Imagine if We Never Ended the War on Alcohol

[CherylK]

Imagine if We Never Ended the War on Alcohol

Remember we did have a War on Alcohol. It was called Prohibition. In fact, we took that far more seriously than our War on Drugs. We even passed a constituional amendment about it. Of course, the gigantic difference is that we realized that was a mistake and reversed course.

These days it doesn't seem politically possible to ever change course. If you start a war, the only acceptable answer is to escalate it. We can never surrender, even if we should. So, our War on Drugs must go on forever, no matter how futile, no matter how terrible the results and no matter how counterproductive. It would be weak to ever admit we made a mistake.

Over the last two years we spent $1.6 billion on the Merida Project, where we asked the Mexican government to escalate their War on Drugs. The result? Over the last three years, nearly 25,000 Mexicans have been killed in the drug wars. This is madness. The amount of drugs entering our country is not appreciably different. We lost, drugs won.

But the crime and the horrific drug violence are not related to drug users; they're related to drug dealers. It's the prohibition itself that is causing this crime wave. Just like it did during alcohol prohibition, when Al Capone and all the mobsters reigned supreme here. When are we ever going to learn our lesson? We keep spending insane amounts of money on wars that cannot be won.....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/imagine-if-we-never-ended_b_663268.html

[PDJane]

1. Sensible point of view........

But it doesn't waste money and give law enforcement agencies a reason to jail minorities.

[ihavenobias]

8. Prison Industrial Complex.

Not discussed enough.

[RainDog]

2. kick n/t

[slay]

3. K&R

The Drug War, just like the War on Terror is a war on a concept, not a country, and can never be won. They know this. They want us in a state of perpetual war and fear - like a beaten housewife. At the very least marijuana should be legalized.

[CherylK]

9. + 1

:thumbsup:

[bemildred]

4. "We lost, drugs won."

Indeed.

[formercia]

5. The War on Drugs is big business

It's all about money, on both sides.

[Uncle Joe]

6. One thing you have to say on behalf of the Prohibitionists, at least they had the decency

and respect for the Bill of Rights, to actually change the Constitution; with the 18th Amendment instead of raping it without regard for the people and the impact of intrusive Big Brother Law.

Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, CherylK.:thumbsup:

[ihavenobias]

7. K & R n/t