Obama Calls For A Ceasefire In War On Drugs

Could it be, that after decades of wasted manpower, money and lives destroyed that the U.S. will plot a new course in dealing with our national drug problem? Obama promised change and in under two months he has done a lot, but the war on drugs? Can that really be turned around? Well, Obama is going to give it a try.

From The Guardian:

The Obama administration signalled today that it was ready to repudiate the prohibition and "war on drugs" approach of previous presidents, and steer policy towards prevention and "harm reduction" strategies favoured by Europe.

David Johnson, an assistant secretary of state, said the new administration would embrace policies supporting federally funded needle exchanges. The aim, he said, was to establish a policy based on public health needs. "This will result in a policy that is broader and stronger than the one we had in the past," Johnson said on the sidelines of a UN drug strategy conference in Vienna.

His words come days after the nomination of the Seattle police chief, Gil Kerlikowske, to the post of director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the nation's drug czar. Kerlikowske has built a reputation in Seattle for pursuing drug policies based on harm reduction. The state has an established needle exchange programme, has legalised marijuana for medicinal purposes and has made marijuana among the lowest priorities for law enforcement.

Smart actions followed by smart words, now that is the President that I voted for. Our country has caused untold damage in Latin America fighting this "war" with no real effect here at home. Finally, we might just begin to treat the problem where it needs treating and from an economic standpoint, cutting the demand with treatment centers will ultimately help lessen the supply.

The War On Drugs In Afghanistan

The war on drugs has failed miserably in the Americas, and apparently in Afghanistan as well. Ever since the Taliban fell opium production has skyrocketed. A new U.N. report shows that the situation is getting even worse:

Economic Indicators Of The Bush Administration

Jesus General asks readers to determine which one of the following products have dropped in price since Bush took office. If you don't know already, just look at the product that stands out amongst the rest.

From JG:

I was doing some research on the economy, and I discovered something interesting. Of all the items listed below, the price of only one item has gone way down since Bush took office. Everything else has become much more expensive.

Dozen eggs
Gallon of Gasoline
Health Care
Gallon of Milk
Ear of corn
8-ball of cocaine
College Tuition
Loaf of bread

That one thing is cocaine. Now I'm not really an economics expert, but I do make sure to watch both Fox News and Lou Dobbs in order to get both sides, so I think I know what I'm talking about. The lower price must be because all the money being spent to destroy these drugs in Colombia is making Americans feel guilty about continuing to buy it - and the demand is dropping. And since President Bush makes everyone cherish life so much, the demand for things we need to live is going up. As a result, the terrorists are getting much less money for their drugs than they were just 5 years ago while good people are getting wealthier.

In case you don't hear the sarcasm dripping from this post, let me clue you in to what is most likely happening. The war on drugs people are destroying Columbian soil from growing anything for many, many years. Meanwhile on the streets in the United States, the demand is still incredibly high. So what is the missing link you ask? The coca farmers under the drug cartels are simply moving their operations elsewhere.

I'm not an economist either, but it does not take a lot of brain cells to rub together and deduce that if there is a demand for a particular product, suppliers will deliver. Now the Bush Administration's goal with Plan Colombia was to make cocaine really expensive by reducing the amount available to go to 'market.' Instead, the market is being flooded with cheap cocaine, making it even easier for Americans looking for a way to check out of reality to get a good deal on shit that can and most likely will ruin their lives.

Way to go George! Another Mission Accomplished!