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The world would be such a better place if we were prosecuting conflicts of interest with the same strength as drug sales (or just drugs uses). The harm they do

by Iv 7y ago

The world would be such a better place if we were prosecuting conflicts of interest with the same strength as drug sales (or just drugs uses). The harm they do to society is on a much bigger scale.

arcticbull 7y ago
Not to mention as Portugal showed us, criminalizing narcotics has zero positive effect. They decriminalized all drugs in 2001 and usage went down, and so did all negative consequences normally ascribed to drug use itself [1]. Time to do something worthwhile with that enforcement power. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radical-drugs-policy-is-working-why-hasnt-the-world-copied-it https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radic...
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  Ironically that comes close to replicating the old British system, once world famous along with similar approaches in India, and elsewhere. It ran quietly and successfully for half a century. The tiniest remnants remain, despite the addition of the war on drugs, though it's very hard to get to these days - criminalisation takes priority. It died with sustained US pressure at the UN as the last gasp of Harry Anslinger, supporter of prohibition who had already given the world Reefer Madness and a load of invented racist "evidence" for the harms of marijuana in the 1930s. His team brought sustained pressure for the globe to adopt a war on drugs. Oh, and there a doctor who single handedly prescribed tens of thousands of prescriptions making a bit of an impact, single handedly, in London sixties drug culture. https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2010/08/drugs_policy_the_british_system.html https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2010/08/...
- distances 7y ago
  It's usually forgotten that the situation improved mainly because of refactored health services around drug use, and not just because they were decriminalized. Simply decriminalizing is very unlikely to replicate the results anywhere.
  - arcticbull 7y ago
    Pretty sure its more to do with the fact that the bulk of the world's solution to seeing someone on drugs is to throw them in prison where the only source of happiness is more drugs, thus solving the problem once and for all. Addiction isn't something you solve by throwing people in prison.

by Iv 7y ago

The world would be such a better place if we were prosecuting conflicts of interest with the same strength as drug sales (or just drugs uses). The harm they do to society is on a much bigger scale.

arcticbull 7y ago

Not to mention as Portugal showed us, criminalizing narcotics has zero positive effect. They decriminalized all drugs in 2001 and usage went down, and so did all negative consequences normally ascribed to drug use itself [1]. Time to do something worthwhile with that enforcement power. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radical-drugs-policy-is-working-why-hasnt-the-world-copied-it https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/dec/05/portugals-radic...

NeedMoreTea 7y ago
Ironically that comes close to replicating the old British system, once world famous along with similar approaches in India, and elsewhere. It ran quietly and successfully for half a century. The tiniest remnants remain, despite the addition of the war on drugs, though it's very hard to get to these days - criminalisation takes priority. It died with sustained US pressure at the UN as the last gasp of Harry Anslinger, supporter of prohibition who had already given the world Reefer Madness and a load of invented racist "evidence" for the harms of marijuana in the 1930s. His team brought sustained pressure for the globe to adopt a war on drugs. Oh, and there a doctor who single handedly prescribed tens of thousands of prescriptions making a bit of an impact, single handedly, in London sixties drug culture. https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2010/08/drugs_policy_the_british_system.html https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2010/08/...
distances 7y ago
It's usually forgotten that the situation improved mainly because of refactored health services around drug use, and not just because they were decriminalized. Simply decriminalizing is very unlikely to replicate the results anywhere.
- arcticbull 7y ago
  Pretty sure its more to do with the fact that the bulk of the world's solution to seeing someone on drugs is to throw them in prison where the only source of happiness is more drugs, thus solving the problem once and for all. Addiction isn't something you solve by throwing people in prison.