Comments on: Humankind cannot bear very much reality, especially about illicit drugs http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/23/humankind-cannot-bear-very-much-reality-especially-about-illicit-drugs/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:27:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Dave Liberts http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/23/humankind-cannot-bear-very-much-reality-especially-about-illicit-drugs/#comment-5948 Dave Liberts Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-5948 Was it The Onion with the line 'War on Drugs Over - Drugs Win'? Was it The Onion with the line ‘War on Drugs Over - Drugs Win’?

]]> By: Warren McAllister http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/23/humankind-cannot-bear-very-much-reality-especially-about-illicit-drugs/#comment-5949 Warren McAllister Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-5949 The most harmful drugs in the world are already legalised and highly profitable: alcohol and nicotine The most harmful drugs in the world are already legalised and highly profitable: alcohol and nicotine

]]> By: Venise Alstergren http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/23/humankind-cannot-bear-very-much-reality-especially-about-illicit-drugs/#comment-5950 Venise Alstergren Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-5950 So, legalize drugs.<br /><br />Anthony Barrett: Good one! So, legalize drugs.

Anthony Barrett: Good one!

]]> By: anthony barrett http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/23/humankind-cannot-bear-very-much-reality-especially-about-illicit-drugs/#comment-5951 anthony barrett Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-5951 The lessons of Prohibition can be directly studied and shown to be an abject failure. Look to alcohol in the 1920's . This much is obvious. What is not so obvious is why Governments and the UN refuse to see the failure of 85 years worth of wasted resources in drug enforcement policy. The answer must lay in ' self denial for self preservation ' . What has developed over the last 100 years is the anti drugs game is one of the most expensive bureaucracies on the planet. Between governments , law enforcement , courts, prisons and the UN . The combined budgets come into the Trillions. That is a self sustaining market of tax dollars that no-one involved (with the exception of the police forces around the world tired of the waste and carnage) want to see end. The other big benefactors of the Prohibition Policies are of the course the organized crime syndicates who benefit from the artificially high prices that a black market automatically generates (little wonder Berlusconi's and Medvedev's governments love's prohibition). These criminal groups around the world take advantage of the 'self denial for self preservation' idiocy to turn inexpensive raw materials into expensive poisons for the consumption of a disbelieving youth. Along the way generations of farmers to cookers to couriers to dealers to addicts have become enslaved in this failed system. It is time to admit failure and start listening to better voices and new idea's in the debate. Dr Alex Wodak would be a good start. The lessons of Prohibition can be directly studied and shown to be an abject failure. Look to alcohol in the 1920’s . This much is obvious. What is not so obvious is why Governments and the UN refuse to see the failure of 85 years worth of wasted resources in drug enforcement policy. The answer must lay in ’ self denial for self preservation ’ . What has developed over the last 100 years is the anti drugs game is one of the most expensive bureaucracies on the planet. Between governments , law enforcement , courts, prisons and the UN . The combined budgets come into the Trillions. That is a self sustaining market of tax dollars that no-one involved (with the exception of the police forces around the world tired of the waste and carnage) want to see end. The other big benefactors of the Prohibition Policies are of the course the organized crime syndicates who benefit from the artificially high prices that a black market automatically generates (little wonder Berlusconi’s and Medvedev’s governments love’s prohibition). These criminal groups around the world take advantage of the ‘self denial for self preservation’ idiocy to turn inexpensive raw materials into expensive poisons for the consumption of a disbelieving youth. Along the way generations of farmers to cookers to couriers to dealers to addicts have become enslaved in this failed system. It is time to admit failure and start listening to better voices and new idea’s in the debate. Dr Alex Wodak would be a good start.

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