Another 'War On Drugs' backfire ...........

Another \'War On Drugs\' backfire ...........

Apparently the U.S. has been spending millions to spray roundup over coca crops in central and sounth america. The effect for the first few years has been reduced coca delivered for cocaine extraction....

AND

The destruction of non coca crops planted by former coca farmers who are attempting to leave behind dependency on coca farming

AND

A ROUNDUP RESISTANT COCA PLANT!! Ain't natural selection the cats meow? So now that farmers who previously farmed coca have invested in other crops (due to influence of the U.S.) are having to hunt down cuttings of the resistant strain of coca because it is the only crop that will grow in the areas that are sprayed with roundup.

This is either sheer stupidity on the part of the U.S. gov't because the SHOULD have seen this scenario OR it's a brilliant way to maintain job security. It's like digging holes to acquire dirt to fill holes dug to aquire dirt to fill holes dug to aquire dirt to work harder to buy more cocaine so that I can work harder so that I can buy more cocaine so that I can work harder.............

Re: Another \'War On Drugs\' backfire ...........

what else is new?

Re: Another \'War On Drugs\' backfire ...........

Its none of my business what someone wants to do in their free time. I think they should make dope legal with restrictions like they have with alcohol.

I have found smoking name brand smoks to help me with my condition and have had many guys and even professors tell me weed helps them with their pain to the point they will risk going to jail over it.

Re: Another \'War On Drugs\' backfire ...........

I, on the other hand, have seen my son lose his job, his home and everything he owned due to addiction. He was on the streets for way too long, stealing and defrauding people to pay for his habit.

Thanks god he finally ran into a dry spell (and court ordered treatment) long enough to get straight. He's now rebuilding his life.

Had a friend high on coke who tried to scale a two story building to get in because her keys were locked inside. She fell, broke her neck and died.

Dad was rear-ended by a drunk. Now he's in pain every day.

As a matter of fact, I've many friends that have been harmed by either thier use or other's use of drugs or alcohol.

Nope, I don't really want alcohol to be legal, much less the other drugs.

Before you say 'legalize it and it will be cheaper and so no crime' let me point out that when you can't function due to your addiction, and you have no income and nothing left to sell, the only thing you can do is lie, cheat and steal to satisfy your addiction. Even a prescription for blood pressure medicine is a couple of hundred dollars per month.

You have (in my opinion) the right to abuse yourself as long as it does not impact me or my family. I don't want to protect you from yourself. I want to protect me and mine from you. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Now if you want to exile such folks (who want to indulge in drugs that cause them harm) to a distant land where they won't run over me and mine, and where my taxes don't have to pay their bills and where my property is safe from their needs.... Then I guess that would be OK.


Daniel

Re: Another \'War On Drugs\' backfire ...........

The history of the "war on drugs" is largely misguided, hate filled racism.

People can kill themselves in exceptionally stupid ways while sober, too /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I think it's also fair to note only 12% of people who use drugs (and rats, actually) become addicted to them.

A lot of my philsophy is generally libertarian, so I'm inclined to say... do whatever you want to yourself, as long as it doesn't affect me, I don't really care. After all, how can you live in a free country, if you don't have freedom over yourself?

Re: Another \'War On Drugs\' backfire ...........

I am so tempted to ask how the war on drugs could be racist, but don't really think I should. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I would like to point out that while it may be true that "only 12% of people who use drugs become addicted to them" (I've not researched that), there are some drugs that are MUCH more successful. In any event, if you can figure out how to have 12% of the population zoned out most of teh time without impacting the rest of us, let me know.

I'm reminded of one of the big problems with the 'harmless' drugs like grass and beer. When under the influence, you become a bit stupid and are more likely to do silly things such as trying very addictive drugs like crack or meth. You lose the ability to accurately judge your own fitness, so you do things like driving when you shouldn't or attempting dangerous tasks. You feel more invulnerable and so are more likely to participate in unsafe sex and dangerous stunts.

None of this is new information, yet every new generation has to learn it for themselves.

OK. That's it for this thread. I've had my say and it's time for others to have theirs.

Daniel

Re: Another \'War On Drugs\' backfire ...........

Daniel,
If an addict wanted drugs bad enough and they were free at a government run, "Get Stupid House" where the addict would be locked up in a padded room during the duration of his (her) high, that might be a solution. Sounds expensive but the current war is costing not only the government (us) a lot of $ but the private sector as well in personal and human loss as you have stated. If some lemmings want to march to a cliff above the sea, we should pave the road, post warning signs and keep the beach below clear. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

Nature has been and will continue to come up with interesting ways of trying to keep the system in balance and the populations of species in check. IMHO, there is a "Bloom" of humans on the planet that is too great for the system to accomodate. Add to that our progress in on many fronts in keeping the mortality rate down and means of prolonging longevity and nature just has to work harder! In the bay area, I see many manifestations in individual as well as group behavior that is counter healthy or supportive of the society and I can't help but think of the worn out expression of too many rats in too small of a cage.

I am suspicious that there is some native and basic drive deep within us that is there to guarantee survival of the species. Without that drive in action, there is likely a significant void that can cause all kinds of psychological unrest for most of us. Well I suggest that for most these days, there is no evidence that man is dwindling in population and therefor the "drive" would kick in. The intelligent ones use contraception and wish for smaller crowds and more room to move! I guess I am trying to say that at some basic level, there is likely a perception that the individual is not "needed" or required; sitting on the bench as it were.

Look how the country banned together after 9/11. Look how folks got it together and forgot about the "crap" for a while when they were invloved either directly or indirectly with the damage in Florida.

The war on drugs, at best, is fighting a symptom and not the cause. We need to control our populations and reduce our consumptions. Unfortunately, neither of these are good for an economy based on growth. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

Let me try a simple analogy to see if I can try to make my point (if I even have one /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thinking.gif ).

If there were a hand full of us all of a sudden stuck on a desert Island or in some remote area without contact or aid from outside, Even if some of us had addictions brought from the leisure of our previous life styles, it is likely that the need to survive and cooporate would over ride certain non essential drives and desires.

OK, *I* wasted my time composing this and now *you* have wasted your time reading it!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nana.gif