Pubdate: Tue, 1 Mar 2005 Source: Free Press, The (Houston, TX) Copyright: 2005 The Free Press, Houston Contact: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3222 Note: This newspaper does not have a website. Author: Dean Becker U.S. WINS DRUG WAR! What if the government finally managed to remove all illegal drugs from the streets of America? The crime rate would fall by almost 50%. Accidental overdose deaths would basically disappear and children would no longer have easy access to drugs. The prison industrial complex would boom like never before, with an annual influx of 2 1/2 Trillion dollars from government coffers. The unemployment rate would drop to zero as we staffed the thousands of new prisons with guards and support staff. More than 100 million US users of black market and redirected pharmaceutical drugs would be off the streets and behind bars. Success would have its price however, with such a significant slice of the workforce MIA, the "good and decent" citizens would need to more than double their tax payments to Uncle Sam. On the plus side, for the first year or two, during and following the roundup of the 100 million illegal users we would have their forfeited assets to divvy up with the various federal, state and local agencies for whom the drug war is a bonanza. Certainly those so inclined as to use drugs and that are then sent to prison are the ones most likely to continue their habits, so therefore in order to keep our streets clean and free of drugs, it would be necessary to keep these "druggies" locked up, forever. Once we lock up all the users for eternity, we will still be faced with the daunting task of keeping drugs out of our prisons and as has been shown over the last several decades that is impossible. Drug cartels in Colombia would still continue to thrive as they sell their drugs to the US prison population via violent gangs. The rest of the free world would ensure a thriving black-marketplace to support the cartels, gangs and necessary drug war violence. Or...U.S. Loses Drug War! What if the government finally managed to remove its head from its ass and ended the prohibition of certain, non-fortune 500 manufactured, drugs? The crime rate would fall by more than 50%. Accidental overdose deaths would basically disappear and children would no longer have easy access to drugs. The prison industrial complex would wither; our economy would suffer from the loss of the millions of jobs in the black market. We could make up for that loss by redirecting the 80 billion dollars currently squandered each year on the drug war to programs of education, health, jobs training and to employers who support said efforts. Although government agencies would no longer have the assets of drug users to add to their coffers, they would reap the benefits of additional taxes paid by those who no longer are stigmatized and prevented from education, credit or employment because of past drug use and arrests. Certainly those so inclined as to use drugs will do so, no matter whether in prison or in their homes. Drugs of one type or another have been used for millennia and we should have zero tolerance for those who seek to put an end to habits that are personal and guaranteed by the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. We will never, ever keep drugs off our streets and to continue this failed; flailing effort is the very definition of insanity. Those who seek to continue the policy of eternal prohibition are out of step with reality, certifiable morons in heat. The end of drug prohibition will signal the end of our support for Colombian drug cartels and of our funding Osama bin Laden through profits he makes from the opium trade. When we end this madness of drug war we will also eliminate the reasons for which most violent street gangs exist. Considering that feigned ignorance and hints of superstition are the only component parts of the drug war left to the warriors, they still manage quite well. The Fear they have installed around this issue remains quite effective. The drug war makes fear the most dangerous commodity and ignorance a badge. * Ed Rosenthal, America's Guru of Ganja is coming to Houston for the 4:20 Fest on Saturday, April 23 at the Last Concert Cafe. The 4:20 Fest will feature eight great bands including Slapshifter, Mikado, Grooving Ground, Plump, Guy Schwartz & The New Jack Hippies, Sean Reefer & The Resin Valley Boys, The Hightailers and Mark May & The Agitators. (Starts 4:20 PM.) To learn more, listen to 90.1 FM, KPFT radio in Houston or visit http://www.drugtruth.net. - --- MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFLorida)