Drug War vs actual war - PhillyBlog

Ezra · #1 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 11:10 AM

As I enjoying a bit of weed I was wondering to myself how much the war on drugs is costing America. A very quick search gave me this quote by William F. Buckley Jr.

Quote:

... consumes an estimated $75 billion per year of public money, exacts an estimated $70 billion a year from consumers, is responsible for nearly 50 per cent of the million Americans who are today in jail, occupies an estimated 50 per cent of the trial time of our judiciary, and takes the time of 400,000 policemen.

That was from over 10 years ago.

Does anyone know what the drug war is like in a Post 9/11 World (TM)?

I could continue to Google for answers but I'm more interested to hear from anyone who supports both the war on drugs and the war on terror.

Does anyone have any ROI studies handy of the war on drugs?

zur · #2 (**permalink**) 05-11-2008, 01:58 PM

as I enjoy the same thing a can't wait for you to find more information.

If you can get it's more than Iraq..then there something.

But alas... the drug war, as you know, keeps too many in ower and in jobs to go away without some major federal change of heart

frankdialogue · #3 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ezra

As I enjoying a bit of weed I was wondering to myself how much the war on drugs is costing America. A very quick search gave me this quote by William F. Buckley Jr.
That was from over 10 years ago.
Does anyone know what the drug war is like in a Post 9/11 World (TM)?
I could continue to Google for answers but I'm more interested to hear from anyone who supports both the war on drugs and the war on terror.
Does anyone have any ROI studies handy of the war on drugs?

I'm probably not the person you're looking for, since I beleive that government has merged with organized crime, and both the WOT and the War on Drugs' are just rackets run by the aformentioned to fill pockets, corrupt and destroy our young people, and to accumale funds for other illegal enterprizes...you can check out this sight, though:

http://www.drugwar.com/index.shtm

Ezra · #4 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 01:13 PM

No Frank, you are not the right person... we're in the same choir.

The War on Drugs and the War on Terra are both perpetual money making machines for the people you mentioned and they serve to imprison, kill, undermine etc etc Americans as well. All for the good of the Greater.

I'd like to hear from someone... a party hack like Tannhauser perhaps... who thinks these wars are a good idea. Specifically... if the War on Terror is the most important fight of our era and he thinks Medicare/cade and the Social Security system are financial drains... why not just quit a clear money loser like the war on drugs and apply that money to the war on war? I'm going to take a guess that if Americans were paying $140 Billion 10 years ago that we're spending at least the same amount today that we spend on WarWar.

America began with genocide... was made wealthy using slave labor and has been the playground of robber baron families since before we were free of England.

These War on's are just "legitimate" ways to steal from the poor.

Feh. Feeling especially anti-American today. Been reading Vonneggut again.

To go to a different tangent... say your family/organization has amasses billions or trillions of dollars. Then what? What's the point?

Ezra · #5 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 01:25 PM

this site is good too....

Quote:

Have you ever thought about the fact that the feds and states combined have spent over 1 trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000) on the failed policy of drug prohibition, and that we spend about $69 billion a year on the Drug War while not taxing the $100+ billion Americans spend on drugs annually? With about 130 million taxpayers in the US, that breaks down to a cost of $530 a year per taxpayer. Then there's the tens of billions in additional tax proceeds we’re not collecting that could be funding, well, geeez, I don’t know...health coverage for millions of uninsured children, safer borders and streets, Social Security, better schools, etc.

Yes, that’s right, you could be paying less in taxes at the same time that current or desired programs are more robustly funded. Drug prohibition is a textbook double whammy. Check out Lost Taxes and Other Costs of Marijuana Laws by Jon Gettman – it will show you the US is missing out on $30 billion in taxes just on marijuana alone. We sure could fend off some budget crises with that kind of money. In California, producers and distributors of marijuana are trying to help, they just recently offered Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at least $1 billion a year in new tax revenue.

http://stopthedrugwar.org

Towelie · #6 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 01:35 PM

Your really wasting your time Ezra, I have not been able to find anyone to debate with on this topic EVER!!.

Almost every major gallup poll has shown that most people support decriminilizing marijuanna (The biggest culprit of the war on drugs) yet our government never dares discuss it.

