3 ms·

I'm sure they're protecting their turf, but they didn't start the drug war, and they're not at the forefront of promoting it. Nixon declared the "War on Drugs"

I'm sure they're protecting their turf, but they didn't start the drug war, and they're not at the forefront of promoting it. Nixon declared the "War on Drugs". He also pioneered the "Southern Strategy", and many elements of his campaign are now well accepted to have been used as code words. It wasn't a personal appeal to the puritan morality of drug users to stop, it was an appeal to the fears of scared whites. The "War on Drugs" almost exclusively effects poor, minority communities and individuals.

danielweber 13y ago
http://www.npr.org/2009/08/13/111843426/folsom-embodies-californias-prison-blues http://www.npr.org/2009/08/13/111843426/folsom-embodies-cali... In three decades, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association has become one of the most powerful political forces in California. The union has contributed millions of dollars to support "three strikes" and other laws that lengthen sentences and increase parole sanctions. It donated $1 million to Wilson after he backed the three strikes law. It's not precisely what 'rayiner was saying, but the prison guard union is definitely pushing for more people in prison.
- jbooth 13y ago
  Millions????? OMG Give me a break. Unions have a lot of problems but if they were so damned influential, maybe every public sector union except for federal security wouldn't have been losing jobs and hours for the last 10 years.
  - webXL 13y ago
    The only reason public sector unions exist is because they are so influential, despite FDR's warning against them and the conflict of interest that falls on the taxpayers representatives who often have their campaigns partially financed by unions. And I don't think you can look at the past 10 years of "belt tightening" at the state and local level (let's be real, that's where the cuts are), and say they aren't that influential. They still have tons of power.
  - rayiner 13y ago
    The states are teetering on the verge of bankruptcy, and it's extremely telling that the public unions are the last things to feel the pain after states have been gutting things like higher education for decades. Many of the recent municipal bankruptcies have been driven by pension obligations for public employees: http://www.foxbusiness.com/government/2013/06/11/california-on-brink-pension-crisis http://www.foxbusiness.com/government/2013/06/11/california-....
    - jbooth 13y ago
      I agree with all of that. What I'm saying is that blaming the current security state on 'unions' is like saying NYC exists because of, I dunno, greenpoint. Not necessary and not even sufficient. Of course certain unions see an interest in the security state. Other, bigger unions are generally opposed but don't have skin in the game. Whatever. The security state is much bigger than the police and prison guard unions. Fundamentally, the issue here is political game theory where there's no upside to fixing things and a lot of upside to painting your opponent as 'soft on terror' or 'soft on crime'. So policy only moves in one direction, and that direction is often stupid. Unions' wishes are just drops in the bucket compared to that.

danielweber 13y ago

http://www.npr.org/2009/08/13/111843426/folsom-embodies-californias-prison-blues http://www.npr.org/2009/08/13/111843426/folsom-embodies-cali... In three decades, the California Correctional Peace Officers Association has become one of the most powerful political forces in California. The union has contributed millions of dollars to support "three strikes" and other laws that lengthen sentences and increase parole sanctions. It donated $1 million to Wilson after he backed the three strikes law. It's not precisely what 'rayiner was saying, but the prison guard union is definitely pushing for more people in prison.

jbooth 13y ago
Millions????? OMG Give me a break. Unions have a lot of problems but if they were so damned influential, maybe every public sector union except for federal security wouldn't have been losing jobs and hours for the last 10 years.
- webXL 13y ago
  The only reason public sector unions exist is because they are so influential, despite FDR's warning against them and the conflict of interest that falls on the taxpayers representatives who often have their campaigns partially financed by unions. And I don't think you can look at the past 10 years of "belt tightening" at the state and local level (let's be real, that's where the cuts are), and say they aren't that influential. They still have tons of power.
- rayiner 13y ago
  The states are teetering on the verge of bankruptcy, and it's extremely telling that the public unions are the last things to feel the pain after states have been gutting things like higher education for decades. Many of the recent municipal bankruptcies have been driven by pension obligations for public employees: http://www.foxbusiness.com/government/2013/06/11/california-on-brink-pension-crisis http://www.foxbusiness.com/government/2013/06/11/california-....
  - jbooth 13y ago
    I agree with all of that. What I'm saying is that blaming the current security state on 'unions' is like saying NYC exists because of, I dunno, greenpoint. Not necessary and not even sufficient. Of course certain unions see an interest in the security state. Other, bigger unions are generally opposed but don't have skin in the game. Whatever. The security state is much bigger than the police and prison guard unions. Fundamentally, the issue here is political game theory where there's no upside to fixing things and a lot of upside to painting your opponent as 'soft on terror' or 'soft on crime'. So policy only moves in one direction, and that direction is often stupid. Unions' wishes are just drops in the bucket compared to that.