Politics and Drugs and The Politics Of Drugs.

I read an interesting article on the drug problem, specifically cocaine, and the increased use both here and abroad and the significant increase in production over the last ten years. The article goes on the discuss the best way to cause a decrease in production as well as use. One idea is to help build infrastructure in the poor rural areas where coca is grown, helping to lift the poverty stricken farmers up financially in the hope they will no longer grow coca for the drug cartels. A nice idea, but I think a little late as coca is a cash crop that the cartels can afford to pay top dollar for and in fact will probably pay more for, than agricultural crops will. This approach would have been the way to go, well in the past but there have been few forward thinking politicians that would have pushed the idea forward. I think this idea has some merit but, it also, requires that the existing programs continue to run in parallel, that is the destruction of the coca fields through spraying and burning. Move the farmer in the direction of agricultural crops, build the infrastructure needed to create a sustainable agricultural system and educate the farmers in agricultural science, provide all of the necessary tools to succeed. Part of the educational process is to teach the farmers of food in the future, as populations continue to increase, and in a relatively short time farmers would more than likely move away from drug related crops, but continue the incentive of scorched earth and being hunted down by the military if they participate in drug crop production, at the same time,to help hasten the process.

Another approach is public education and treatment in lieu of prison in dealing with the addicted. Again another nice idea, but the cost of treatment is staggering and the results are somewhat vague. Treatment appears to only work when the person addicted decides that he or she want to live more than they want to die, as at that point in their addiction they understand quite well they are on a pathway to death. What to do with law breaking dope fiends seems to have these do-gooding columnists perplexed. They think the soft approach is the best way, kid gloves and kind words. I can tell they have never been on a real intervention or seen what some strung out doper will do to get money for their next high. As sad as this may sound, if they break the laws they have to suffer the penalties, pure and simple.

Now, the interdiction and intelligence process should be kept up and in fact beefed up somewhat. This is where politicians come in, enforce the laws on the books for drug dealing and better yet stiffen the laws so dealers go to prison for a reeeel long time. It doesn't matter what level, they all go if they are caught dealing in any way. The excuse of poverty is just that, an excuse. Drugs dealers in poor areas sell the bulk of their drugs to the poor in the areas they operate in, thus keeping those living in poverty, living in poverty generation after generation. The only one that benefits is the dealer. Sometimes I think this is by design but not even a politician would wish that existence on anyone. Any way the penalties should apply to all dealers because drugs know no class separation, race, creed or color. Other countries give the gift of the death penalty for drug dealing, we the enlightened give a suspended sentence if possible, I would like to see a meeting somewhere in the middle, say twenty five years with no parole for simple dealers and I think dealing would slow down significantly in a short time. Distributors and processors of drugs, life with no parole. Drug kingpins, are sent on a vacation and their boat sinks in shark infested waters, they go for a flight in a light plane and it mysteriously crashes, they could use their imaginations on this one and if the authorities can't think of something appropriate hold an international essay contest, I personally think they should be placed in a room with no cameras and be forced to confront the families of young people who have died as a direct result of their illegal drugs, oh, I forgot to add that all of the families would have machetes and axes.

Basically what I am saying, is that for the drug enforcement people to ever make any headway the politicians are going to have to address this problem, add meaningful programs and expand the ones now in existence that work, put some money into a problem that get worse by the year. Force the legal system to get off of their collective dead a _ _ _ _ s and strike fear into the hearts of these scumbags, and for those who don't think it's possible, think again, it can be done. One last thing, take the drug legalizing advocates on a tour of treatment facilities, then on to meet with the same parents and family of young and old that have died as a direct result of drugs.