Obama pumping another $130 mil into the war on drugs...

[FBM]

"I think it is entirely legitimate to have a conversation about whether the laws in place are doing more harm than good in certain places," he said at the meeting of business leaders. "I personally, and my administration's position is, that legalization is not the answer."

He reiterated that position while talking at the summit itself, saying "the United States will not be going in this direction."

Nations in the Americas -- including the United States -- have "mutual responsibilities" to tackle the issue, Obama said. To that end, he announced an increase to more than $130 million of funds dedicating to bolstering security and going after narco-traffickers and "gangs" in the region.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/15/world ... ?hpt=hp_t3

Granted, $130 mil isn't that much in today's economy, but still lame. Blatant electioneering, and I say that as someone who is generally cool with Obama's performance to date. It's just a promise to conservative fence-sitters that we will continue to waste exorbitant amounts of tax dollars, not to mention lives, on pumping up the fantasy American Dream (TM). Yeah, sure, some drugs do kill people, but I'd wager that cops on raids kill just about as many.

[Atheist-Lite]

Legalisation, this idea has Wall Street written all over it? Is the $130 million going to be used for start-ups or will they just buy a stake in one of the big cartels and use the remainder for brand advertising?

[FBM]

Legalisation, this idea has Wall Street written all over it? Is the $130 million going to be used for start-ups or will they just buy a stake in one of the big cartels and use the remainder for brand advertising?

I'm tellin' ya, if teh gummit gets in on the ground floor of the legal pot bizness, they be in like Flynn wit da global economy. Sheee...fuck dem Chinamans. They'll be owing us, 'fore long. An' we'll be all Chinese-eyed in the meantime.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

This is good! All those DEA agents will be buying Cadillacs!

[FBM]

This is good! All those DEA agents' bosses will be buying more Cadillacs!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

This is good! All those DEA agents' bosses will be buying more Cadillacs!

A friend of mine in San Diego had to transfer from DEA to the PD because he wasn't on the take.

[amused]

This stance regarding the so-called 'war on drugs' is another place where I'm not happy with Obama's direction. I'll still vote for him, but this is one place where he could be the president that takes a bold stance and gets things going in a much better direction. He's *never* going to get any conservative votes so this could be a demonstration of bold leadership for the normal people.

[FBM]

He might get a few of the moderates who are scared of Mr. Magic Underpants, the teabaggers and such. Anyway, most "normal" people I know would like to see decriminalization of pot, at least.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Yeah, sure, some drugs do kill people, but I'd wager that cops on raids kill just about as many.

I favor legalizing some drugs, but almost 27,000 people died of drug overdoses in America in 2007, albeit most from prescription-drug ODs. Still, you sure you want to wager about deaths on police raids? Cocaine and heroin alone accounted for 8,000 deaths that year.

[FBM]

Yeah, sure, some drugs do kill people, but I'd wager that cops on raids kill just about as many.

I favor legalizing some drugs, but almost 27,000 people died of drug overdoses in America in 2007, albeit most from prescription-drug ODs. Still, you sure you want to wager about deaths on police raids? Cocaine and heroin alone accounted for 8,000 deaths that year.

I'm not advocating the legalization of all drugs for everybody, by the way. But anyway, I'd be curious to know how many people died worldwide in drug crime related incidents that happened only because the drug trade is illegal? I don't have a lot of faith in prohibition.

[laklak]

How's all that CHANGE stuff workin' out for all y'all?

[Atheist-Lite]

How's all that CHANGE stuff workin' out for all y'all?

http://48laws-of-power.blogspot.co.uk/2 ... never.html

[Rum]

I suspect that even if there was very strong evidence that legalisation (or extreme liberaliaation) would result in fewer social problems related to drugs, fewer deaths and other positive outcomes, it would be politically suicidal to publicly propose that. Here in the UK a few public people have ended up ruining their careers proposing it.

[Pappa]

Yeah, sure, some drugs do kill people, but I'd wager that cops on raids kill just about as many.

I favor legalizing some drugs, but almost 27,000 people died of drug overdoses in America in 2007, albeit most from prescription-drug ODs. Still, you sure you want to wager about deaths on police raids? Cocaine and heroin alone accounted for 8,000 deaths that year.

Why should it be assumed that the best way to deal with those deaths is to keep the drugs illegal? Other countries have had better results regarding drug addiction as a public health issue rather than a crime.

[FBM]

How's all that CHANGE stuff workin' out for all y'all?

A tad better than the change the previous administration brought with them, but in a few areas -such as this one- less well than I'd hoped for.