34 replies to this topic

[Jacki O.]

Secretary of BULLSHIT. at least the obama administration is talking about it but that is the stupidest answer ever.


Hillary Clinton: We Can't Legalize Drugs Because 'There Is Just Too Much Money in It'

Jacob Sullum | February 7, 2011

Last week, while visiting Mexico, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was interviewed by Denise Maerker of Televisa, who asked her opinion of proposals to address black-market violence by repealing drug prohibition. Clinton's response illustrates not only the intellectual bankruptcy of the prohibitionist position but the economic ignorance of a woman who would be president (emphasis added):

Maerker: In Mexico, there are those who propose not keeping going with this battle and legalize drug trafficking and consumption. What is your opinion?

Clinton: I don't think that will work. I mean, I hear the same debate. I hear it in my country. It is not likely to work. There is just too much money in it, and I don't think that—you can legalize small amounts for possession, but those who are making so much money selling, they have to be stopped.

Clinton evidently does not understand that there is so much money to be made by selling illegal drugs precisely because they are illegal. Prohibition not only enables traffickers to earn a "risk premium" that makes drug prices much higher than they would otherwise be; it delivers this highly lucrative business into the hands of criminals who, having no legal recourse, resolve disputes by spilling blood. The 35,000 or so prohibition-related deaths that Mexico has seen since President Felipe Calderon began a crackdown on drugs in 2006 are one consequence of the volatile situation created by the government's arbitrary dictates regarding psychoactive substances. Pace Clinton, the way to "stop" the violent thugs who profit from prohibition is not to mindlessly maintain the policy that enriches them.

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[mancopter]

All she's really saying is that, should drugs become legal, the cartels aren't gonna sit idly by while they lose everything.

Taken out of context'd.

[John MFer]

Well, here's the conundrum... what the hell are the cartels going to do if drugs were legal? The Mafia rose to power because of the prohibition of alcohol. They didn't go away because prohibition was repealed.

Edit, mancopter basically beat me to it.

That said, the question needs to be raised: At what point does the prohibition of drugs and the subsequent crime and violence become more of a threat to society than their legalization? How many people have to die by gunshot before the risk of people dying by an impaired driver causing a car accident become less of a concern?

[raubhimself]

Well, here's the conundrum... what the hell are the cartels going to do if drugs were legal? The Mafia rose to power because of the prohibition of alcohol. They didn't go away because prohibition was repealed.

But what does the Mafia even do anymore? I mean yeah they exist but they must have moved on to greener pastures, but what are those pastures? I don't even know. I'd imagine other drugs is certainly a big part of that, but the Mafia has definitely withered away a great deal over the years.

Making marijuana legal will certainly have some backlash. But, I basically see the US gov't saying that the level of violence and profits made by illegal drug sales is more acceptable and manageable than the freedom of the American people. That's pretty disheartening.

[Jacki O.]

yeah but aside from Sicily, really how powerful is the mafia nowadays? They gained power due to prohibition but once that went away they resorted to Heroin to make money. Any power they do have now is from drug running. look at Canada and california, they are/were able to maintain civility with "legal" weed.

i think the cartels will turn into weed farmers and legal drug dealers. anything is better than what we have. That argument/way of thinking is kind of moot because it's based on unknowns. what will they do? who the fuck knows?

Should we remain locked in an eternal battle, continually propping up weed and drug prices so the cartels can remain rich and kill people?

i think 35,000 dead women, men and children in Mexico and the US is pretty bad all ready....

[Quezo]

Mafia has withered and was just nailed last month pretty hard.

Cartels are on the rise and making life nearly unliveable for citizens in Juarez.

35,000 deaths since 2006? wow

edit:

If we could turn the cartels into Godfather 2 era Michael Corleone trying to
bring the family into legit business, that would be good.

Like, "Hey you cartel kingpin, what're you gonna do now that weed is legal. File for an LLC? Of course."

