David Harris; One TRILLION dollars well spent. Imagine how cheap recreational drugs would be without the government to keep the prices propped up.
U.S. war on drugs failing to meet goals
www.azcentral.com
U.S. war on drugs failing to meet goals, After 40 years, the U.S. war on drugs has cost $1 trillion and hundreds of thousands of lives – and for what? Drug use is rampant and violence is even more brutal and widespread.
Allan;
An answer may seem complex, but it isn’t. If we would follow Singapore’s model, and execute street drug dealers QUICKLY, the availability of illegal drugs would soon dry up, crime would be reduced, and we would have a healthier nation.
David;
I’m with you Allan. If we call it a WAR, it should be fought like a WAR.
Allan
The “Drug Lords” of Mexico would likely kill one another off, find a different market, or go back to raising frijoles.
Naomi;
is there even one positive result of this “war”?
Sarah
People the world over have ingested mind altering substances since the beginning of time and they will continue to do so one way or another. The “war” isn’t working. Wonder what kind of rehab could happen with one trillion bucks? While we’re at it we could “kill off” all the pedophiles, homos, tax evaders, Democrats/Republicans, commies, thieves, abusers, non-Christians, handicapped blood suckers, lazy bastards, stupid people etc. Wonder who would be left? Ok I’m definitely on a rant here. Probably need to add ranters to the list…
Naomi; hahaha Sarah! I’m with you!
Sarah; Thanks Naomi. I don’t always say a lot but when I do I sometimes get in trouble. Psychologically almost all peoples ingest or DO some kind of mind altering substance/activity. A short list includes, drugs, alcohol, overeating, meditation, spinning in circles till you pass out, writhing on the floor and speaking in tongues, listen to very loud musics. The list goes on. It’s inherent to human nature. It just happens to have varying degrees of severity.
Naomi; oh yeah, so do I! oh…and let us not forget coffee!
David; One thing is for certain: what we are doing now is not working. Obvious step one is to decriminalize Marijuana and regulate it like alcohol.
Sarah; Exactly. You’re in the psychologist arena you understand what the root problem is. It’s not drugs, it’s people and our desires/needs/wants.
David; And once again my daily cup of coffee is empty all too soon.
Sarah; LOL. Not bashing your ideology David. Just making a point.
Naomi; ….but yes! The war on drugs should begin and end at home.
Sarah; … and Meth, LSD, heroine, cocaine … where/how/who draws the line. WTF could we do with ONE TRILLION bucks to keep the kids safe, offer people constructive mind altering activities, etc., etc., etc. Maybe I need to go get another cup of coffee and settle down!
Sarah;
@Naomi, so you have the ability to see inside the issue anyway.
FYI, I live in the Ozarks, the world’s capitol of Meth production and use. I see it’s effects every day. In Wal-Mart, the Dr.’s office, driving down a country road, in little kids who live with it as their normal existence. I will venture to say, there isn’t a person in the Ozarks unaffected by Meth in some way. A friend, child, parent, co-worker, the last armed robber, your self.
Naomi; Sarah, I must admit I was completely unaware of that!
Sarah; I strongly disagree with a lot of things I see you post but this particular one, and I will say it is the “addiction” one, which is ultimately what we are talking about, really gets me riled up. A band-aide won’t stop profuse bleeding from a severed arm. I’m gonna go make a cup of coffee! Most people are unaware of the depth of Meth and the roll it takes in the Ozarks. Not something we’re too proud of. And why here? The vast amount of secluded territory, rough terrain, clan-like societies (one person equated it to our own form of gang activity, the tight knit family).
Angela; I ponder this subject as I drink my caffeine and inhale my nicotine. Legalization of marijuana and rehabilitation for those who seek it. I also have to say I am a nicotine addict who has struggled for years to kick my “Legal” addiction.
Sarah; Angela it’s so much more intense than marijuana and nicotine. I don’t belittle any addiction, they are what they are. I have addictions with caffeine, silence, food, and a few things I will withhold at this point.
Allan; There are so many opinions around, and they are all valid. I just write from what I’ve seen. Singapore doesn’t execute people for all the things mentioned, but they do for dealing illegal drugs. As a result, crime is almost nil and the city is considered the safest city in the world.
We were advised, upon entering the city, “You can go anywhere … See More you wish in this city, any time of the day or night, and you will be completely safe.”
One certainly cannot say that about Little Rock, St. Louis, Memphis, Houston; or for that matter, any major city in the United States.