When I had to break the news to my entire family/friends on why I could not join the military. I was EXTREMELY surprised that every single person supported me. Even my fathers police friends/partners. I have never actually met someone that actually supports our current drug laws which makes me even more angry that nothing is being done. WHO OUT THERE ACTUALLY SUPPORTS THESE LAWS OR WAR!!!!???? Why are our citizens not more outraged over these laws (Probably most are like my mom who just didn't care about the laws because she never thought they would be a problem until her 3.0 GPA athlete son makes a mistake in college and she realized her $100,000 investment in my education may have been wasted do to our stupid corporate culture view on the subject)

I did debate this topic once in college, but I pretty much embarrassed the other side because I don't even think THEY supported their argument. The only public figures I see decrying pot are religious preachers (The world was created in 7 days, but god gave these guys a personal phone call and said he made a mistake and we need to ban a natural plant that grows from the Earth he created)

And the D.E.A. But we will ignore the nice Escalades and Expeditions they drive around in (Chrome Rims included!!!!) That are paid for by people who pay their fines like me and taxpayers like you!!!

Anyway, I actually wrote an e-mail to the FDA about their ad campaign that showed a boiling egg and said "This is your brain on drugs, any questions?"

I said I had one question, It has been proven that pot does not "damage" the brain so how can they state that? Needless to say, I have not recieved a reply.

I also wrote about how much I like to play with my dogs and throw the frisbee with them when I am high in complete contrast to their marketing campaign last summer showing the dog telling her owner "You never play with me anymore". Never replied to that e-mail either.

Also of note is the famous "We just get high and sit on the couch all day" commercial. After seeing what our teenagers do with their free time (Fighting and posting the fight on youtube, grafitti, Fighting and posting the fights on youtube AGAIN) I actually think this would be an improvement for our children.

I am also the anti D.A.R.E poster boy. I have never tried another drug in my life so the whole "gateway drug" argument is BS. Also, I still run marathons so the whole "Smoke pot and can't be active" argument is B.S. The whole thing is B.S and a money making incentive for certain segment of our population.

locolini · #7 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 02:09 PM

The cost is not only money, but human life, and entire countries (i.e.Colombia) and from today's Wall Street Journal:

THE AMERICAS

The U.S. Role in a Mexico Assassination

By MARY ANASTASIA O'GRADY
May 12, 2008; Page A13

Stories of campus drug use in the U.S. are so common that last week's arrest of 75 alleged dealers at San Diego State University was shocking chiefly due to the number netted. The occasional big bust aside, the long running drug war has become almost background noise.

At least in this country.
American nonchalance about drug use stands in sharp contrast to what is happening across the border in Mexico. There lawmen are taking heavy casualties in a showdown with drug-running crime syndicates. On Thursday the chief of the Mexican federal police, Edgar Millán Gómez, was assassinated by men waiting for him when he came home, becoming the latest and most prominent victim of the syndicates.

http://online.wsj.com/article/the_americas.html

CityMan · #8 (**permalink**) 05-12-2008, 02:23 PM

Well, if you've ever noticed, the U.S. needs to constantly be at war. Cold War, Vietnam War, Cold War II, War on Drugs, T.W.O.T.
The war on drugs, which is a war on people, had limited success. It has benefitted the prison industry, for one.

It probably failed due to corruptness and ineptitude. I mean, why spend $3 million to eradicate $2 million worth of opium poppies? Why not just BUY all the poppies for 2 mil, destroy them, and save a mil in the process?

frankdialogue · #9 (**permalink**) 05-17-2008, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ezra

To go to a different tangent... say your family/organization has amasses billions or trillions of dollars. Then what? What's the point?

To a normal person, you might want to give some or most of that back to humanity...but with the elite, who knows?...some do become 'philathropists'...and, I guess the other alternative is to exercise the power that the wealth brings, in the sense of 'power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely'.

On the Drug War topic: here is a website for Cele Castillo, a former DEA officer, who after finding out who really runs the drug trade, decided to throw some light on the issue:

http://www.powderburns.org

iJill · #10 (**permalink**) 05-19-2008, 01:41 PM

I have a question about this thread before I gingerly step in with an opinion.

When you speak of the war on drugs, is everyone's beef specifically about pot? I'm treading forward with that assumption.

I don't smoke pot, nor do any drugs. I think ALL of it is just bad for a person, I know it's bad for ME, as I've tried pot, and it was disastrous all four times. I would like to say that I don't know any successful people that smoke weed, although I don't think I can say that, because I've never asked. I do know of a lot of slightly depressed, unmotivated people that partake in the cannibus frequently. Yet, at the end of the day, can I confidently say that they're probably what society percieves to be "losers" because of weed? No, I can't say that, in my gut, that's what I think, but no facts, so I'm not going to stand on a pulpit and preach the dangers of pot smoking. I simply abstain. My choice.

That being said, I actually do think weed should be legalized. I believe that the results could be beneficial for tax payers, and it could create jobs, free up room in prisons, etc.

As far as other drugs such as crack, heroin, etc., I have to say I support legitimate attempts to eradicate their presence. I'm not saying I support CURRENT attempts, but legitimate attempts, I would applaud.