The Seattle Times: Opinion: The other war we can’t win
Isn’t this the truth?
I am not a drug user, but I really don’t care if other people do use them (so long as they don’t put others in danger, by doing things like driving.) But instead of viewing drugs as a source of taxation/income, the US Government has been throwing BILLIONS of dollars per year down a black hole fighting this stupid “War on Drugs.” Like the editorial says, it hasn’t worked. People still use and still get addicted. Not only have we made criminals of users, we’ve created an economy that encourages both violent and property crime to support itself. It is ludicrous.
It’s even stupider than the “war on terror,” in that it’s been going on for decades. It was lost before it was started. I agree with you…what people do behind their own doors is their business, and while there will be a minor cost to society that’s minuscule compared to the cost we currently pay.
We have, by far, the highest percentage of our own citizens locked up of any western nation…most of whom are in there for drug offenses. Of course, we now have a prison industry with lobbiests and all that, so the chance of this “war” being canceled is almost zero.