5 ms·

Much of the crime going on is drug related, which is a manufactured crime that was designed to make POC criminals. End the war on drugs and a large chunk of cr

Much of the crime going on is drug related, which is a manufactured crime that was designed to make POC criminals. End the war on drugs and a large chunk of crime magically disappears. Obviously this doesn't address poverty from other systematic discrimination but it does remove a key driver for criminal activity.

taborj 7y ago
I'm not sure how much I agree with this. On the one hand, yes, you'll have fewer arrests on drug charges, but you'll still have (or maybe have more of) crimes related to drug use, such as theft and assault. Addicts looking for cash for a fix drop much of their moral compass.
- CameronNemo 7y ago
  Do you have any evidence to back up these statements?
- addicted44 7y ago
  Do you have any actual evidence that addicts engage in a disproportionate number of thefts and assaults? And whether the number of thefts and assaults they engage in is all that significant. Finally, I'm pretty sure moral compass has little to do with whether addicts engage in theft and assault.
- ses1984 7y ago
  How much of current drug arrests are related to addicts looking for a fix? Spoiler alert, it's a tiny fraction. Theft and assault should still be crimes. Usage should not be criminalized. Trafficking should be replaced with regulated commerce.
  - WarOnPrivacy 7y ago
    The prominent crimes here from addicts looking for a fix are panhandling, vagrancy and trespassing.
    - ses1984 7y ago
      I don't think anyone is arguing that ending the war on drugs is going to directly reduce these crimes. It may have an impact on these crimes from second order effects, but to really tackle those crimes you would need to go one step further than ending the war on drugs and replacing it with more progressive policies.
- marssaxman 7y ago
  There's an easy solution: prescribe drugs to addicts. Heroin is cheap; much cheaper than crime. Switzerland and Portugal have adopted this policy.
  - pstuart 7y ago
    Opium is free if you want to plant a nice flower garden.
- carapace 7y ago
  Anecdote time... Long ago and far away I once had a friend who was a speed addict. (Amphetmines) I liked the guy but he wasn't allowed in my house because he would steal shit to sell to buy speed. So, on the one hand you're not quite wrong. On the other hand, we could have just given him some speed. It's actually pretty cheap. The real problem is whatever happened in his life to make him an addict. Cops and jail do not help with that. (There'a a nice ending to this one: eventually he got clean and has been stable for years now.)
dariusj18 7y ago
What kind of drug crime are you referring to? If it entails dealing of drugs than I don't think ending the war on drugs will have a net effect. (Not that I don't think we shouldn't) Drugs are a lucrative business when made illegal, this can be seen a quick way to combat ones economic situation (created by major/historic societal imbalances). Legalize drugs and drugs would certainly not be the lucrative business, but something else criminal would take its place. IMO dealing with the economic imbalance is the priority, decriminalizing drugs only helps eliminate a portion of the chicken/egg variables. As an aside, even with decriminalized drug usage/possession there would still be laws against illegal manufacturing, distribution and tax avoidance.
- carapace 7y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_involvement_in_Contra_cocaine_trafficking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_involvement_in_Contra_coca... > A number of writers have alleged that the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. ... The subject remains controversial. - - - - > something else criminal would take its place. A. Like what? B. Drugs are only criminal because we make laws. Theft, killing, etc.. are wrong but doing drugs is just stupid.
- WarOnPrivacy 7y ago
  > something else criminal would take its place Like what? Burglary? Insider trading? I'm not backhanding you here; I genuinely can't come up with any reasonably criminal activity that would blossom into that vacuum.
  - quicklyfrozen 7y ago
    Protection, extortion, gambling, human trafficking, other contraband goods, and sure, burglary and robbery. Lots of things that could be more violent to the population at large then drug dealing (after all, you don't really want to kill your customers).
    - WarOnPrivacy 7y ago

taborj 7y ago

I'm not sure how much I agree with this. On the one hand, yes, you'll have fewer arrests on drug charges, but you'll still have (or maybe have more of) crimes related to drug use, such as theft and assault. Addicts looking for cash for a fix drop much of their moral compass.

CameronNemo 7y ago
Do you have any evidence to back up these statements?
addicted44 7y ago
Do you have any actual evidence that addicts engage in a disproportionate number of thefts and assaults? And whether the number of thefts and assaults they engage in is all that significant. Finally, I'm pretty sure moral compass has little to do with whether addicts engage in theft and assault.
ses1984 7y ago
How much of current drug arrests are related to addicts looking for a fix? Spoiler alert, it's a tiny fraction. Theft and assault should still be crimes. Usage should not be criminalized. Trafficking should be replaced with regulated commerce.
- WarOnPrivacy 7y ago
  The prominent crimes here from addicts looking for a fix are panhandling, vagrancy and trespassing.
  - ses1984 7y ago
    I don't think anyone is arguing that ending the war on drugs is going to directly reduce these crimes. It may have an impact on these crimes from second order effects, but to really tackle those crimes you would need to go one step further than ending the war on drugs and replacing it with more progressive policies.
marssaxman 7y ago
There's an easy solution: prescribe drugs to addicts. Heroin is cheap; much cheaper than crime. Switzerland and Portugal have adopted this policy.
- pstuart 7y ago
  Opium is free if you want to plant a nice flower garden.
carapace 7y ago
Anecdote time... Long ago and far away I once had a friend who was a speed addict. (Amphetmines) I liked the guy but he wasn't allowed in my house because he would steal shit to sell to buy speed. So, on the one hand you're not quite wrong. On the other hand, we could have just given him some speed. It's actually pretty cheap. The real problem is whatever happened in his life to make him an addict. Cops and jail do not help with that. (There'a a nice ending to this one: eventually he got clean and has been stable for years now.)

dariusj18 7y ago

What kind of drug crime are you referring to? If it entails dealing of drugs than I don't think ending the war on drugs will have a net effect. (Not that I don't think we shouldn't) Drugs are a lucrative business when made illegal, this can be seen a quick way to combat ones economic situation (created by major/historic societal imbalances). Legalize drugs and drugs would certainly not be the lucrative business, but something else criminal would take its place. IMO dealing with the economic imbalance is the priority, decriminalizing drugs only helps eliminate a portion of the chicken/egg variables. As an aside, even with decriminalized drug usage/possession there would still be laws against illegal manufacturing, distribution and tax avoidance.

carapace 7y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_involvement_in_Contra_cocaine_trafficking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_involvement_in_Contra_coca... > A number of writers have alleged that the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was involved in cocaine trafficking during the 1980s. ... The subject remains controversial. - - - - > something else criminal would take its place. A. Like what? B. Drugs are only criminal because we make laws. Theft, killing, etc.. are wrong but doing drugs is just stupid.
WarOnPrivacy 7y ago
> something else criminal would take its place Like what? Burglary? Insider trading? I'm not backhanding you here; I genuinely can't come up with any reasonably criminal activity that would blossom into that vacuum.
- quicklyfrozen 7y ago
  Protection, extortion, gambling, human trafficking, other contraband goods, and sure, burglary and robbery. Lots of things that could be more violent to the population at large then drug dealing (after all, you don't really want to kill your customers).
  - WarOnPrivacy 7y ago