These are meaningful facts, whether one agrees with the approach or not. (BTW Sarah, I, also, am from the Ozarks and the meth problem is as you say, absolutely unbelievable.)
Sarah; Little Rock was and may still be one of the top 10 most dangerous cities in the US. Poverty, racial tension (still prevalent here) a view of what is “normal,” gangs, illicit behavior in police departments, and more, all contribute. Rats in a cage, they/we will eat their/our young sooner or later.
I’ve never heard that Singapore is a safe place to go. I went to Greece a couple years ago and was told it was one of the few places in Europe for women to travel alone. You couldn’t pay me to go there right now.
So, because one out of a thousand is strong enough to stop the cycle of violence/ addiction, does that mean ALL can? What can happen instead of throwing thousand dollar bills into an inferno?
Angela; @Sarah…I guess I should have finished my coffee before typing. LOL I realize the intensity of meth, crack, heroin, etc… I had meant rehabilitation/counseling for all drugs. I do not feel that just locking people up solves anything (especially. when you can get drugs in prison too). It is heart wrenching to see what these drugs do to people, their families and their community. I also feel that marijuana should be legalized, with the same laws that apply to alcohol. I have finished one cup of caffeine now and the brain is slowly starting to function.
Sarah; Agreed on all counts Angela. I’m just now having my morning coffee and it’s 1 pm here! I saw the premiere of Winter’s Bone last night which was filmed in the Ozarks and is about a 17 y/o girl who’s entire family is wrapped up in the Meth culture … her view of that world and the ensuing difficulties.
There aren’t may movies made in/about the Ozarks and this one is especially poignant.
Scott; Legalize marijuana, regulate it like alcohol and tobacco, and tax the hell out of it. It’s incredibly popular, easy to obtain, and a whole lot less harmful to individuals and society than liquor.
It’s like Prohibition in the 1920s. It didn’t work. People still drank. The government lost plenty of tax revenue and in exchange, we got organized crime. Sounds familiar, just substitute the pinstriped mobsters and their Tommy guns for narcotraffickers and their AK-47s.
Allan; Gosh, Sarah, it’s depressing to learn that Little Rock is that bad.
Yes, Singapore really is that safe. Brunei is that safe, and drug free, likewise. It’s just that they deal severely and quickly with lawbreakers. And, of course, they execute drug dealers. (The ACLU would not be welcome there.) In Brunei we drove past a resort that had been converted from a prison. We were told that the city/nation was so crime-free that the prison was no longer needed.
After a trip around the world in 2008 I claimed Singapore as my favorite city (of 39 cities visited) primarily because of what I saw and learned there, that it was the cleanest and safest city that I visited and the people seemed to be extremely happy.
Sarah; I honestly didn’t realize there were any safe cities anywhere! Silly me the country girl.
Scott; Singapore may be safe, but to me, it’s also a little dangerous. Although I’m an out-of-the-closet liberal, I don’t have a problem punishing criminals. But they take it a little too far, it’s gone past “law and order” in my book. Drug dealers, sure, although I’d argue for life in a hole rather than death. But, minor crimes like graffiti or littering don’t deserve a whipping, either.
Sarah; @Scott, all things are relative. I agree and disagree. There is no universal right or wrong. Only what is right or wrong for me. And for you. And for that person over there. And what century are we in anyway, that will change right and wrong also.
Allan;
Of course, mine is a personal point of view. I tend to abide by laws and thus don’t have to worry about harsh punishment. That is the problem for those that break the laws. If I were to go down the street there spray painting graffiti on luxury cars I’d have to expect a caning, and that is fine. It’s effective. One doesn’t want to experience that again.
I’m not aware of anyone being caned for littering. Maybe it has happened. If the littering included dropping off an old sofa or dishwasher on a country road, by all means, cane the hell out of him.
I don’t know about everyone else but to me a clean, safe city is one where it is pleasant to visit. Why is Victoria, BC so many people’s favorite? It’s because as they say, “It’s so clean and pretty,” Singapore and Brunei are like that.
Angela; @Sarah, I checked Sundance for the film Winter Bones. I have got to see this movie! Thanks for bringing it to my attention! Seems it not only deals with Meth and it’s affects and consequences but also deals with the family clan as well. My father was from the Smokie Mtns. in Tennessee. Family clans rule there also. Thank-you again for bringing this film to our attention!
