Ending 21st century Prohibition would immediately eliminate over 1.6 Million arrests per year and of course all heretofore associated incarcerations.
It makes as much sense to jail users and sellers of a short list of drugs as it would to put former first lady Betty Ford in prison for her years of alcohol addiction.
It makes as much sense to jail users and sellers of a short list of drugs as it would to put former first lady Betty Ford in prison for her years of alcohol addiction.
MIMS, I confess I'm not sure what those who currently make money from the illicit drug market will do once we end 21st century Prohibition.
One thing I know they WON'T be doing is making money from the production and/or sale of currently illicit drugs.
A street market cannot financially compete with a legal, regulated free market product or service.
An exception must be noted for those products or services which enjoy an essential monopoly. But then again, that also contradicts the above context of a "free market" pricing system.
This will be my final response to this. To be free is what the USA has stood for and why many (legal or illegal) have come here. You all are as intelligent as I am and know this.
Money for elected officials comes from many sources. But for the biggest part from the BIGGEST Compaines. Their CEO's make so much money it would make some blush. They could care less--they pay lawyers to earn their salaries. Not wotth a penny without their legal team. They climbed to the top by hook or crook --who cares. The corporations OWN the USA --if you think otherwise--you're an IDIOT. and Guess what they ? They Pay ATTORNEYS!
Cool. So I perceive that your posed question earlier was a tad rhetorical.
You nicely expressed an "objection" that is often raised by some folks when we (at LEAP or other drug policy reform orgs) give a public presentation in favor of ending drug Prohibition.
That is - the (hopefully) good intentioned query is offered, "Well if we put the illegal dealers out of the drug business, they'll just GET INTO ANOTHER BUSINESS" (emphasis added to denote the tone of voice)
The implied corrolary is that, "Since they'll just get into another line of business, it's of no value to put them out of the drug business".
When the objection is offered sincerely, it's easy enough to respectfully counter and the inquisitor leaves smarter than when they entered.
When the objection is offered with dismissive disdain (from a stern Prohibitionist), it just sits there and - like every other 'defense' for Prohibition - looks silly.
Having been in the business of drug policy education for almost a decade now, I've come to realize that every "objection" proffered up by Prohibitionists to the notion of a legal, regulated drug system is just plain silly.
They got away with their core sound bites for so long (1970-late 1990s) that a lot of otherwise dispassionate folks regurgitate those objections almost by rote.
Good news is that over the past decade, sensible refutations have been presented on a steady basis and these days it's therefore a rare bird who will avidly attempt to defend Prohibition as a sound and/or productive public policy.
They got away with their core sound bites for so long (1970-late 1990s) that a lot of otherwise dispassionate folks regurgitate those objections almost by rote.
Good news is that over the past decade, sensible refutations have been presented on a steady basis and these days it's therefore a rare bird who will avidly attempt to defend Prohibition as a sound and/or productive public policy.
<h3>US Spends 6 Times More on Prisons than Education</h3>
For the first time in history, more than one in every 100 American adults is in jail or prison, according to a new report tracking the surge in inmate population and urging states to rein in corrections costs with alternative sentencing programs.
The report, released Thursday by the Pew Center on the States, said the 50 states spent more than $49 billion on corrections last year, up from less than $11 billion 20 years earlier. The rate of increase for prison costs was six times greater than for higher education spending, the report said.
http://rinf.com/alt-news/contributi...-6-times-more-on-prisons-than-education/2600/
For the first time in history, more than one in every 100 American adults is in jail or prison, according to a new report tracking the surge in inmate population and urging states to rein in corrections costs with alternative sentencing programs.
The report, released Thursday by the Pew Center on the States, said the 50 states spent more than $49 billion on corrections last year, up from less than $11 billion 20 years earlier. The rate of increase for prison costs was six times greater than for higher education spending, the report said.
http://rinf.com/alt-news/contributi...-6-times-more-on-prisons-than-education/2600/
