The US has a military budget in the hundreds of billions of dollars. If even a fraction of this money is spent by the Drug Enforcement Agency, the US must be a formidable opponent. Yet, the US is not winning the war on drugs. The worst ever evidence of this was when the US was obliged to arrest a serving Head of State by military force, that they had installed to serve their interests against the Soviets, because he had become the biggest drug-peddler into the US.
Europe on the other hand, has a more pragmatic recognition of the situation. They are taking baby steps towards a more realistic policy towards narcotics. To be fair, they still consider the 'hard' drugs to be a menace, but the steps towards the decriminalisation of marijuana are laudable.
We must take this process towards its logical end, that is, the complete legalization of all narcotics. In one fell swoop, resources otherwise employed will be released for more urgently needed programmes. And the revenue benefits cannot be ignored either.
A DEA study estimated that the global worth of the narcotics economy was around $300 bn. Now, even if this is a government statistic that has been underestimated, it represents a sum that can pull many Third World countries out of poverty. Imagine if such a sum was taxed at a rate of 16% annually, this would release $48 bn, an amount that is not to be sneered at.
George Bush would have additional resources to fight his wars, Blair would be able to wipe out poverty in Africa, India and Pakistan would find a reason to co-operate in Afghanistan, and Latin America would cease to be a warzone.
However, let us not ignore the fact that drugs have crucial side effects that are both long-term and difficult to treat. But by recognising this, governments shall be in a position to invest in research into the use and misuse of narcotics along the same lines as in pharmaceutical research. The involvement of the private sector in this area shall release a level of talent that shall guarantee both solutions and progammes for the long-term. The benefits far outweigh the costs of decriminalization.
Europe on the other hand, has a more pragmatic recognition of the situation. They are taking baby steps towards a more realistic policy towards narcotics. To be fair, they still consider the 'hard' drugs to be a menace, but the steps towards the decriminalisation of marijuana are laudable.
We must take this process towards its logical end, that is, the complete legalization of all narcotics. In one fell swoop, resources otherwise employed will be released for more urgently needed programmes. And the revenue benefits cannot be ignored either.
A DEA study estimated that the global worth of the narcotics economy was around $300 bn. Now, even if this is a government statistic that has been underestimated, it represents a sum that can pull many Third World countries out of poverty. Imagine if such a sum was taxed at a rate of 16% annually, this would release $48 bn, an amount that is not to be sneered at.
George Bush would have additional resources to fight his wars, Blair would be able to wipe out poverty in Africa, India and Pakistan would find a reason to co-operate in Afghanistan, and Latin America would cease to be a warzone.
However, let us not ignore the fact that drugs have crucial side effects that are both long-term and difficult to treat. But by recognising this, governments shall be in a position to invest in research into the use and misuse of narcotics along the same lines as in pharmaceutical research. The involvement of the private sector in this area shall release a level of talent that shall guarantee both solutions and progammes for the long-term. The benefits far outweigh the costs of decriminalization.
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