Scott; Allan – I get where you’re coming from. I’m also a law-abiding citizen. But I think it all needs to be relative. A car is just a thing. It can be repaired and repainted and doesn’t feel pain. Caning someone to the point of breaking the skin and leaving scars seems excessive. Force the offender to make restitution, plus a discouragingly large … See More penalty, and maybe take away their freedom for a while. We don’t need to beat them bloody to get the point across. Vancouver IS a safe and clean city, but they don’t cane people for misdemeanor vandalism.
Sarah; Which brings us to a discussion of the effectiveness of capital punishment … and the whole psychological aspect of WHY did the person do it. What underlying factors led this person to this behavior.
Let’s suppose for a minute; I live in a limited income, below the poverty level and drive an old car with a recently cracked windshield. I get stopped at a safety checkpoint and receive a ticket for said safety infraction. I am a lawbreaker, a criminal of sorts. The fine is beyond my financial means as is the cost of replacing the wind shield. I am just trying to get to my minimum wage job at the local sleezy mart so I can pay the utilities and try to keep off food stamps.
The fine sends me into a financial quandary.
Allan; Scott, your point is well taken, and legitimate. I think that part of the MO is that the government doesn’t want to feed and house a lot of folks. They want to break them of the habit.
Here in the US we seem to coddle the criminals and cater to the attorneys. We have some 10 million people incarcerated, at tremendous expense, and they still have the freedom to carry on criminal activities in the prisons. It is a system that simply does not make sense.
* * *
A few links I find interesting. I can not vouch for the accurateness or authenticity of any of them. Please use your own judgment.
The Horrors of Growing Up in a Meth Home
Ozarks Almanac
MethResources.gov
It is not fair to all of a sudden impose the death penalty on the drug dealers in America. I live in Boston so I’ll do my best to compare. I see kids who are born into our poorest neighborhoods, they’re almost all black, they have very little money and they get to go to the worst schools we have to offer. If they live the straight life, they will maybe finish high school, get a low paying job and raise another poor family in the same neighborhood. They see the drug dealers on the corner, they have nice cars, a nice apartment and a wad of cash in their pocket. A smart one will move up the ranks quick and make a lot of money in the process. There is the danger of violence, but they’ve dealt with that their whole life. To a 14 yr old kid, which life looks more promising? To a kid in the Ozarks who sees there is a lot of money to be made making meth, and there is very little money to be made otherwise in the local economy, the same goes. If you impose the death penalty on drug dealers in America, you are effectively executing a tremendous amount of poor people who were born into horrible economic circumstances. You’ll get the occasional middle class kid who wanted to live the life, but rarely. They should have taken that 1 trillion dollars and spent it trying to build up these communities, make the schools better, create jobs for the locals. Singapore might be safe, but they have much, much less freedom than we do here. Their punishments are for the most part out-dated. And why would anyone want to live in a city that had no element of danger? I certainly wouldn’t. Sounds like the Boston neighborhoods that used to be fun that are now filled with Upper-Middle Class white people, and there is more and more of those around. I’m a middle class white kid and I can barely afford to live in the city because of all the gentrification going on. It sickens me. Though I’m a country boy born and raised and that’s where my heart is (check out the music on the myspace site). By the way, Winter’s Bone was the best movie I’ve seen in years. So good.
Just realized how old this conversation was, I wonder if anyone will read these comments.. Most likely not I’m guessing. Oh well.
Joe, I just read your comments and agree with almost everything you have said. I understand the situation of being born into a very poor situation, seeing some making lots of money (illegally) and then wanting for themselves. It is the norm under those circumstances. I will be the last person to judge another for reacting to their own normal life situation especially when I have not had the pleasure or displeasure to experience it.
Thank you for the comment. This is the most read post on my blog, and I have almost deleted it several times because it doesn’t really fit my blog. But here it remains anyway.
Thanks,
Sarah, Moonmooring
Hi Sarah,
I was happy to see someone wrote back hah, I randomly stumbled onto your blog when I was looking up crime/meth stats. I have always been fascinated with the Ozarks, I’ve visited many different spots in Appalachia which has a very similar culture and where I grew up may have been in Massachusetts but it’s a very rural town with lots of farmland still in operation. My parents house is 25o years old and we keep it stocked with wood every winter too. I’d like to visit the Ozarks to go camping but I’m not sure where to go or if I’d be looked down upon by the locals. What do ya think? I’ve enjoyed reading about the Ozark lifestyle in your blog and I’ll make sure to pop in and read up in the future too. Maybe I’ll shop at the store hah. If you need any info about New England I know plenty. And I fixed the link attached to my name (Joe) so it actually goes to my music site, check it out if you have spare time. We play old time, only a couple songs on there right now.
-Joe