A four decade trillion dollar failure continues unchanged.

[PLC1]

U.S. war on drugs has met none of its goals

EDITOR’S NOTE: Four decades after Richard Nixon declared war on drugs, more Americans use them and drug-related violence has gotten worse. This is the first in a series of reports by The Associated Press examining the drug war.

So, after all this time, one would expect some radical changes in the way the war on drugs is being conducted, right?

This week President Barack Obama promised to “reduce drug use and the great damage it causes” with a new national policy that he said treats drug use more as a public health issue and focuses on prevention and treatment.

At last! A change in direction, or is it?

“President Obama’s newly released drug war budget is essentially the same as Bush’s, with roughly twice as much money going to the criminal justice system as to treatment and prevention

No, I guess not.

Well, securing the southern border is the answer, right? Most of the drugs come across there, after all.

In 1970, proponents said beefed-up law enforcement could effectively seal the southern U.S. border and stop drugs from coming in. Since then, the U.S. used patrols, checkpoints, sniffer dogs, cameras, motion detectors, heat sensors, drone aircraft — and even put up more than 1,000 miles of steel beam, concrete walls and heavy mesh stretching from California to Texas.

Oh. They already did that, 40 years ago. Does that mean Mexico is not a key player?

A full 10 percent of Mexico’s economy is built on drug proceeds

10% of their economy!!?? Holy crap!

Does the administration understand the the war on drugs is a failure?

Even U.S. drug czar Gil Kerlikowske concedes the strategy hasn’t worked.

“In the grand scheme, it has not been successful,” Kerlikowske told The Associated Press. “Forty years later, the concern about drugs and drug problems is, if anything, magnified, intensified.”

Yes, they do. So, changes are in order, right?

Nevertheless, his administration has increased spending on interdiction and law enforcement to record levels both in dollars and in percentage terms; this year, they account for $10 billion of his $15.5 billion drug-control budget.

No, I guess not.

If it is a failure, then keep it going, increase funding, but don't make any major changes. That seems to be the current strategy, unchanged since 1970.
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[top gun]

Great points PLC1... but the problem is called political reality.

Societies views have to change enough that politicians can just tell it like is and not get thrown out of office (or never elected in the first place). I wish it would happen sooner rather than later. I had kinda hoped that the kids that had grown up in the 60's, 70's & 80's would have made that more possible by now. Because so many of them really know from experiance what's truth & what's hype from growing up during that time.

It's very difficult politically to be for things like decriminalizing or even legalizing some drugs. It's like trying to get elected saying you're an Atheist. You could be the best qualified, most honest candidate in the world and you have almost zero chance of getting elected in 99% of races.

Well at least we no longer have the "people in charge" spinning the reefer madness yarn... but progress does seem rather slow.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

why don't we just pay drug dealers not to deal? Just like we pay farmers not to farm? I mean would have to cost less right?

 

[PLC1]

Great points PLC1... but the problem is called political reality.

Societies views have to change enough that politicians can just tell it like is and not get thrown out of office (or never elected in the first place). I wish it would happen sooner rather than later. I had kinda hoped that the kids that had grown up in the 60's, 70's & 80's would have made that more possible by now. Because so many of them really know from experiance what's truth & what's hype from growing up during that time.

It's very difficult politically to be for things like decriminalizing or even legalizing some drugs. It's like trying to get elected saying you're an Atheist. You could be the best qualified, most honest candidate in the world and you have almost zero chance of getting elected in 99% of races.

Well at least we no longer have the "people in charge" spinning the reefer madness yarn... but progress does seem rather slow.

You want politicians to be able to tell it like it is and not get thrown out of office? OMG! You're really asking for some huge changes in our political system! Next, you'll be calling for logic, practicality, and reason to supersede partisanship.

I'm not sure the voters are ready for such profound changes.

But wouldn't it be great if they were?

 

[Pandora]

U.S. war on drugs has met none of its goals
So, after all this time, one would expect some radical changes in the way the war on drugs is being conducted, right?

The war on poverty is a failure too, please can we give up on that war also?

Im willing to give up the war on one if we can give up the war on the other

 

[PLC1]

The war on poverty is a failure too, please can we give up on that war also?

Im willing to give up the war on one if we can give up the war on the other

Absolutely. While we're at it, let's make some fundamental changes to the war on terror also, then pledge not to have any more non war wars.

Maybe we need a war on war...

No, that won't work. The war on poverty resulted in more poverty, the war on drugs in more drugs, and the war on terror in more terrorists, so let's not wage a war on wars and foment more wars.

It's time for a war on common sense. We could use a lot more of that.

 

[top gun]

Absolutely. While we're at it, let's make some fundamental changes to the war on terror also, then pledge not to have any more non war wars.

Maybe we need a war on war...

No, that won't work. The war on poverty resulted in more poverty, the war on drugs in more drugs, and the war on terror in more terrorists, so let's not wage a war on wars and foment more wars.

It's time for a war on common sense. We could use a lot more of that.

I'm for stopping calling things that aren't really wars, wars.

Who's with me!!!!!!

 

[PLC1]

I'm for stopping calling things that aren't really wars, wars.

Who's with me!!!!!!

We need to quit calling a lot of things by names that don't fit. What was that Lincoln quote you posted? Very appropriate to this topic.

 

[Gipper]

The war on poverty is a failure too, please can we give up on that war also?

Im willing to give up the war on one if we can give up the war on the other

So right Pandy.

Libs love to condemn the war on drugs, but the war on poverty which has cost exponentially more, is sacred to them. How else would they get voted into political office unless they buy votes using property confiscated at the point of gun from working Americans????

Plus the lefties just want their habit legalized. Maybe doping the left would be a good thing. They would just listen to music, get fat on munchies, and have sex all the time allowing us sane individuals to run the country.