4 ms·

I think this whole conversation is missing the forest for the trees. What matters is that it was worth enough to motivate torture. Quibbling over what number

• jacquesm 6y ago
  The torture probably factors in on deals worth a couple of percent of that particular one.
• colechristensen 6y ago
  I knew this and the first thing i said was “off topic”, but i do think that quoting the street value exaggerates the effects of the bust and the pattern of communication distorting the reality in public announcements is worthy of debate. And yes, you can distort reality by telling the truth when you choose irrelevant facts for your main message. Lies, damn lies, and statistics.
  • catalogia 6y ago
    The number's contribution to the emotional impact of the story, far from distorting reality, is next to negligible compared to the part about torture.
    • colechristensen 6y ago
      Making a story sensational is distorting reality. The whole problem with drugs and law enforcement is that it has been driven now and in the past by emotional manipulation. Much of it was originally done by stoking racist fears, "reefer madness" and all that. If we were talking with reason instead of emotion, about causes and effects, about mitigating and minimizing negative outcomes, about giving people choices and recovery and ways out and in some cases ways to do things safely... a lot of real actual progress would be made. But that doesn't make sensational headlines, it's not simple or something that people can turn into a succinct cheer. Sensational stories start to be the goal of the government's "war", success measured in how much the story can impress the population. DISTORTING REALITY.