quote:

Originally posted by BobApril:
The free market at work. Anything you do to make the product harder to get - eradicating the fields, increasing criminal penalties on production and distribution, improving anti-smuggling efforts - merely serves to increase the price. The idea suggested in the article, having the U.S. buy the crop in order to destroy it, will merely serve to increase production in new fields, in Afghanistan or elsewhere.

Unless we can find a way to cut down on the demand side of the equation, there is no way to make prohibition work. In our own country, or in theirs.

quote:

Originally posted by GRR2841:
Only a few years ago the taliban had managed to completely eradicate all poppy production, the author seems to have missed that crucial point. its a muslim country, they dont want to grow that crap, the problem is we have failed to protect them from criminals that do want them to grow it and often use violence and the threat of violence to make them.

It is a very simple solution, let the farmers know not to plant poppies next season. those that do get go to jail for a few months, their land confiscated and auctioned off to someone that wont grow poppies. in the mean time, let them also know that if they have any trouble they can come to us for help, just be damn sure to follow up on that promise.


and dont cry to me about the price of opium, thats just a cop out for doing a half assed job.

if the land is so barren, move or get a new job.

quote:

Originally posted by FriscoLady01:


First of all the government has no damned business telling an individual what he can or cannot do with his body. Until it effects others that is when it should be considered a crime.

Drugs should be legal period, taxed and monitored by the government for quality only just like any other commodity, and farmers allowed to grow it where the marke will bear.

As for trying to confiscate land from the farmers in Afghanistan, just how many dead American soldiers do you want? The whole country would turn against us then and our troops would be the victims of a bloodbath!

Frisco

quote:

Originally posted by Grachus:

quote:

Originally posted by FriscoLady01:


First of all the government has no damned business telling an individual what he can or cannot do with his body. Until it effects others that is when it should be considered a crime.

Drugs should be legal period, taxed and monitored by the government for quality only just like any other commodity, and farmers allowed to grow it where the marke will bear.

As for trying to confiscate land from the farmers in Afghanistan, just how many dead American soldiers do you want? The whole country would turn against us then and our troops would be the victims of a bloodbath!

Frisco

Tsk, tsk, isn't that a Conservative argument about personal responsibility?

Look what happened to Rush when they gave him oxyconten? Man became a raving drug addict almost over-night!

Oddly enough, I suspect that I wouldn't.

At this time we have roughly 30 million people in the US who are addicted to alchohol. Indeed Alcohol is so addictive that withdrawal should be done under medical supervision or you might very well die. I believe that legalising addictive drugs will merely redistribute who is addicted - Meaning some of those alchoholics will switch over to heroin.

One thing legalisation would immediately do. It will end the drug war, and it will put a HUGE dent in the kind of street crime, that addicts commit to get their drugs, and alchoholics do not.

This will occur for the simple reason that the actual cost of these drugs is peanuts, the rest of the price is "overhead."

But what the heck, the Conervative nannies want to protect YOU from yourself.

Dave

quote:

Originally posted by anoldnotboldrecondo:
I pose the question of 'what stopped the crime and gang wars of Proabition'?

quote:

Originally posted by anoldnotboldrecondo:
Sorry.

Elliot Ness, Al Capone etc.

The repeal of Proabition ended that nationwide problem.

I would think repeal of all laws against what are now illegal drugs would do a lot of the same for crime and prisons too.

quote:

Originally posted by Duster6:
Why couldn't we use the Poppies for fuel like we do corn?

quote:

Originally posted by userARMY:
under the Taliban there was little to no opium/heroin production, now Afghanistan produces up to 96%!!!!! of the worlds product. They will always find a way, but that is for the Afghan government to decide. We need to stop spoon feeding everyone we decide to help.

quote:

Originally posted by SkipHadaway:
Spray it all with RoundUp.