[Jacki O.]

Making marijuana legal will certainly have some backlash. But, I basically see the US gov't saying that the level of violence and profits made by illegal drug sales is more acceptable and manageable than the freedom of the American people. That's pretty disheartening.

eggactly!!!!

and it's only a matter of time before that shit becomes more common on the US side.

mexico has proven that you can't kill the cartels, you cut off one arm and another grows in it's place. You can't make them stop, militarize the borders, they infiltrate the military. Put up a fence, they will catapult weed over. Use drones and technology to monitor the borders, they will dig tunnels so big cars can drive through them.

you have to hit them where it hurts and where it would hurt them would be to take away their revenue. that's what they are fighting for. Repeal NAFTA and legalize all drugs in the US and decriminalize them while setting up a system that deals with abuse through rehab and therapy.

the cartels can become farmers again.

[Quezo]

Yes.

Legalize drugs and open the border. Can you imagine?

The United States of North America (this is my dream)

[Jacki O.]

i am actually shocked that "our" governments aren't jumping all over legalizing drugs. They stand to make so much money from it. i guess the concept of control outweighs the greed. they are already rich enough....

but then that money could go to social programs to help people (healthcare, education, city and state programs, renewable energy, etc. etc.) and no one in the US wants that shit to happen. keep the poor poor and the rest locked up.

[Quezo]

i am actually shocked that "our" governments aren't jumping all over legalizing drugs. They stand to make so much money from it. i guess the concept of control outweighs the greed. they are already rich enough....

but then that money could go to social programs to help people (healthcare, education, city and state programs, renewable energy, etc. etc.) and no one in the US wants that shit to happen. keep the poor poor and the rest locked up.

Agreed, and it would make us more complacent.

You know the repubs/tea parts are not concerned about humanitarian care.

Just money. And controlling you through congregationalism and fear of god and a terrible afterlife.

And money. Money.

Hmmm. This is starting to feel like big oil.

Who has the most to lose from this: Alcohol production. Big business.

[Katie]

I'm just sick of pretending my drug dealers are my friends. Do something about THAT.

[Jacki O.]

I'm just sick of pretending my drug dealers are my friends. Do something about THAT.

for realz

i'd like to cut out the "You might get raped when you buy weed from me" time from my life.

[differently biotic]

mafia definitely gained power during prohibition - and when that was ended ton came other illegal drug trafficing, job contracts/unions, gambling... there is always something that is on the cusp of not being legal or highly monitored by government that doing things underground is just more lucrative.

If it's not one thing then they will just move on to something else they can make that kind of money with.


it's ridiculous that a marijuana is illegal and alcohol isn't. Alcohol is waaaaaaaaay worse.


it really really bothers me that someone other than myself says what I can and can't consume. It's my effing body goshdarnit.

[Danosaur]

mafia definitely gained power during prohibition - and when that was ended ton came other illegal drug trafficing, job contracts/unions, gambling... there is always something that is on the cusp of not being legal or highly monitored by government that doing things underground is just more lucrative.

If it's not one thing then they will just move on to something else they can make that kind of money with.


it's ridiculous that a marijuana is illegal and alcohol isn't. Alcohol is waaaaaaaaay worse.

agreed...the next big illegal drug/carcinogen/vice is always just around the corner...

what if government did step in and undercu the sale of Marijuana but 50% of its street value...would that then satisfy the apparent insaciable need for it in america? would the government then create competition like it did with the postal service? we all know how that turned out...disaster...I don;t know if just decriminalizing it though is enough to reduce the involvement of the Cartels.

[Jacki O.]

the cartel's source of power is their money. cut them off from their source of power and they will have to find another source somewhere else. We create the need for the cartels by keeping drugs illegal. We can take that need away.

When there is no longer a need for them in this market they will do something else. Will they become violent and try to hold onto their power? Yes they will. They are already doing that in Mexico. but it will be their last gasps.