Drug War Has Failed, Global Commission on Drug Policy concludes

[Frodo]

An acknowledgment of the obvious, but still noteworthy:

Major Panel: Drug War Failed; Legalize Marijuana

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: June 1, 2011 at 8:02 PM ET
 
NEW YORK (AP) — The global war on drugs has failed and governments should explore legalizing marijuana and other controlled substances, according to a commission that includes former heads of state, a former U.N. secretary-general and a business mogul.

A new report by the Global Commission on Drug Policy argues that the decades-old "global war on drugs has failed, with devastating consequences for individuals and societies around the world." The 24-page paper will be released Thursday.

"Political leaders and public figures should have the courage to articulate publicly what many of them acknowledge privately: that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that repressive strategies will not solve the drug problem, and that the war on drugs has not, and cannot, be won," the report said.

The 19-member commission includes former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former U.S. official George P. Schultz, who held cabinet posts under U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. Others include former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, former presidents of Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, writers Carlos Fuentes and Mario Vargas Llosa, U.K. business mogul Richard Branson and the current prime minister of Greece.

[Liberté]

It took the U.N. this long to figure this out?

EDIT: These are not particularly liberal people, either. Schultz was a right-wing blowhard during Watergate. Volcker was the first conservative head of the Fed.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

But many of them want large prison populations to break up families.

[King]

But many of them want large prison populations to break up families.

Huh?

The problem with the drug war is that it doesn't need proof to work.  People don't believe the drug war works.  People have faith in the drug war like a religion.  Mainly because it's the religious who support it.

[Franzl]

But we have to be "tough on crime", don't we?!

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

"Drug War had failed"...

Not a very original discovery.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

But we have to be "tough on crime", don't we?!

Legalize the stuff and it won't be a crime.

[angus]

But many of them want large prison populations to break up families.

Maybe it's just the opposite.  Arrest the whole bunch.  The family in a haze together, stays together. 

[John Dibble]

But many of them want large prison populations to break up families.

Maybe it's just the opposite.  Arrest the whole bunch.  The family in a haze together, stays together.

And we all know the apple doesn't fall far from the tree anyways, right? Our Dear Leader has a similar policy in handling dissidents, I do believe. Quite sensible, really.

[Ebowed]

The problem with the drug war is that it doesn't need proof to work.  People don't believe the drug war works.  People have faith in the drug war like a religion.  Mainly because it's the religious who support it.

Indeed.

[Liberté]

And, of course, NObama can't have any of that thar freedom thing goin' 'round.

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So here's my question for Obama supporters, though it's really a series of logical propositions:

1. We all know that, intellectually, the man is capable of rationally seeing the stupidity and waste behind the War on Drugs.

2. We also know that, however he campaigned, he learned more from Clinton's triangulating policies than anyone else. If he's not lamely attempting to strike a 'centrist'(-right) position on this issue, then he's a weakling succumbing to institutional pressure to continue to support these failed policies.

3. And here comes the question - if he doesn't respond to your frail efforts to pressure him from the left, and goes on to rail against you and run towards the right in the media, and throws you paltry policy bones, why support him? We all know that the border hawk conservatives would have raised all sorts of Hell if Bush's term had extended longer into '09.

Is it the polls? 'Cause, the last time I checked, marijuana legalization is now the majority view in this nation. And a good, slick, politically astute and spineless triangulator like Obama ought to know all about poll-watchin'.

I vote for the idea that institutional liberalism has reached its limits along with the limits of the institution itself.

[Roemerista]

My support for the war on drugs is perhaps why I would vote for Obama if the GOP nom goes to a Paul or that other crazy fellow.

This just tells me that we need to rachet it up.

[King]

My support for the war on drugs is perhaps why I would vote for Obama if the GOP nom goes to a Paul or that other crazy fellow.

This just tells me that we need to rachet it up.

I hate this quote, but it actually fits here: "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

[Liberté]

My support for the war on drugs is perhaps why I would vote for Obama if the GOP nom goes to a Paul or that other crazy fellow.

This just tells me that we need to rachet it up.

I hate this quote, but it actually fits here: "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

My guess is he is or knows someone or is related to someone employed by the DEA or police or some other anti-drug organization. That's the only possible way someone can be convinced so strongly in the essential goodness of something that hurts them.

[Person Man]

My support for the war on drugs is perhaps why I would vote for Obama if the GOP nom goes to a Paul or that other crazy fellow.

This just tells me that we need to rachet it up.

I hate this quote, but it actually fits here: "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

My guess is he is or knows someone or is related to someone employed by the DEA or police or some other anti-drug organization. That's the only possible way someone can be convinced so strongly in the essential goodness of something that hurts them.

People oppose their own interests all the time. He doesn't need any connections to the "Just Say No" crowd to "Just Say No" himself.