". If we insist on a strategy of military action against terrorists, the problem will never be solved. You simply cannot kill all of the terrorists and, the more of them that you kill, the more terrorists you will face. The U.S. and its allies in the war on terrorism must address the conditions that create terrorists.

To protect the hemisphere from drugs and organized crime, the report recommends that the nations undertake a comprehensive, comparative evaluation of counter narcotics measures. Recommended actions, among others, include: (1)increase substantially the amount of federal and state funds available to drug courts and related treatment programs, (2) complement drug-prevention programs in schools with drug education outside the classroom, (3) customize the messages of drug-prevention campaigns to specific target groups, and (4) combine eradication efforts with policies to promote alternative livelihoods and more effective interdiction.

To protect the world from radical Islamic terrorists, the nations need to undertake a comprehensive counter-terrorism measures. Recommended actions include: (1) creating employment opportunities and job training through the investment of Middle Eastern oil profits throughout areas where Muslims predominate; (2) improving educational opportunities that supplant the religious training of Muslim youth and eclipse teaching of radical Islamic beliefs; (3) developing motion picture, television and other performance events, including professional sports, that are consistent with Muslim religious beliefs, (4) admitting to the adverse effects of colonialism and take actions to rectify any remnants of colonialism by making amends where possible; (5) showcasing Western life and values to counter misconceptions among the Muslim population about Americans and Europeans; 6) delivering medical assistance wherever it is needed to impoverished populations; and providing technical assistance and equipment to improve agriculture and food production and consumption. There are certainly other things that can be done to slowly, but surely, transform the Muslim world into a modern society with respect to tolerating other religions, diminishing corruption, and respecting human rights (particular those of women). Perhaps, with a new President, an effective counter to radial Islamic terrorism can be developed.

Down Mexico Way

ABC's World News Tonight reports that a war is going on just South of the border between Mexican police and criminal drug cartels. The news report alleges that 2,000 police officers have been killed within the last year or so in these escalating hostilities. 95% of the guns, mostly automatic weapons, used to inflict the casualties on Mexican law enforcement officers were allegedly from the U.S., smuggled into Mexico after being purchased from an American gun dealer or gun show. The report also claims that some 12,000 gun dealers are in the states bordering Mexico. We can surely surmise that the vast majority of these gun dealers and gun traders are NRA members. It makes one wonder if the Mexican drug cartels are indirectly, and possibly directly, supporting the NRA through dues paid or other contributions. It takes a hefty treasury to support an effective lobbying program like that of the NRA. Maybe, because of the money involved in gun sales to the Mexican drug cartels, that's why it's so hard to get legislation restricting the sale of automatic weapons. Anyway, it's something to ponder.